Last Post 2008

Happy New Year's, everyone!

I can't believe another year has passed us. We should reflect on everything that has happened this year, revel in the joy and the blessings and take heed from the downfalls.... *sigh* I guess I'll never stop sounding cheesy no matter how old I get. =P Hooray pep talks, etc. And.... The inevitable college applications are finally done!! Woooooo!!!!!!

Emily's New Year's Resolutions:
1. Go running/exercise every weekend
2. be more responsible and on top of everything in life
3. read books
4. help with more chores in the house
5. be on time..

You guys better watch me and make sure I do all of this stuff... especially the last one.

<33 Emily
Now... to more fun and clarinet practicing. =)

Current Thoughts: Fashion

Hey guys!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday. I finished 2 college applications today, so as a reward, I am letting myself update my blog. =D Very exciting! As you can tell by my recent silly entries, senioritis has taken its toll...

But that's okay. It's winter break.

~*~

So first thing I have been thinking about lately is boots. Yes, the ones you wear on your feet. I think the whole boots&tights&skirt combination is cute, even if some of you *nudge* don't like tights. (grrr/too bad :P)



Or... Something like this:




To accomplish this look:



Suede is cute. Leather isn't bad.
Although I think I'm going to search for PETA friendly ones.

~*~

Also, I'm really into the Chanel earrings -- even if they are knockoffs...

*thanks to google images for all images. =P

--Update more later. So tired! Must sleep.
<3Emily

Christmas Break

Hello!

Christmas break is finally here! Nothing interesting has been happening. But... here's a to-do list for my holiday season this year. :)

1. shop for Christmas presents
2. practice clarinet for All State auditions
3. knit something (anything!)
4. watch youtube make up videos (hee hee.)
5. read, read, read! (news, books, essays...)
6. go see festival of lights with buddies
7. learn to cook more dishes
8. finish college applications/schedule interviews
9. study NIE for Chemistry
10. catch up on sleep!
11. bake brownies
12. wrap presents

I can't think of anything else right now, but I'm so excited I have time to do everything on this list!

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

<33

Parkview > Brookwood

Hooray!! Parkview finally beat Brookwood in football last night -- the first win in three years. This means Science Bowl and Science Olympiad had better not loose to them in anything. Ah, maybe we can bring it back after all.

So much has been going on right now. I've just been writing essay after essay and studying like crazy for Chemistry (much to my despair since it isn't really helping! grr!). Two more weeks until Thanksgiving!!..

Emily.
--This blog really has died! :(

Nov. 1

Again, it's been a long time. But, everything is getting better these days. I have been doing a lot more work and being on top of things. =) Not 100% there yet, but I'm getting close. I finished the Emory Scholars/Admission application and submitted it this morning. One down.

I have 6 more weeks to ace Chemistry, finish apps, and treasure the time with my friends. It's going to be okay.

Oh, and my aunt had her baby on Halloween! :) Happy birthday little Austin.

<3Emily
Congratulations on All State, Sumi!

Digging Myself Out of a Hole

You could say I've fallen into a hole this past few weeks. I've been sick, and school/extra-currics/life has not been going very well. I pretty much bombed a chair audition today and have pretty horrible grades in class. I think I'm unraveling. Falling apart even. But it isn't going to last. I've learned that before we find the courage and the skills to lead others, we must learn to lead ourselves. People aren't going to follow you if you can't even get your own life together. That's where I am right now. Trying to get my life back together and recover from the blow that I've somehow received in these past few weeks. I know I haven't been updating much, but that's basically the reason why. I've been too overwhelmed with everything that this semester has been throwing at me to update or to even think and reflect.

I just need some time to get things back to where they should be.
I'll find that time. And it'll be okay.
Emily

Homecoming

Homecoming last night was really fun. Dancing was a little awkward at first (as always), but then everyone got into it and just had a great time. =D I'm really happy that all the nerd guys got to go this year. I hope you all had a blast! I did. =)

the ladies:


the guys:


charles!


everyone:


the parents:


^.^

<3Emily

"Parkview"

It is amazing how much excitement one little word can create in people.

I just wanted to thank everyone for believing in us, working for us, and swaying with us. The band, the parents, and the directors/instructors have been so amazing these past few months. The hard work really paid off tonight. (1st in class band!!!!!!!! woot woot!)

But you know we could do so much better. That wasn't even our best show.

:) Bliss.

Emily
-- Too tired to think. Will write more later.

Exhibition

I feel awful. This blog has both died and become some kind of band-focused compilation of ramblings. Oops.

Two years ago, I attended the marching band exhibition at Norcross as a clarinet player. I loved watching every school perform, and I loved that tingly feeling you got on the back of your neck when the cymbals rolled across a melodious brass line. I wanted nothing more than to be a part of this magic, playing beautiful and inspiring music with my peers. But the thing I remembered most was watching the Brookwood Band and watching their drum majors. So, I'll admit it. I was already entranced by the idea of conducting on a podium. I wanted more than anything to be able to mimic those amazingly musical gestures and stand before 200 people. But then, watching the Asian drum major on the podium (ok, I knew her. but, I know. get over it. how many Asian drum majors do you know?? :-P) inspired me so much that I knew conducting was where I wanted to be.. or maybe even belonged. I remember going home and raving to my friends (Timmy!) about how awesome she was and how much I wanted to be just like her (ok lame underclassmen memories. but yeah. :D).

Today the Seniors had our final marching band exhibition (kind of like a show where the people in the stands are quiet, and we get judged but do not compete) at Brookwood High School. It was my second and final exhibition as a drum major. We have our first official competition this Saturday (the first out of two!), and we only have 3 home games left until the season is officially over (unless.. we somehow manage to make State.). It's beginning to dawn on me that this amazing part of my life will not last forever. I can't believe my high school band career is coming to a close. I remember asking Donnell this past summer if he ever felt withdrawl from not being able to conduct his band. The look on his face was so sad, and I felt really bad for him. I knew the thrill of being on the podium, and I learned to love the feeling of yelling at (hee hee) 140 people under the sizziling hot sun. But I couldn't connect with the reality that this moment would be lost forever so soon... and I didn't really understand how Donnell felt, because I was still in the midst of it all. I still am. But, I've come to realize that this whole thing is ephemeral and that it will be gone within a matter of weeks.

All I have to say is: I'm amazingly happy about the past two years of my life. I can't believe I've been given such a phenomenal opportunity to grow and to grow others. Once it is over, I'll cry and be sad. But, I will hope that the band has been touched the way I have and move on, taking these memories as a part of the new and improved (haha) me. I can't say how much this all means to me. But you probably already know from reading this.


