Advertisement Sharing

Person: Nora Trapp
Company: Adidas
Purpose: Sell Adidas productsTarget Audience: Teen boys and athletes
How it was effective:
The famous soccer player Messi talked about him when he was young and how he suffered from a leg sickness or something. He drew pictures, and this was emotional. Later on he talked about sports and how he got so famous in the world of soccer.
This ad was effective because the model was a famous soccer player, and because Messi was sick when he was young and he got better it was a miracle, it was actually saying Adidas's motto, Impossible is Nothing.

Lying v.s. Asking any questions you want.

If I was given the choice to lie or to ask any questions I want, I would choose asking any questions privilege. Why?

1. I am a sucker for gossip. :)

2. I hate it when I walk into my parents' room, and they abruptly stop talking. I'm like, "what's up?" and they're like, "nuh-thing you need to know". It drives me crazy. :(

3. You get to find out the truth and the facts. I think that's good, better than knowing false stuff about something.

4. Questions help you learn more about something or someone. :P

5. I would know secrets about my family, I would keep their secrets, which would result to family trusting each other more.

Jonas's Journal Entry

The Ceremony of Twelve has just finished and I'm now the Receiver of Memories, which is the highest honored position you could get. But I'm confused, scared, anxious, nervous and apprehensive about the biggest challenge of my life before me. I'm not sure I really have that 'special qualities' you need, like wisdom, integrity, intelligence, courage and the "capacity to see beyond" or something like that. I mean, I think shape-shifting, the one that happened with the apples is that "capacity to see beyond" but even that, I'm not sure.

The last Receiver of Memories failed, and now she's disgrace-what's going to happen to me?

Clio Awards

I thought this was a clever ad, a good one that Clio Awards chose. This is a Play-Doh ad, and it's telling us the rhino(made out of play-doh) is stronger and better than other popular toys like plastic cars(HotWheels) and dolls(Barbie.)

Symbolism-The Rhino represents the Play-Doh company, while the car and the Barbie represents other toys.

Body language- The way the Barbie and car are upside down and the rhino's head and horn is towards the other toys makes the rhino look powerful.

Camera angle- Is how the camera is angled to take a photo of the ad. There is no particular camera angle in this ad. It's just straightforward.

Special effect-Is an effect that makes the ad look more special, something that won't probably happen in reality, like a car on fire, or a train floating in the air. There are no special effects in this ad.

Lighting and color- In the Play-Doh ad, the light on the Rhino is brighter, while the light on the car and the Barbie is dull.

Beauty and social standards-Is how the model looks like and the standard level of the model. Ads won't use people living in the streets for models. The toys in the ad aren't living people, so there is no beauty and social standards in this ad.

Layout and graphics-I like how the layout of the plastic car, how it was positioned on top of the doll.

Advertising

Target Audience: Old ladies, in sixties

Product: Boots

Kinds of boots elders want:

1. Comfortable

2. Boots that will keep their feet warm

3. Safe

4. Simple boots, not too fancy

5. Dry easily

Ad:

Our new line of cozy-nook boots are out! These deliciously comfortable and spongy boots won't make you get blisters and pinched toes after wearing them. Cozy-nook boots are lined with thick fur(man-made) and crafted with silky soft suede, which will keep your feet toasty warm even after walking in the snow for a long time. Even better, these fantastic boots dry easily in the sun, without having to make a big fuss out of them. This piece of footwear has a thorough, good grip to avoid slipping on snow, has no heels and comes in black, tan and white-simple, but still stylish!

Traumatic Experience

Oh, god...suddenly I'm thinking I'm so fortunate. Why?

Just before 3rd period, I was walking to Homeroom. Santi was strolling behind, and he tried to grab the handle of his classroom, p-4. Then, somebody pushed open the door from the inside, and the door smashed into Santi's head. HARD. He backfired, and he fell to the ground. Blood spurted out everywhere, and his hands were covered with it as well. More blood was coming. He started screaming. I would've too.

And how do I know this?
I was a witness.