You can see why I have ditched maybe 4 hours of homework in order to write about this. I'm having some unstable emotional moment..

Emily

Getting Organized

Three things this week: (Right now I'm just thinking in lists, so that's how I will write.)

1. mu alpha theta - I completely forgot to turn in my forms (due Friday, =/) on Friday, so I turned them in Monday morning. The teacher in charge was really mean about it and said she might not let me be on it this year even though I was on it last year. I talked to President Josh (yay)... and apparently I am on the list, but Hope says she didn't see me on it. Whatever. I'll just find the attendance secretary and see what the deal is. Anyways, if I have been kicked off, I should at least get my $10 dues back.

2. college stuff - I really need to narrow down my list of colleges and make a notebook of deadlines, extra requirements, and music tape possibilities. I can't believe we only have 2 months left! Ah!!

3. clarinet - all state auditions are December 13. so i better beast up the clarinet and make 1st clarinet. :D i'm going for it this year.

There's a Wash U seminar tonight!! I'm so excited!!! Yayyyy!!!

Cute ^.^

Hooray! It is Saturday.
It's funny that school has already started. I feel like summer was just yesterday. But, I'm getting used to being a Senior. It really isn't all that weird.

We won the football game last night against Chattahoochee. And marching band went better this week than last week. I was pretty stressed last week. Emilee was pretty stressed this week. Maybe next week we'll both be normal. At the game, Magner's little daughter wanted to get on the podium and conduct Louie Louie. So, our color guard sponsor helped her up onto the podium in front of me, and we called the song. I conducted above her head and she waved her arms around. She's so cute!! :)

I'm glad everyone went to the game this weekend. It was super exciting to see them during third quarter.

Other than this... I have nothing to say.

Emily

Number stress and such..

We lost to Collins Hill 28-9. How pathetic. Great job class of 09 football. You're really making us proud.

You know when teachers, parents, students tell you life isn't about numbers? They tell you that you are more than just a ranking, an SAT score, or a test grade-- That no matter what chair you are, you are still a good musician? But... how can this be true? We count our lives by numbers: age, income, hours spent doing whatever. We are surrounded by it everywhere we go, and we wear it on our wrists. And yet, when they say that you are more than a number, why is it that those who have great character but not the test scores can't go farther in life than they already have? It doesn't matter what kind of a person or what things you have done as long as you have the numbers. It's just so frustrating. You can't even get numbers (scholarships) without it.

---

So today Murat called me a slacker...
He was completely right. I have failed to be diligent since sophomore year. That's almost two wasted years of laziness. I can't believe myself. I ought to be (and am) ashamed. No more of this slacking off. I'm bringing it back.

Emily

Music, truly the most effective Medicine

It's been a hectic week, and there's still more to come. We have our first football away game this Friday night at Collins Hill! If you're interested, come watch us beat their butts. :-P But no school on Monday (hooray!).

~*~

The Dessert Preview was not at all what we expected. Especially considering many of us were dreading it...

I've been pretty sick lately. I don't know why. I suspect Charles gave it to me in language arts by sneezing all over my binders (haha, just playing Charles!), but school today was miserable.I was cold the whole day and the high was 85, and my head hurt with a sore throat. Okay, so I am exaggerating. It wasn't that bad...

It was pretty depressing that we had band rehearsal today considering how sick I felt... especially when all these kids sit out when they aren't really sick. I guess I felt okay because I didn't really want to fall off the podium at any point or anything. Still, I was pretty depressed that we had rehearsals (yeah, whine. whine. whine.. :-P).

I came home and talked on the phone for an hour.. (heh. >.< you know who you are.) which made me feel a lot better mentally, but I was feeling physically more horrible (oh grammar.) and didn't want to go back for our Dessert Preview at all. (The Dessert Preview is an event we have every year, omg I just realized it was the seniors last ever! :O oy.. =(, where we officially play through our show for our parents. And.. eat a load of dessert. Pretty neat, I guess.) So I get there, down 3 brownies and some Cherry Coke, and try to fake a smile for the show. How sad.

... But ...

Tonight has been... amazing. There's no other word for it. Phenomenal would be too prentitious while great would be an understatement. It's not that the band all of the sudden played better or louder than ever. It was just this feeling on the field throughout the whole thing, like everyone wanted to work together to make this show go right. For the first time this year, I felt like I was actually communicating with the band... Musically. It's always been systematically like talking after rehearsals and giving commands, but this time.. there were no words. Thank you guys for playing with your hearts and doing the dynamics (yes!). I know we still have a looonnngg way to go on the music and the drill, but for what we've done so far, and all that we've gone through, you have been wonderful. I've been feeling like crap all day, but a small 8 minute interval with the band has made me feel a lot, both physically and emotionally, better. Why stress out and feel depressed when there's so much music to hold on to?

My favorite part though...
Giving out high-fives at the door with Whitney after it was all over.
It's amazing how a group of crazy, sweet, and talented kids can brighten my ordinary day.
;)


<3Emily

Essays

Sitting here 3 hours before midnight I feel as if I want to cry. No, not for the reasons you think. Although I have piles of procrastinated Physics webassign, Econ studying, and essay writing, my eyes water by a different cause: my friends.

In language arts these days, we've all been reminded that the present is fleeting. That in a few months, we'll be sending off applications to some of the most intimidating and most prestige universities in the world. We've been pushed to write something interesting about ourselves and our experiences. We've rattled our brains and stared blankly at the white Word document hoping that in some miraculous instant, we'd turn into a wonderful and amazing person who has had so much life and so much love to write about. At least, that is what I thought we were going through.

I've gotten to read just two of my dearest friends' essays this past weekend. And both have brought tears to my eyes. You must be thinking that I am some kind of sappy weenie, and okay, I'll admit it. I am a bit emotional and over-sentimental. But. I realize that they didn't reach deep into themselves to find that interesting person because she was there near the surface all along.. for both of them. Stories about the strong bonds of love within families and between people and stories about the memories we've shared eating fried rice have all come up within their essays. Sometimes I wonder -- maybe this essay writing process isn't such a dirge. It is a final, concrete wrap up of the experiences we've had in high school and of the hopes and dreams that we have for our futures. Something to remember ourselves and our friends by in the future. I have to say that college essays seem to give us all a sense of closure for the childhood part of our lives. Thinking of it that way, there's no pressure to impress...

I am so thankful for such amazing friends who have opened themselves up in their essays and shared some of their beautiful experiences with me. I know they weren't writing it for my purpose (duh. how self-centered is that?) , but I still feel very honored to have been allowed to read some of their writing. I hope we all take these few months as an opportunity to show the world who we really are by seeing this essay writing process as a gift rather than a burden.

--Emily

Writer's Block

How is it that when you have to write the most important essays of your life, you blank out completely?

----

I have been such a bum lately! I've been doing the minimum requirements for school work and slacking off in band, and all I ever wanted to do was talk on the phone. I did nothing but 20 physics problems and 20 minutes of clarinet today. But I also went to Kristen's party (which was really fun!!!! :D) and I relaxed a bunch. Still, I have a load of work and I'm falling behind! :S..... And I find myself blogging since Common App doesn't work.

I guess Senioritis has already landed.

--Emily.

Frustrated

It's hard to keep up with a blog when school starts. It's even harder to keep up with other things.

For example. Isn't sad how the things we care about just seem to go away when academics become an issue? It seems like before school started, I was extremely pumped up for band. I couldn't wait for games to start and for us to be productive and get those big trophies at competitions. But since I've gotten loaded down with Calculus homework, Chemistry tests, and Lit essays, Band's become a second priority... and clarinet.. hasn't even made the list of top 5's.

How can I call something my passion when it isn't even on my top priorities list? I never intend to major in music. Maybe not even minor in it. But I know that I really do enjoy playing in an ensemble and conducting one. Band is supposed to be my escape from the stressful academic world, but even if this is the case, I should still take it on as a priority. Not just go through the motions but actually get into it even when I have 3 tests hanging over my head the next day. It's never been hard juggling school and band, so I find it really weird that I'm struggling with it this year. Anyways, if I just pick myself up from this ditch and start getting back into the highs of marching band, I'm sure things will stop looking so gloomy.

The 5 AP class thing is going better this week. I actually made an A on the Chem test that I thought I failed. The calculus quiz today was a joke. Physics is really fun. Lit was a little disappointing. I got back my summer reading essays, and they weren't marked quite as high as I thought I deserved.. but then I did make grammar mistakes and did not double space. See? Here's something else I'm having trouble with this year: Not being a grade whore. I'm trying not to worry so much about the numbers and just focus on doing the task at hand. I guess I should read my little "To Seniors" inspirational note again and get a priority check. It still hurts a little when things don't go just the way you expect them to. (Yeah, the only child in me is coming out.) So number one thing other than prioritizing: stop worrying about the wrong things.

XD

hm.

:)....

why is happiness always ruined by a Chemistry test?

What I need to accomplish tonight:
1. finish Econ homework
2. study for Chem test
3. do Chem lab
4. college essay?
5. webassign?

Hot Sauce

I figure all of the posts will be named "School" if I don't think of unique events for titles. Today at lunch, I ate oven fried chicken with a load of hot sauce, and in the middle of lunch I said "hey if I had a bottle of this, I would totally drink it."

Anyways....

I can't believe it has already been three days into the school year! And I am completely bogged down with work and responsibilities! Let me just say that I am really glad that I quit my job before this all started and that although I am sad about this, I am glad I did not do Atlanta Youth Winds. Just focusing on school work is hard enough with band practice, honor society meetings, and after school Chem labs.

And now for some procrastinating!
Here's a little bit about each class..

Chem:
So far we've reviewed compound nomenclature, Stoichiometry, and the Sciencetific Method/basic chemistry knowledge. It isn't that hard at the moment, but I still have to keep myself on top of everything because this will all change any minute! We have a test on Friday (already, I know! but we've had all summer to review this... so it isn't that bad.) over the first three chapters, and we had our first lab today. I like our class this year. We have some really cool/nice people who are willing to work hard. At least, that is what it seems like at the moment. I'm sure we'll take a few beatings and start to feel differently eventually. The after school experiment today was hectic. It was the most simple lab ever, but I felt ADD and so did many other people. :D Heh heh. But working with the people in the class was really fun. I feel happy about our "Chem Family".

Lit:
Aha. The only class that constantly reminds me about those college apps. I've already started one and written one essay, but the rest is still not finished, so it haunts me. I'm glad Dr. Tilley keeps telling us to get on the essays and fix our resumes. At least that way I won't procrastinate too much.

Economics:
Pretty interesting class. It makes me happy that the one Social Studies course I am taking this year has no history and is more of a contemporary class. I loved Human Geography, and from what I've seen so far, Econ is probably going to end up being the same type of thing. That makes me happy! :) Also, Petmecky is one of the best teachers at Parkview, so I can't wait to have him!

Calculus:
Hm. Calculus takes some getting used to. I was really confused the first day when D Wag said all this about squishing the function with closer epsilon/delta values to get a limit or what not. But I get it better today. One thing with calculus: don't think about what you are doing. Just do it. If you ponder too much, it'll get confusing. Anyways, math isn't bad so I just need to readjust and Calculus won't be that bad either.

Band:
Same as always. Awesome. :)

Physics C:
We actually learned Calculus in Physics today. It was much easier in physics for some reason... *ahem*

So far, I like Chemistry, Calculus, and Physics. But these are my toughest classes... Gotta dominate, yeah? :D

That's about all I have at the moment.
What follows is a "blog entry" for our econ assignment.
Take Care.
--<3Emily

P.S. I really crave Bruster's mint chocolate chip right now...

Josh

wow

?

Emily

wow what

Josh

oh

I looked in my pocket

and I found some crackers

and I think they've been there for a while

because I've never seen this flavor befire

*before

Emily

butt flavored?

-------------------

Why Fight Over Globalization When There Are Issues At Hand?

Ever since the Industrial Revolution of 1750, our world has become more and more globalized. People have made it easier and more efficient for societies to contact and influence other societies. Countries have higher standards of living based on an improved ability to manufacture material goods. And diverse cultures originating in specific areas around the world are being transmitted to other places in the matter of seconds. Globalization in our generation refers to the interconnection of far-reaching societies. It has a wide impact on other aspects of human life as well including personal, political, and environmental aspects. Take the environment for example; the impact of globalization on our environment is a controversial issue. Some argue that globalization is bad and should be stopped because it promotes activities that lead to the destruction of the environment. Others say that the economy should be our number one priority, and once countries reach a certain level in economic development, they will have the ability and the resources to protect the environment. Politicians, policy makers, and environmentalists spend too much time arguing over this issue. Why is everyone so stubborn? Can they not see that if we continue sitting around and arguing about something like the environmental effects of globalization nothing will ever get done and both the environment and the world economy will start going down the drain? The key to getting things accomplished in life is to be proactive.