And suddenly I think I'm so lucky not to be Santi. I'm lucky that I'm healthy. I sometimes pity myself, but considering what happened just a couple minutes ago...
I can't get the image out of my head. It's a traumatic experience, seeing somebody cut open their head. The bloody hands, the blood spurting out...Ugh.
I really hate going to the hospital. The strong scent of antiseptic, the tools on the doctor's tray, how anything can happen from simply getting assigned some cough syrup to surgery.

My sister had to get stitches once. We were fooling around on a bench at the mall, and I pushed her. She fell backwards and hit her head on the metal pillar behind. I got into a LOT of trouble. It couldn't even be compared with chastisement. My sister got 7 stitches, she forgave me and she didn't even cry during the stitches.

My sister is a saint.

The Giver in twenty words

Ceremonies held every December. Assigned jobs for Twelves in the 'Ceremony of the Twelves.' Train with people in same department.

The Fitness testing

Today I have the Pacer, the push-ups and the curl-ups. I hate Fitness Testing, it's really not fun. The Mile was really hard as well. Yes, even with your iPods. It's painful, because I want to stop running but you sort of...can't. But if I had to choose between the Mile Run and the Pacer, I would choose the Mile Run, because there is a definite end to that. But Pacer, you need to go on and on until your limit, and that is really really PAINFUL AND HARD. I'm nervous as well, because I got worse on the Mile and the Sit 'n' Reach, and I have to improve on two for me to get an A. I can improve on the sit-ups and push-ups, but still. What if I don't? Aaaaaaah!!! This is hard, hard, hard.

I don't think you should try your very very best from the start. I mean, try your best but just save your mega-ultra-brilliant score till the last fitness testing because if you do your very very very very best, then it's gonna be a bit hard to overcome that score at the next fitness testing. I mean, if you stretched and stretched and stretched and got 21.5 or something on Sit 'n' Reach, and then you would have to stretch and stretch and stretch and stretch to get beyond that. And....people don't really do that. That's what happened to me. Of course, three fourths of the fault is mine, because I don't think I really worked that hard. I did not do enough sports. But the other quarter left...I got 14.5 for my Sit 'n' Reach, and then I quit gymnastics. Then I never got better at Sit'n' Reach. See what I mean? My friend Hella was also like that. She thought we only did the fitness testing once(she's new) and she tried her ultra best at the pacer. And now she can't recover. Re-testing won't help. Your fitness skills will not get better in 2 days!

Well, I really hate the Fitness Testing. It's painful X3, hard X3 and not fun X3. I just wish it would be all over! Thank God that this is the last fitness test of the year...But still!!!!Ugggggghhhhhhhhh...

Psych

On Friday, Ms. Marrello's class saw Psych. It was a mystery TV show.

Gus & Sean's Case 1 Profile:

Crime: First fake kidnapping, then a real murder.

Detective: Sean and Gus

Villain: Mr. McCallum

Victim: Mr. McCallum Jr.

Suspect: Mr. McCallum

Alibi: "I was so devastated about my son missing that I cut my wrist off to suicide! Do you think I killed and kidnapped him?" -Mr. McCallum

Witness: McCallum Jr.'s dog

Evidence: 2 dead bodies, gun, coffee mug, blood on the corner of the table, canvas bag where the ransom money was

Clues: Bloody whisker of dog, Mr. McCallum's "cut off" wrist, the medication for dog bites in the bathroom

Red Herring: The canvas bag Katarina was carrying with the clothes for the thrift shop.

Investigation: Police Investigation, with Gus and Sean

Tension, Danger, Suspense: When Sean explains the case to Mr. McCallum, in his bedroom.

Surprise Ending: The Dad was the killer of his own son and his friend.

6 Elements of a mystery

A clue is a hint, but is different than an evidence. You can see the evidence right in front of you, but clues are hints that need to be put together with the mind.

In mystery novels, there is tension, danger or suspense near the end, when the detective solves the case. It gets dangerous as the villain tries to kill the inspector. Like the picture above, car chases to catch the villain is suspenseful.

There are always evidence left behind a crime scene. An evidence is a tangible hint left behind after the crime. You can see it, right there. For example, it could be guns that was used to kill somebody, or bloody bandages. Everything is important because it can be used to help solve the crime.