So, instead of being so close-minded, the debators on both sides should take a moment to see the other perspective and understand it. That way, a solution can be worked out to improve both aspects of the issue. Environmentalists should see that although globalization can be harmful to the environment, it can also eradicate unemployment and increase opportunities for people to have better lives. Proponents of globalization should also realize that industrialization does damage the environment, and if they don't do anything about it soon, they won't have a society (much less an Earth) on which to build a global economy on. Without the necessary resources provided for us by our environment, industrialization would not be possible. So you see, if people would open their minds to the fact that life is not all black and white and that issues cannot bend just one way or the other, we can do something about the conflicts between globalization and the environment. In order to truly move forward, we must learn to be open to other ideas, be willing to pay the costs of giving things up, and be cooperative to achieve a united goal for a better future. Wishful thinking, but possible if people would get over their differences.

School stuff

Hey guys! :)

I hope you all had amazing Thursdays... even if you were at school for an hour or so. I'm so excited about this upcoming year! I can't believe I have most of you-- except.. Kristen, Devi, and Timmy.. :'(-- in all of my classes. Even if we don't have a class together, we will still definitely manage to spend an amazing senior year with each other. I promise!!

Here is my schedule:
01. AP Chemistry - Okor
02. AP Lit - Tilley
03. AP Economics - Petmecky
04. AP Calculus - Wagner
05. Symphonic Band - Magner
06. Advisement/6B lunch - Webster
07. AP Physics C - Heier

Senior pictures also came in the mail for me today. I have four choices. My hair isn't looking too brushed in some of them, so I'll probably be restricted in which one I pick.

A.


B.


C.


D.


I think I like A and C, except my hair is really messy in C. (You can't tell from this size, but if it is a little bigger... eh, I guess it won't show up on the yearbook.)

---

I've had a great day! In band, we are 3/4-way through our ENTIRE show!!! Last year we didn't even have the first one completely down, and we only had 3 pieces. This year we have 3 out of 4 already on the field! Thank you band kids for working so hard and staying motivated. This really means a lot to me and the rest of the band.

Oh! And I finally bought a planner today. Yes! :D

<3Emily

Last Work Day... Ever!

Work did not go very well today until more than halfway through my shift.

I went into the job extremely frustrated since I've forgotten all the pre-calculus that we learned last year. It wasn't a random burst of stress. I was working on the summer assignment with Courtney before work, and I couldn't do half of the problems. (Hope and Timmy were there too, so I guess you could say it was another fried rice day.) I don't know what is going on. I pray that it's just a summer thing that will go away when school starts... but then again, I did spend this summer working a brainless job, painting and repainting my nails, and getting smacked in the head by people at the pool. (You know who you are. Ahem. :-P) You know. All the stuff that takes away from your academic time while taking away brain cells. So, if I've completely lost my ability to think, I can understand a little bit. It's still no excuse for the ridiculousness of how many problems I couldn't do on that calc packet. For shame!

My first two hours working today was a disaster (grammar?! like, should it be hours..were..disasters? or hours was a..?? =/). First, I was already frustrated from my homework. Secondly, it was my last day, so I was feeling a little slack.. okay extremely slack, and I didn't want to tag anymore clothes. I half-heartedly stuck tags on clothings and stared at customers like they were idiots when I ran the fitting rooms. (Yeah, I know. How can I be so horrible? I'm not sure.)

Well, two hours go by and my assistant manager comes around to tell me that I tagged a whole row of pants wrong. So, I say in a pretty crappy mood that I would fix them. And I did. But then a few minutes later the manager (I guess she got tired of sicking the assistant on me and decided to take care of this herself) comes to scream her head off at me because, apparently, I did not fix the pants correctly. She didn't make me redo them, but she started checking me every ten minutes and screaming "sensor!" when I wasn't working on tagging the clothes. (Yeah, you know, those scary Korean lady types.) I'm pretty annoyed by this point because I thought I had definitely fixed them the second time around. Everything was going badly, so I went on a break when I finished tagging the last rack that was out. I didn't understand why she was so angry. Yes, I tagged them wrong the first time. But the second time, I promise I really didn't do THAT badly.

During break I called Jwong, and I decided (which he agreed to/suggested) that it would be best for me to just suck it up, fake positivity/happiness, and get the job done right. It would be awful to leave on my last day with the manager completely angry at me. That was definitely not the last impression I wanted to leave with the store. Then I went back to work and acted happy and worked diligently. But I got demoted from the tagging position (good riddance) and had to work on putting back clothes and fixing the folded shirts which were a complete mess.

I didn't feel completely better because I knew my manager was still mad at me. So after we closed, I went to talk to her about it. I apologized and told her that I really appreciated her giving me an opportunity to work at the store. In turn, she explained why she was so angry. The day before, I tagged something that was wrong. (Ugh! I don't know why I keep messing up this week! But obviously, I'm not perfect. At anything.) Which completely threw off the merchandise putting out. She owed it to her boss to have all the correct boxes of clothes out everyday, and because I messed up yesterday (whoa harsh, but I deserve this I guess.) we were two boxes behind schedule. Then she said she couldn't get mad at the manager yesterday because he said they were too busy and he couldn't watch what I was doing. What a load of crap. He is just too pansy to take any blame for himself. (Sorry, I don't have much respect for him since I've seen his... people "skills" when it comes to dealing with customers. Anyways, I shouldn't be bashing.) But at least she cleared that up with me. I hate it when people are upset with you or annoyed with you and you don't know why they are that way. I just feel like if I know what is going on, I could at least care more which gives a better chance at fixing or preventing problems. After she told me all of that, I completely understood her anger, and I totally deserved getting yelled at. We aren't on great terms, but at least she knows how sorry I feel and she understands that I didn't mess up on purpose. The fact that I took the effort to talk to her about it probably makes it seem less... horrible. Or not. Who knows. Who cares. I tried my best, and I am done.

Now that all of this is out of my system... let me just say something. (Yeah okay, I'm going to get all preachy. But this is mostly for myself.) No matter how much we dream, life is never going to go the way you want it to. We may wish for a perfect job where you get a raise every other month and do perfect on everything, but we'll never get that. We may wish for wonderful people to work with and great customers who come, but we'll never get that either. Leaning around (which is what I did for two hours) with a frown on your face and a negative attitude isn't going to help situations at all. In fact, it will probably make them worse than they are. (I guess I can relate this other county organization thing to this too. If you know what I'm talking about.) If we ever want to get close to a great experience or an awesome job, we have to suck it up when things are frustrating and put a smile on. That's the only way to get through sticky situations in life, and it works. Even if you have to pretend like you are having fun. I promise it eventually rubs off. We are transparent, no matter how much we hide it. Especially me. I tend to wear my feelings on my sleeves. I am a genuine person, and I hate being fake. But it's better to be fake with a good attitude in situations that you don't like than to show how angry or upset you are really feeling. A good attitude not only rubs off on other people, but it especially rubs off onto yourself. Take heed (whoa, Hope, I see what you mean by "sometimes you type a word and you didn't know you knew the word but you actually nailed its meaning right on") and smile.