There are sometimes witnesses to a crime. A witness is somebody who saw the crime take place. For instance, the picture above, two robbers are trying to rob somewhere. They are holding guns and telling everybody to freeze. The reception woman and the woman standing next to the counters are the witnesses, since they saw the robbers robbing.

Crime. There is always a crime in a mystery story.

A crime is a problem that needs to be solved. Like the picture,

somebody is trying to stop the woman from screaming. Obviously, that somebody has done something illegal that is not allowed. Most crimes are illegal.

There is always a detective in a mystery story. The detective is the one who solves the crime. The detective on the picture is inspecting a newspaper, probably evidence left on the crime scene.

Shopaholic and Sister

by: Sophie Kinsella

*****

Becky Bloomwood is married to Luke Brandon! She's been around the world for her honeymoon and she's happy. Especially when she picked up the impossible-to-get Angel bag from Milan with the help from a guy named Nathan Temple for a free launch party hosted by Luke's company.

When Becky comes back from holiday, Suze has a new best friend, and her parents her hiding something from her. So when Becky finds out that the surprise her parents are hiding is...her long-lost sister! Becky has a long-lost sister named Jess. Becky is certain they'll have fun together, shopping, drinking coffee and talking, eating toffee popcorn and watching movies together. So when Becky meets Jess, she's stumped.

Jess is a saver, not a spender. She recycles every single thing, from the onion mesh bags to the wrapping paper she picked up from the bank even though she has a ton of money in her account. Becky can't understand. Jess really doesn't get along with her. She hates everything Becky does and doesn't have any same taste in anything-books, shoes, clothes...Jess likes rocks.

Rocks. Finally, Becky and Jess have a fight. Becky can't stand Jess being such a skinflint.

But Luke is taking Jess's side, especially when he finds out about the Angel bag and her promise with Nathan Temple. Luke doesn't like Nathan, and this leads off to Becky having a fight with Luke. Becky feels terrible afterwards and tries to find Jess after Luke goes on a business trip.

Her life is messed up again...hopefully, she can fix it. Again.

The best part was when Becky's "souvenirs" from around the world comes to Luke's flat. She's bought two dining tables with twenty dining chairs, seventeen carpets, forty mugs and wooden masks and swords and much, much more. Luke's flat is completely unrecognizable. Becky is so hilarious-she is irresponsible as an adult.

Shopaholic ties the knot

by: Sophie Kinsella

*****

Becky's best friend Suze is getting married-when will she ever, too? Then a

proposal from Luke lands into Becky's ring-free left hand. She's getting married!

Luke's rich mother, Elinor is preparing a fancy schmancy wedding at the Plaza Hotel, while Becky's mother is planning a wedding right at Becky's house...on the same day! Becky really wants the all-expenses-paid wedding by Elinor, with the flown-in birch trees from Switzerland and the Cristal champagne and $1,000 and over wedding cake, but she doesn't want to disappoint her mother, who is so excited as well. The wedding date comes closer, but Becky doesn't want to choose. Her wedding planner keeps on dragging her around the cake studio, shows the gorgeous invitations and the big Plaza ballroom, beckoning Becky while her kind, innocent mother is just plain excited.

What is Becky going to do...can Becky Bloomwood has to solve this. Fast.

The best part was when Becky visits the cake studio. She's trying a slice of cake when she asks the clerk how much it is-it's over $1,000! Becky almost chokes on her champagne and is even more wanting this Plaza wedding. She wants some royalty, you know...

Shopaholic takes Manhattan

by: Sophie Kinsella

*****

Becky Bloomwood is back....in Manhattan. Luke has some business to take care of in New York, and Becky is asked to go with him. Becky loves New York-the people, the designer stores. All her overdraft credit card bills are back in London, and she's getting some great opportunities here-to be a financial adviser at financial TV shows. Life at New York couldn't be better.

But Becky is a shopaholic, and she can't resist shopping. Again, she has an overdraft that she's been trying to ignore. She's lied and she has the image of a very sensible person with tons of money in her savings account and no overdraft card bills to all the producers of the financial TV shows and the people who watch one of her TV shows. So when a paparazzi takes a picture of her shopping, her hands full with designer shop bags, she's screwed. The picture's all over in the newspapers, all her meetings with the producers are canceled and Luke is mad at her. Real mad.

Becky's life is even more tangled up now, with the new bank manager who isn't as nice as the old one, her boyfriend is mad at her, and she's lost all her job careers. But somehow-Becky Bloomwood figures it all out. After all, how could've she become a financial adviser if she wasn't that smart?

The best part was when she was shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue. This was one of her clueless and childish thinking as well. She had bought a $500 Kate Spade bag, and while she was buying it, she was thinking 'Well, these bags must be at least, what, half the price back in London with the quids! This is a real bargain!'

Confessions of a Shopaholic

by: Sophie Kinsella

*****

Meet Becky Bloomwood:

Journalist of a financial newspaper.

Big amounts of overdraft on her many Visa cards.

A shopaholic...

Becky is miserable. She is living off her best friend Suze's flat, (without paying a rent, of course) she doesn't earn much money but wants to buy everything and she has no boyfriends. Most of all...overdraft and consultant letters from her bank are interrupting her life every single moment. She doesn't have a single quid that she can pay back.

Becky finds ways to save money-from trying to skimp and make "curries that you can make for two pounds" for dinner and failing, and trying to earn more money by getting extra jobs at a clothes store called Ally Smith and getting fired without even lasting a day.

The whole book is about how shopaholic Becky tries to pay back her overdraft and about how she meets Luke Brandon, her future boyfriend during her struggles. It's funny, because everything she thinks and does is so childish even though she is an adult.

The best part of this book, I think was when Becky wanted this Denny&George scarf and she was missing 20 pounds, so she lied through her teeth and said she was buying a gift for her dying aunt. Luke Brandon lent her 20 quids and later on when Becky bought the scarf and was coming out of the boutique, Luke Brandon saw her. Of course, later on, the scarf becomes Luke and Becky's special thing.

Monk

Today, we watched an episode of "Monk" during English class. This episode was freaky. "Monk" is a mystery TV show. Three people died, each person receiving a voodoo doll a couple of days before their death, the dolls showing exactly how they would die. The niece of one victim, Angeline is depressed. Monk finds a horseshoe upside down at Angeline's house-it's weird but he was distracted. Monk's assistant, Natalie, receives a voodoo doll with its head cut off with a scalpel, which creeps her out completely. To cure Natalie's...craziness, Monk brings in Reverend Jorgensen(the owner of the shops where the voodoo dolls were sold) and does a little ceremony thing to uncurse Natalie. Of course, Monk doesn't believe in all this voodoo and curse stuff, but for Natalie's sake...but Natalie drinks the not-edible potion, and becomes sick. She is taken away in an ambulance, and Monk puts the pieces together and finds out who the villain is. Angeline. She was the one who was behind this all. She was a paramedic, and knew about the other deaths. She bought voodoo dolls, decorated it and left it in the dead people's house. She sent one to Natalie to put Monk off her trail. She had then killed her uncle, for his money. And left superstitious items around the house. That's when she nailed the horseshoe the wrong way.

Monk's Voodoo doll crime Profile:

Crime: Murder of Robert, Angeline's uncle

Detective: Monk

Villian: Angeline

Suspect: Reverend Jorgensen

Alibi: "I couldn't have mailed the voodoo dolls while I was running my shop. How can I be in 3 different places at the same time?"-Reverend Jorgensen

Victim:Robert

Tension: The chase of the ambulance scene

Red Herring:The coincidental death of other people

Evidence: Horseshoe that was placed the wrong way, the package with a sticker over the return address.

Clue: Packages with stickers, news article including Angeline

Investigation: Police investigation

Motive: Money

Plastiki

Plastiki......plastiki... it's the hot topic these days. But what exactly is the Plastiki? Guess what it is! Yes, it reminds you of the word plastic...c'mon, use your imagination, people! You can't guess? *Huff*. Fine. I'll tell you. It's a boat made out of plastic bottles. Right, it sounds like a tacky little sailboat but no-no-no! It's a super high-tech boat with solar panels, propeller turbines and a bike generator for backup. Cool, huh? The plastiki is made out of 12,000 plastic bottles, full with gas. It took 3 years to build the actual boat from the sketches. What is this boat for? It's on a mission, of course! David de Rothschild, and his team are planning to sail off from San Francisco(March 20th,2010) all the way to Sydney. They It's a long journey, all on a boat.