Now that I've just about spent half an hour on this post, I need to finish up a couple of things and go to sleep.

1. Clean room
2. Organize things
3. Schedule for Thursday

I hope everyone has a wonderful evening. Remember to be positive and show passion. It will take us farther than we can ever imagine...

If you need help feeling cheery:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqHfser_9_s&feature=related

:D It'll knock your socks off.

<3Emily

(P.S. -- sorry this entry was so long. And sorry it is filled with grammatical fallacies... tense shifts... verbosity... etc. I really need to jump on Elements of Style.)

Work Rant

Sorry to take write over the inspirational post so soon, but there are a few things I need to just let out into cyberspace and rant about. Things pertaining to work.

I quit my job last Friday (thank goodness since I'll never be able to handle all the crazy night hours and going to school..), and good riddance. I mean, no offense, it's been fun. It definitely was an experience. But a few things have just annoyed and frustrated me beyond belief.

First of all, there's the whole job in general. Tagging clothes until you die and being a fitting room nazi. That's fine. That's what we are supposed to be doing at a retail store. But to be doing that while some people are just standing around chatting? Psh. I think I'll just work a little bit slower and still get paid minimum wage. There's also the responsibility part of the store. I turned in my work permit application a month ago and still have not gotten it back. Hello? Aren't managers or whatnots supposed to be taking care of things?? Isn't responsibility a word in the coporate world?? I mean, if high school kids are supposed to know to return things on time shouldn't real life adults in the business industry know to do the same? The thing that frustrates me the most is the fact that on the application it asks for the hours you can work. So, I put Monday-Thursdays after 4pm. A simple factor that the other end should be following up on. But no, I always get scheduled for 3:00-9:00 on weekdays, and frankly, I'm not done with rehearsals until 4pm. And even after I quit, they schedule me for Thursday 12-5pm (one day after my last day). But Thursday I already have NHS volunteering/Open House/band rehearsal. I mean what the crap?? 3pm-9pm I can understand a little bit, but you got a whole 5 hours into when I can't work?? When it clearly states it on my application?! Ridiculous.

I'm not really as angry as I sound. Angry is too strong of a word for my feelings towards that job right now. It's more like annoyed and frustrated.

I know I always try to end on a positive note, but I don't think that's quite fitting in this situation. I know I'm also probably overblowing this whole situation, and that it really isn't a big deal. But it's the fact that these mistakes are chronic and persistent that really ticks me off. I have a few things that are positive to say, but they don't really seem to fit my tone in this post: experiences such as these teach me how to deal with people and they make me less sensitive to the things that upset me.

I am thankful for not having to work after this week, and I am glad that at least I learned a few things from working this summer. I can't wait to hit it up at Starbucks though! ;)

To Seniors, Inspiration and Reflection

I hope most of you read this:

Although there is only a week of summer left before school starts, I am pretty excited about the new school year. This past week at band camp and the GSLT leadership retreat, I've opened my eyes to so many new ideas and insights that I really want to get going this year.

Seniors -- I know we are all really nervous about this upcoming year. I am especially shaking. We've got college applications to fill, AP classes to ace, and extracurricular activities along with family, friends, and a fun life to juggle. And.. AP Chemistry (aiy!). But we must not loose hope! Everyone has a full plate. It's not right for us to complain about how busy we are because we are not the only ones with lives so hectic. We need to suck it up and take on the challenge.

We must make this year the best one ever so that when we leave the legacy of 2009 stays behind in the hallways of our school, the rooms of our homes, anywhere... So that we change and shape the direction of whatever we care about this year towards a better and brighter future. It isn't just about grades anymore. I understand that we should be good students, and I believe that we will. I know that we will get into the good colleges that we dream of going to. But instead of focusing on where we want to go and what we want our GPAs to be, we focus on putting all of our passions and hard work into what we love whether it be our Families, Sports, Physics, Music, etc., and we will make this year an amazing one. Those college applications will take care of themselves. We'd still have to write them and get recs, but having a good resume.. we don't need to worry about that if we just go towards what we love hard core.

I hope we all realize that this is our last year to make a positive impact in our communities -- that after a few hundred days or so, we will never have this opportunity again. We will eventually all fly off (excuse this cliche) in different directions with various hopes and dreams. But we should leave with common ground: the fact that we cared enough and loved enough to come together in our last year to give back to a place that brought us up from our childhood. No matter what positions we're taking on this year, we need to step up to the plate and do the best we possibly can for others.

I wish us all luck in pursuing a phenomenal school year.

~*~

Band camp turned out to be.... amazing. Everyone worked so hard last week, and we got so much done: we are already halfway through our entire show. That's two songs marching and playing! We aren't perfect yet (duh) and we're not 100% focused all of the time, but that's okay because we've done so much already.

I've found it so much easier to communicate with my band this year. It used to be so hard to talk to them! I was nervous everytime I got up in front of the band... nervous about what they would think of me, whether or not they would listen or care, and nervous that they would see my every mistake. I guess I got better at hiding it as the months went along. But I feel so horrible about last year. There was so much I could bring to my band and so much influence I could have had on the musicians, but I never truly took that initiative to make an impact. (I definitely won't let this happen to Emilee! I hope she gets the full two years that she deserves.)

This year has been a change. I'm not sure if it comes with the seniority or with the experience (more likely) but I feel so much more comfortable with the band. I don't worry anymore about what they think of me, and I know that the respect and trust will build as long as I am willing to reach out. I am still working on being a drum major and I definitely don't have it all down yet (I never will)... but I am especially working on the influence aspect of it all. I'm not sure exactly how this will come together, but I am trying harder to reach out to my band peers.

Anyways, my last band camp as an official PHS student is over. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this wonderful experience.

~*~

I've learned something this summer. Sometimes you must do things you don't want to do even though you would much rather fight it until you get your way and do something you love doing. But growing up means accepting to do things that are not necessarily things that you want or even like with a smile. It is a good idea to accept unwanted responsibilities with a positive attitude even when it is faked. Sometimes, those fake attitudes make you change the way you think and open your mind to new ideas and opportunities. Then they become real attitudes that you can turn into action and initiate change. Good change. Sucking it up and pretending to like something you don't may not be such a bad idea after all.

Smile and spread love.

--Emily

Freshmen Camp

A pre-band camp reflection:

I just got home from this year's Rookie Camp where we teach all of the 16 new freshmen how to march and play. I didn't go to Rookie Camp last summer because I was in China, so I am really glad that I am here for it this year.

We have really good freshmen this year -- not saying that any of the previous ones were bad, but just saying that this year's freshmen are really awesome. Definitely better than my freshman year. Their positive attitudes, willingness to stand at attention without moving, and open ears to constructive criticism makes up a lot for the lack of numbers. It's okay that we have 16 marchers, as long as they are strong and willing to work hard and have fun. That's really what our band should be about this year: building a constructive environment so that everyone in the program will want to work hard but are also relaxed enough to have fun.

Watching the freshmen march brings back pre-high school memories when I was really scared to talk to people and nervous at camp. Even last year it was really difficult for me to connect with people in the band. But at Rookie Camp these days, I've felt this ease that has never been around last year. I've changed so much in the past 4 years -- a mere 4 years and a person can become so different! Isn't that weird? Not saying I am completely outgoing now or anything, but at least now I am not afraid to go up to people I don't know in band and start talking to them. And compared to last year as a first year drum major, I definitely feel more comfortable getting in front of our band and fixing things that are wrong. I hope this isn't just a three day thing that goes away at band camp. I'm still a little nervous about going to camp again and seeing if I can be a better drum major this year and change some of the things from last year, but I was nervous about Rookie Camp and it's turned out great. So I say, keep up a positive attitidue and go for it.

The officers are doing pretty well too. Of course we aren't perfect and have issues we need to work out, but overall everyone is willing to help. Nobody is officious or overbearing. We all help the freshmen in stride but don't overwhelm them. I hope they aren't intimidated! I think we are going to be more responsible too this year as an officer group, but that's probably because I have this mindset that we are going to be, so I'm not sure if that really is the case. But from the first two days, it seems like to be the case. So... considering the officers can't spell and welcomed the freshmen with "Wecome to Parkview Band!" posters, I think we are doing pretty well. (Insert "d'oh!" here.)

--Emily

Volunteen's Last Day

So I discovered a new band last night: The Last Goodnight. They sound somewhat like a cross between Maroon 5 and Relient K. Check them out! Unless your name is Han.

My mom dropped me off at Egleston's this morning. I made a comment in the car about how you feel really lonely going places in America but not in China. I said this was because everyone here drives cars, so there aren't that many people walking around and biking as opposed to in China where almost everyone walks and bikes. My mom disagreed and said that it was more likely because people in China are all Chinese so they have a close cultural tie that makes them feel less lonely on the streets. She didn't think it had anything to do with how we got around from place to place. A bit of a stretch, I think. But what is interesting is how you can see this gap between what I think and what she thinks. She's more worried about who we are and I'm thinking about why people are literally isolated. I guess this reflects in how we feel about being in America too. Can you say Cultural Gap or what?

Today was my last day of volunteering since I have band camp next Tuesday during Volunteen. I read to a few kids today with my partner. That was probably my favorite part about the whole program. I read a book about Tiger Woods to a little boy who was recovering very well from a serious disease. It's so sad to know that these children who are less than half of our age have gone through trials that are harder than anything we've ever been exposed to. I mean, think about all the teenagers (including definitely me) who worry about college applications, finding jobs, and practicing instruments. We complain like mad about all of this when we should take this as a privilege - to be able to be healthy enough to go after our dreams and achieve our goals. Wouldn't our worlds fall apart if we all of the sudden got some sort of disease that will take away a few years of our lives? So no matter how tough life becomes this upcoming semester, we should all suck it up and take on the challenge and chase our dreams because there are those out there who don't have that immediate opportunity. Not saying that everyone at Egleston's is deathly ill. In fact, most of them are doing pretty well. I'm just saying we can all afford to be a little more gracious for what we have no matter what the obstacles are.

Volunteering was also really sad because it was the last day I could see my childhood friend Amulya every week. It is ridiculous how small the world is. I remember meeting her in 3rd grade, the year I moved away. The last time I saw her was at the playground when she was wearing a blue top and playing with a hula-hoop. I remember waving goodbye to her feeling a little sad knowing that I would probably never see her again, but here, 8 years later we somehow meet up at a children's hospital partnered up for volunteer work. Talking to her just makes me feel like I've put one of my childhood memories on pause only to review it again a few years later. It's as if everything about that past life for me has stopped. Looking back, I really do miss those old elementary school days when cliques didn't exist, everyone was friends, and playground drama stayed on the playground. It's funny to think that I created the Beanie Babies Club in 3rd grade and was President of it until I left. I think we had 5 members, haha! :D But that was fun. We just drew Beanie Babies and talked about them. Pretty simple considering we were all about 9 years old.

Self-centered as this is, I never thought how life goes on for the rest of the people when you move. Obviously this is the case. But do you ever stop to think about those things when you are 10? Well, I didn't. For me, the life of Briar Vista stopped 8 years ago, but it didn't for my friend. (Am I just rambling now? Possibly.) Catching up with Amulya and talking to her about 3rd grade and what happened afterwards to the school and the people was pretty intriguing. I must say many of the outcomes of my old peers and best friends have been surprising, but I guess people really do change a whole lot after they go into secondary education. Funny thing is, Amulya hasn't changed that much. She's still the nice, fun girl I knew in 3rd grade, and she said that I haven't changed that much either. We still get along really well. I guess by this whole changing I mean we haven't picked up drugs and become gangsters or anything. Haha, just kidding! I am really going to miss volunteering with her, and I am really happy fate put somehow put us in the same group and activity for this program.

On the schedule conflicts I was having: I talked to my band director and he was really sweet about me missing almost every bajillion thing (at least that's what I feel like I am missing) this week and next weekend. And on the other side, they were nice about letting me go late. I know most of you (whoever reads this, god knows... well, except Han and Timmy. Haha, I think I just tied up that competition score if you two are still going at it.) probably have no idea what I am talking about, but that's okay. I just want to say that everything is peachy and that it's all good. Except that I probably need to quit work soon since school is coming. Heh. :D

This week is going to be another crazy one, and I think they will continue to be so until school starts when they will get even crazier. Rookie Camp starts tomorrow, so I will be meeting the newest addition to the Parkview Panther Marching Band! I can't wait, I am so excited! I've already met 3 wonderful freshman, and I can't wait to meet the rest of the small but awesome 19 people! Yay.

--Emily

Home Sweet Home

Finally! After a 10 hour drive from St. Louis to Atlanta, I am home. And how good it feels to be back!

For our awesome 2008 summer vacation, we went to Nashville, TN and St. Louis, MO to visit the cities and see Vanderbilt and Washington University in St. Louis because my parents are too Asian like that -- can't go on a regular vacation without making it related to my future somehow. Haha, just kidding! I am really interested in those two schools anyway or at least the latter of the two.



My future college? Maybe so.

Write more later. Too tired to think.