So why are they doing this mission? They planned this mission to notify the world about the plastic waste we are throwing away this minute. They want to show people that if they can sail around the world in a boat made from plastic, then plastic can be recycled and turned into household appliances as well. To sum it up, they want to stop throwing away plastic waste and recycle it. Help planet Earth!

It'd be very, very cool if Project Plastiki worked. It would leave a great message about recycling all over the world, since the Plastiki is world-wide famous now.

Cross my fingers-hope they can make it!

Picture vocab #10

1. Godsend

2. Probation





3. Despicable

4. Melancholy

5. Melodramatic

6. Primitive

7. Ambivalent

8. Impeccable

9. Beckoning

Overbooked agenda..

Wow...it's already February...already 6 months of school! For the past couple of weeks, I have not enjoyed school. Life has been miserable, miserable and you know what? Miserable. I had a Spanish test(Which I aced but I still had to study long and hard!), Geometry Summative(I finished already), Science Plate Tectonics presentation with poster, Pacer, The Mile, Sit-ups and Push-ups, Sit and Reach. I now have a Spanish culture project that I haven't even started and it's due in 2 weeks, a Math project(building a house. I am now making the roof and writing Paragraph 4 and 5. I have not started on costs. So that's on my agenda), and a Formative Science this Friday. I am going crazy. I stay up until midnight these days, and have only 6hr. 30 mins. of sleep because of all this homework. My Math lesson teacher piles me a whole load too, while I have to practice my cello and piano as well. I'm tired and crabby everyday,and all I can think about is sleep. It's not very nice. I am very tired right now as well. My head hurts and I have stupid String Chamber Music Society after school. I think I will sleep at midnight today. Again.Ugggghhhh. Here, let me show you my overbooked agenda.

2:40 p.m. class ends
3:00 Strings Chamber starts
3:45 Strings Chamber finishes
4:00 I get home
4:00-5:30 Piano practice
5:30 Leave for my Cello lesson
6:00 Cello lesson
6:30 Finish cello lesson
7:00 Come home and eat dinner
7:30 Finish dinner and start Math homework
8:30...Oh, well, you get the idea!

10 Vocab List #7

1. Cask-A wooden barrel usually to hold drinks like wine and beer.

2. Cynical-A negative attitude, uncooperative, serious whining.

3. Provisions-Supplies, usually meals like microwavable food and drinks.

4. Subvert-Sabotage, make things not work.

5. Accumulate-Build up, collect.

6. Congregate-Everybody/thing come together, a cousin of accumulate.

7. Ominous-Signal that something's going to happen, mostly negative.

8. Contradict-Go against, disagree, talk back.

9. Adversary-Opponenet, enemy

10. Flabbergast-Bewildered, but in an amazed way like "You got to be kidding me!"

Projects and Tests

The second month of 2010 has unfolded! Which also means the big pile of projects and tests were starting to leak onto our shoulders. Right now, I have a Math project, which is building a house. I have to design the rooms and furnitre, pick the materials and find out the cost of my dream house. It also has to be eco-friendly and I have to write a paragraph for each step. Where should I build my house? I want it to be a hot place, so the solar-power panels can work and but I also want my house to be in a cold place, so it will be useful for my spa and gym I am trying to install. *Huff*. I was thinking of Switzerland at first, because I wanted a big modern house somehwere clean, but...I guess my solar-power panels don't really work there. Hmmmm.......what should I do?????

Mountain Hiking

I am now reading a book called 'Peak'. It's about a boy named Peak, who gets caught climbing a skyscraper. The trouble starts there. He goes to Juvenile, and a boy who read about him tries to climb a wall but falls off and dies. Peak is in hot water. Uh-oh...then Peak's dad, Josh, whisks him away to Kathmandu and gives Peak a chance to hike Everest. That's all I'll say for now. But it's a really good book, so I am on the waiting list for the book in the Library. I wonder how I'll feel, hiking? I have never really hiked on a mountain before. Well, at least not properly with gears, eight-hours-a-day hike like Peak. The longest I've hiked was about 2-3 hours? I was tired, tired, tired then. So I guess I wouldn't be able to reach the summit of mountains, like Peak. But if I'd given the chance, that'd be great, I guess. Exhausting, yes but it would be so cool! Hiking boots and clothes, cooking your own meals, sleeping in a tent, hiking, reaching the summit! Although climbing now sort of creeps me out, because you gotta have great lung capacity and stuff, and as you get up, you get oxygen issues and I hate oxygen issues. I can barely hold my breath under the water for 30 seconds. And especially that sickness Peak mentioned, how your lungs get filled with fluid and you die if you hike too fast. Ugh. Imagine dying while hiking. Nora has gone trekking in Nepal, and it seemed cool. But another problem that probably will bug me is the bathroom. There are no proper bathrooms while hiking! And even if there is, it's dirty and not-so-clean. And it's probably made with trees and holes and stuff. I hate dirty toilets. And how about taking a shower? You probably cannot take a shower while hiking! Nora trekked for 6 days. But she had a shower. I guess Peak doesn't. Ew. Sweating, sweating, sweating, and then no shower. Blecchhh. So...I guess I'm not a hiking person. Even it would be cool. I think I'm more like a lie-on-the-couch-with-a bag of Lays-with-hot shower-and Wi-Fi and T.V person. Oh well.

Haiti History & Why so poor?

Haiti History

1. Before Haiti was discovered, Taino/Arawak Indians were settled in Haiti. They were the original people of Haiti.

1. Haiti was discovered by Christopher Columbus, December 5th, 1492. Colombus declared Haiti as Spain territory. Then Spain killed almost everybody living at Haiti.

2. In 1697, the Spanish gave some of Haiti to France. Haiti was fashioned a new name: Saint Dominigue.

3.  The French brought the first 100 African slaves to Haiti, making them work day and night and treating them harshly. 

4. In Jan. 1, 1804, Haiti declared independence, becoming the first independent black country. 

5. Jean-Jacques Dessalines named the new nation Haiti in 1804. 

Why so poor?

6. To get a good job, you must be well educated. Haitians are rarely educated, not being able to read or write. So they can only get poor-paid jobs, earning one or two dollars a day.

7.Haiti was once the richest colony in the world. Haiti was once called the Jewel of Antilles, due to the fortune they made by exporting sugar, tobacco, coffee, cocoa, cotton and lots more.

8. Haiti chops off lots of trees to make charcoal to export for money, but when hurricanes and storms hit, it destroys the houses and buildings, especially without the trees, which sometimes help stop disasters.

9. One reason Haiti is so poor is because Haiti was forced to stop exporting some of their goods. Haiti used to export coffee until the 1960s when the price of coffee had dropped lower. Haiti couldn't compete with the rest of the coffee exports so they had to stop exporting coffee.

10. Another reason Haiti is so poor is because two-thirds of the citizens earn money farming crops, which could be destroyed easily by a storm or a drought. Which leads to no money.

Summer...

If I had the choice of going anywhere for summer, without my mother's annoyingly polite quotes of how great Europe is, then I would definately for sure pick Korea. And Japan and America, but that's another story. Okay, for Korea, it'd be great 'cept all my cousins are going to school during June, so I gotta play with my four-year-old cousin, which isn't the most entertaining thing in the world, but yeah. Every year, we always to go an amusement park or a water amusement park(they're conencted) but LAST year, my gran had to get a leg surgery, causing her to use crutches and definately NAWT go anywhere, and my othe gran slipped down during climbing the mountain(she wasn't like Peak or his parents-there was a good pathway and everything-sorta like a tour thing) and...she had a couple fractures, had badly scraped hereself everywhere, and had practically cut open her head. Before you ask anything, yes, it was terrible and yes, now she's better. I think. So last year, I was stuck in the house, which also meant I was stuck with the big fat textbook that I had to bring to study...it wasn't fun. I mean, if my grans healed faster 'cause of not moving and stuff, then being stuck at their home would be just fine with me. And hopefully that helped. But in a house with no computer or laptop...now that was a teeny little problem. But I lived through it. And I'm here, telling the tale. Okay, so this time I would like to go to Korea and play properly with my cousins, make sure that my grans are okay and all that happy cuddly stuff.