But I'm lovin' being back at home again. :D

Thoughts...

I'm feeling more than just a little ADD, and I can't straighten my brain out enough to do government, so I will write a few things to focus my mind and then start goving.

I volunteered before work today, so my dearest mother had to take off at 3 and drive me all the way from CDC/Emory to Gwinnett Place Mall, go home, and pick me back up at 9:30. To tell you the truth, I've never appreciated my parents so much. Ever since I was little, I always took it for granted that they would always be there for me -- emotionally, financially, mentally, whatever ways possible there existed to support someone. I remember my dad used to call my cell phone when I was in middle school just to ask if I had something to eat nearby or if I had taken an extra jacket in case it was cold. And how my mom always backseat drives whenever I'm at the wheel. It's hard to believe that these little things like driving me to work and calling me to check up on me used to (even just last week) annoy me more than anything. But now, I finally realize that I will miss all of the nagging and poking when I go off to college, no matter how far away or near I will be to home. Isn't it ironic how the more independent we become the more we appreciate our family? It's as if most of the time we are under the care of our parents we never really understand or take it for what it is until it is almost gone? I think I've learned that this last year, senior year, is not only going to be one where I must cherish those moments with my friends but also one where I must try harder than ever to give back to my parents and learn not to snap at them when they do something so full of love like backseat driving.

A cute little story about tonight:
I was driving home from work with my mom next to me (again, backseat driving). She was telling me how I jerk to a stop most of the times and that I really should be careful or my passengers would all get sick and die... well, maybe not that dramatic. I wasn't really annoyed at her this time because I started thinking about all that I wrote in the previous paragraph, so I just nodded and told her I wouldn't do it next time expecting her to stop her comments there. But she didn't. She went on to compare my stops to music. She said that when I brake the car I need to put my foot down gently and release a little before we actually stop. She said it was like in a piece of music when the symphony orchestra plays the last, morendo-ing (okay, so I'm ad-libbing vocabulary) note of a tune -- how it just fades away as oppose to chops off. Tapered. I just.. was pretty surprised as I was driving... and really touched at the same time that she would go to those limits to point something out to me. Thank you mom. I truly love you.

Well enough of my sappy thoughts. It's time for government.
--Emily

P.S. I will be going to WashU and Vanderbilt tomorrow afternoon, so if I do not post for 5 days, then you (whoever actually reads) will know why. And just for you Timmy, I don't and won't have music on this for a while. =P

Feeling Better

I just realized that I haven't been bored in a while as a result of my getting a job. This summer has been the most event-filled summer I have ever experienced, and I'm definitely loving it. It has its ups and downs, though.

Ups:
1. I am never bored.
2. I'm getting paid! -- even though this is minimum wage, I'm still pretty excited! :-P
3. Everyday is pretty much productive.

Downs:
1. I feel tired and stressed a lot, mostly as a direct result of not being able to work on government at a normal time and having to work on it in the wee hours of the night like school has already started or something. But then again, I still manage to update this blog. Go figure.
2. Clarinet practicing is not very regular since work schedules sometimes come right after volunteer/camp schedules.
3. Not much time to hang out with friends. But I do manage to get around this by cutting back from my gov homework time (hee hee..) which actually ends this Friday, so I really got to get on studying for the finals.

Gosh. Notice how verbose the downs are compared to the ups. I swear the glass is half full.

~*~

But, speaking of hanging out with friends, I actually cut back 4 hours or so from gov studying/quizzing to hang with Hope and Timmy today (heh heh, for shame). It was really awesome, and I definitely appreciate them coming over! It cured me of my miserable feelings on Sunday. Here are my favorite pictures from the day:

Ehh.. so the picture uploader isn't working for me tonight. I'll put up the captions and fill the pictures later. =P


The Fried Rice: looks good, huh? Basic eggs, carrots, peas.. and of course, rice.


And here's the best candid shot ever, even though they were posing: Hope eating perfectly while Timmy sticks out his tounge. Priceless! :D

Oh, and Timmy you are quite awesome. (Direct response to talking to you on G-Talk.)

~*~

Ahh, well I hope everyone has a nice day. Don't worry too much about AP scores and what not. It will be alright in the end. =)

I'll be volunteering at Egleston's tomorrow and then heading off to work again, so it's going to be another one of those days. I'll write about the stuff I mentioned in my previous post 'to write or not to write' or whatever.

I can't believe it's almost 1! I gotta get to sleep! Goodnight.
--Emily

To write... or not to write?

This week, probably the most hectic week of my summer so far, apart from drum major camp, is finally over.... Which a) means that we only have 4 or so weeks until school starts and b) I don't have an excuse not to do my homework anymore. On a happier note, I have more time to play clarinet, veg, and sleep. Awesome. =)

There's been a few incidents that have bothered me these past few days, but I don't know if I want to write about them. I mean, do we honestly want to remind ourselves of the things that troubled us in life? Maybe. It would make us stronger and possibly teach us something. But, what if I just want to remember things in a bubble of happiness? What if I don't feel like recalling the not so great moments that have happened? I'm not sure.

Today, on the other hand, has been pretty uneventful. Compared to my productive Saturday, today has been a totaly failure. Yesterday, I woke up at 8am, worked on Calculus, finished some Gov homework, took a shower, ate lunch, went to work, came home, practiced clarinet, ate dinner, went to a pool party, and came home at 9:30. Today... I woke up at 10:30 and have been on the computer doing nothing ever since.

Ah... maybe I'll write more later.
--Emily

a much needed rant

So this week has been going pretty roughly...

I passed out at CDC (what the heck) on Tuesday and was sent to the docotor's office with my mom to see if everything was alright. Apparently, I just had some sort of emotional/temporary claustrophobic/tiredness or stress breakdown... so everything's okay. Work is going as usual -- still earning minimum wage and doing night shifts. I'm off the rest of this week starting tonight, so that should be good for the whole tired and stressed out situation. I've got to finish all of my gov including the end of the unit with the finals by next Tuesday if I am going to go to Wash U, and I really got to get that Chemistry/Calculus/Lit work done before band camp starts. Oh, and Deegan and I are going to go check out the color guard practice tomorrow night which should be pretty fun and a good break from all this craziness. Hopefully, I'll make it through all of this, and I'm really glad I have this blog to rant about these issues.