Haiti Earthquake Update Post

Last week, an magnitude earthquake hit Haiti. Haiti was in serious condition. But now, help is at hand.

Aid trucks, convoys and planes are sending medical supplies and food from all over the world. This truck, is carrying relief supplies. Even though medical supplies and food are being sent to Port-au-Prince(Capital of Haiti), it is never enough for all the patients. An emergency communications officer describe it as "Patients who were not critical only three days ago are now critical. It's horrible." Hopefully, more will be delivered quickly so the patients could be treated.

The Haitian embassy collected baby formula, diapers, toiletries, vitamins, medicines, batteries and clothings and are sending the truckfuls of supplies to Haiti. U.S. paratroopers also gave some 70,000 bottles of water. 40,000 high-energy biscuits were delivered to the citizens as well.

The Haiti earthquake was devastating, and hopefully more aid will be on the way sooner or later to help the victims.

Haiti Earthquake

Why are these people from the picture screaming and running away?

On the 12th of January, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, around 5 p.m. Lots of buildings and houses collapsed, falling on people, injuring or even killing them. Schools fell down as well, killing the teacher and most of the students. People were running and screaming in all directions, trying to survive. Loads of people were stuck in the building, the debris blocking their way. They have been trying to squeeze out of cracks in buildings, but it hasn't been very successful. When the earthquake struck, no telephone connections could be made. When the earthquake stopped, the citizens of Haiti dug through rubble and debris with their hands or shovels, hoping to find survivors. Dead bodies were all over the streets. People were running around, screaming for their kids, wives, husbands. How sad would it be, not being able to see your loved ones forever. Not enough medical supplies, foods and clothes could be provided. Hospitals collapsed too, so the injured weren't able to get a proper treatment. This earthquake was a nightmare. A big, big tragedy, something that we could relate to, since we are living in Jakarta, where earthquakes are a problem.  

Mom's B'Day and Anniversary!

Today, 12th of January is my Mom's birthday and my parent's anniversary!! It's on the same day, and they are both very special so we're probably going out for dinner on the weekends. My Mom recently got an iPhone 3G from Dad, so she asked my sister and I for an iPhone case. I know, it sort of spoils the whole surprise present thing, but I guess it's better than buying Mom something that she doesn't want. Today, I woke up and was still so drowsy and all I could think about was sleep(huh, what kind of daughter am I?) but then suddenly a streak of lightning crossed my mind and I remembered that it was Mom's birthday. So I shouted out "Happy birthday, Mom!" and Mom replied "Thanks!" from the kitchen. And for breakfast, we had this special Korean meal that you're supposed to eat on your Birthday. But while I was eating, I couldn't help thinking how different my birthday and Mom's was. Our family couldn't even eat breakfast together because Dad came home late last night and he woke up late. So my sister and I ate by ourselves. And it was Mom's birthday! Also, it was a busy school day so my Mom still had to wake up early and cook. She couldn't really make a big birthday breakfast in the morning, so there wasn't much special dishes, unlike my birthday where there's almost eight or nine different things to eat. Even if it's on a school day. And I'm complaining about my birthday! I should seriously go home and sincerely wish Mom a happy birthday, and a happy anniversary. And after dinner, I hope Mom bought the cake so we could sing her happy birthday and she could cut the cake and feel special and good. I mean, not like my family don't appreciate or ignore Mom's birthday or anything, but it was just so..different and less grand than my sister's or mine's. On the weekend, when we're out for dinner, maybe Dad would take us out to a hotel for dinner and it would be grand and fancy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!

Swimming...swimming...more swimming. SWIMMING!

The first day I came to Bali with my Mom's friend and my family,(28th of Dec.) all we did was relax and swim. After lunch, we changed into our bathing suits, slathered ourselves with spray sunscreen and went out to swim. There were several swimming pools(more than five, I assume). And it looked really good with the relaxing theme of the hotel, because it was sunny, flowers and palm trees were all over the place, and the pool was glittering blue. It was beautiful.