I had a crazy craving for Zaxby's chicken fingers (haha, I know right?) this afternoon, so my mom took me there and we had dinner. It was soooo good! But, then she started talking to me about how I should be regretting taking band because it prevented me from taking a full 4 years, which apparently is what Harvard or what not is looking for, of foreign language. Which.. wasn't as good as the chicken; I would rather just eat in silence than discuss how bad band is. But honestly, I've delt with my parents and their anti-band opinions for 6 years. It's always been quit band, quit band, quit band. And this constant nagging that band is evil and I'm wasting my time and I should be more Asian and quit so I can take another math class like Deep is just getting on my nerves. I really don't think that I should give up something that I love and that I'm passionate about for a class that really just doesn't teach me anything (French). I know most colleges would like to see 3 or more years of a language, but I already have Chinese. Plus, it's not like I dropped French -- it just didn't fit in my schedule. Anyways, I thought this rant would come out more fluently, but I just got so jumbled up in fits of anger that my parents activity try to bash who I am that I can't really dictate my reasoning and feelings about this coherently. At least not right now...

Hm, okay. I think I'm feeling a little better about this week and about government. I'm going to start posting other things on my blog like interesting news articles that I find as opposed to just my deranged feelings. Or maybe cool recipes.. tips.. anything. We can all learn something useful once in a while.

--Emily

busy, busy, busy

Hello everyone.

It's been a long day. I woke up at 7:30, went to CDC disease detectives camp from 9am-4pm and then to work from 5pm-9:30pm. Now, I am eating dinner and thinking about working on government homework after posting this blog (which... may or may not get done tonight =D heh).

Disease camp was pretty fun. I met a whole bunch of new people today, who, by the way, are pretty awesome. There was one guy who was named after the brand name clothing line Armani Exchange, which I thought was pretty cool. And Dominique and Jennifer from school were there. I've never talked to Jennifer before, although I knew who she was, but we finally talked today and she was like, "yeah i know you.... everyone knows you!" I said, "What?!" Then she said, "nothing! =D". Weird. Getting down to the reason for the camp, we learned about how to crack a health case and how to interview people who have been exposed to a disease (which we did.. 40 of them for our little activity). I really am starting to think about majoring in epidemiology or the likes of public health. It's like forensics, but only the science part of it without the yucky social studies. How perfect.

We also had to fill out these "name game cards" where we put three interesting facts about ourselves and one or two "never have I ever..."'s. So here it goes.

Three "Interesting" Facts about Emily:
1. I love cilantro. Cilantro leaves, cilantro sauce, cilantro dressing, cilantro whatever -- the list goes on.
2. I conduct our high school marching band. Simple enough.
3. Crap. I forgot this one.

Never have I ever....
learned to roller skate, had a pet, or liked white chocolate

Work was better today than it was the first day. I can run fitting rooms better. But I messed up and tagged some tops at the wrong spot. My manager came back and told me I did them wrong but made my co-worker fix them. I learned how to fix it from her, but she did the rest. After work I made up for this little slip up by mopping the floors well. Anyways, the manager was pretty cool with me being retarded and happy about the floors, so life is good.

But honestly, I am so glad today is over. I felt like some kind of single mom who never finished high school and has to take on a 14 hour day to make a living (ok so honestly, this will never happen but you know what I mean in relating). I couldn't even begin to imagine how hard life must be for those people who balance 2 or more part time jobs to raise a family. I mean, everyday working from sun up to sun down and only earning minimum wage? That's harsh. I hope all of us work really hard and put all our dedication, motivation, and passion into what we love to do so we don't end up working at retail stores as minimum-wage sales associates for the rest of our lives.

But then... there are always those people who make you smile.
For example, when I got home tonight, I got a facebook message:

"this may be short but it needed to be said: EMILY PENG, love you! you RoCk! thanks for the update on stuff"
Kristen G.

:) What a sweetie. Love you K-Grav! Even though you don't read this... :-P

----

And now to the night:
Vegging, chocolate-covered cherries, peaceful music (what the crap, where is the background music on this blog? don't think you've won, timmy! i've yet to get it back), and lots of gov reading. I love summer.

--Emily

changes

Hi everybody!... or should I say hello myself.
(I wonder who actually takes the time to read blogs anymore.) --

It's been years since I've written a blog or even read a blog that I don't quite remember what kinds of joy I derived from such boredom in middle school... or why I even thought this was fun anyway. But, after a few years of not writing down some of the things that has happened in daily life, I realized that maybe we do need a concrete reminder of our past life. And so, I've started this.

Lots of things have changed in the past four years. I used to be the little awkward nerdy Asian girl (still am, I guess) who built websites, read too much but studied too little, played piano hardcore, didn't talk to people (especially boys), and wasted too much time on AIM. Now... I'm still most of those things except piano's been replaced with clarinet, websites with instruments and SciOly stuff, and I actually talk now (whoa). At least now I have a summer job (sales associate at the Pink), a car & license, and am running band camp (woot!).

But... reading my middle school xanga still makes me laugh =)
i.e. (www.xanga.com/xX_ermilay_Xx) --

Monday, February 20, 2006 (Wow! 2006!)

haha, i get bored with layouts way too easily..

two crazy things happened today~~
1. i woke up one hour and twenty minutes late, got to school at 7:30,
but didnt get stamped! the lady wasnt even giving stamps.
2. we got AP World History forms (YOU PEOPLE HAD BETTER
TRY OUT! - as I say every year, according to Anqi Yu)
so now i have to write an AP essay on top of everything else. great....

<3
em

side~note: have you ever noticed how people say cool (put strange fruit/food here)???

me: cool beans

Josh: tight papayas!

me: nifty coconut

Josh: radical star­fruit­s!
me: saweet rootabegas!

Josh: peachy durian!
me: neat turnips!
Josh: funky radishes!

It's quite hilarious if I do say so myself. =)

Yesterday I went to work for the first time in my life. It was a 6 hour shift at the mall from 3 to 9pm. I had to manage the fitting rooms by getting people tags, chasing out guys who sometimes walk in to make comments on outfits, and checking in shopping bags. On the side I had to tag and sensor two racks of clothing and deal with customers' requests. Working in retail is just about as fun as working in food service, I'd assume. Either way, they are both really good experiences for learning how to work with people, fight minimum wage, and deal with long shifts. Sadly, I was closing up the store with my co-workers last night and I was told to mop the floors. I did it, but I felt horrible. I mean, I don't even mop the floors at home, and here I am moping it for random strangers that I've only known for half a day?? Ridiculous. I plan on fixing this laziness of mine and helping my mom out a lot more at home and then doing that stuff for the store. What a life lesson.

In the meantime, I have a butt load of summer homework to do, i.e. Calculus Assignment, Chemistry reading/assignment, online gov, and AP Lit reading/essays. I am planning on getting all this done before the 16th when we are going up to St. Louis/Nashville for a trip to WashU and Vandy. And tomorrow I am going to the first day of CDC Disease Detectives Camp. Can't wait!

That's all for now. I gotta go clean my room and be productive.

--Emily