Anyway, we went to the main pool, threw all our belongings onto the deck chairs and got into the pool. Unfortunately, diving was against the rules and disturbing others were also against the rule so my Mom didn't let me jump in. :( The cool water was the perfect thing to my sticky, sunscreen-covered arms and face. It sort of soothed my skin. So I swam around, doing somersaults in the water and practicing my freestyle and stuff. I didn't really swim constantly, not like swimming lessons but more like floating on the water and melting away all the stress from school. And it felt great. Then I played with my little sister, making human pyramids and doing underwater handstands and trying to make a underwater routine. So we swam more and more and more...until six in the afternoon.

So that day was really all about swimming. 

Swimming...swimming...and more swimming. I have one more word.

SWIMMING!! 

2nd day in Bali

I woke up at 8:00 a.m., even more frazzled out than the first day, due to all the swimming. I seriously could not wake up, but my Mom made me wake up, constantly saying "Wake Up!". I had a big, big day scheduled for me...fun...I ate Rice Krispies for breakfast, then had to leave right-away. We had a guide and a car ready for us. But the car was very, very hot. The A.C. would not reach and go to the back part of the car, where I was sitting. So we drove, and drove, me sweating. And after a bazillion hours, we stopped in front of a shop selling Batik, wood bowls and dishes, wood toys, massaging oils, etc. At least it was air-conditioned there. I bought an impossibly silky scarf there, which I loved. My sister bought presents for her best friends, and my Mom bought a lot of other this and that. After shopping for about 1 hour, we left the shop, to go to the Monkey park. It was like, a small hiking trail with monkeys all around, walking freely. Our guide told us NOT to buy bananas or else monkeys would jump on you for the bananas. So we didn't. And mighty good thing too, for the monkeys really did grab on peoples' clothes for bananas. There was one time I was really freaked out. I was near a pool designed for monkeys, when I looked back and this monkey was running towards my way. I screamed and ran for the guide. The monkey scurried to this other way, but if I was still where I was, the monkey would've actually touched me. It might not sound scary, but it was. My Mom didn't come with us-she doesn't like monkeys that much. After we hiked about 15 minutes, we came back to the car, totally freaked out. Especially the kids(me, my sister, mom's friends' son.)

The next stop was lunch. We went to a very famous pork rib restaurant, and it was packed! And very, very hot. There was a very long line, and it was already about 3:00 p.m., so I was very hungry. I couldn't wait until to sit down and eat! Soon enough, we sat down on a table. People were already sitting there, but they were finishing up, so we thought "okay, they're almost done." But nooooooo, they ordered a second round of pork ribs!!! We waited for about 40 minutes, waiting for them to finish eating. I thought they were a bit rude, because tons of people were waiting outside and they knew that too, but they finished every single piece of pork, and they ate slowly, not even trying to eat quick for the next people to sit and eat. We finished eating at the time of 4:30.

Then we went to a museum right next to the restaurant. It was an art museum, with paintings and carvings of famous Balinese artists. It was an eclectic collection of different paintings. People dancing, Balinese people's everyday lives, the Hindu Gods...so that was pretty cool. The last stop was the Kecak dance. But it wasn't like what I expected. There was a little explanation, but the words weren't printed well so I couldn't make a word out of it. Because I don't know much about the Kecak, I didn't understand anything, so it was a bit boring. But there was one part totally dangerous!!! A guy started a fire, then a guy threw himself on the fire and kicked the fire all around, then repeated that 3 times!! 3!! Was that part of the show??? But wouldn't it hurt and burn???? Ouch...

So there went my 2nd day in Bali...I couldn't wait for the 3rd one!!

Charmed and Dangerous

*****

By: Lisi Harrison

This is the prequel of The Clique series. This was about how The Pretty Committee (Massie, Dylan, Alicia, Kristen and Claire) meet together.

Massie is invited to Merri-Lee Marvil(Dylan's Mom and the host of the most popular morning show)'s New Year Yves Party. There, she gets ditched by her best friends(Ahnna, Brianna, Lana, and Shauna), and loses her three charms from her charm bracelet. Later, she learns from a fortune-teller that when five meet together, everything would be complete and Massie would be destined to lead. Of course, Dylan, Kristen, and Alicia each find a charm each. Later, they are returned to Massie and the girls meet together for the first time, then become good friends, naturally forming a clique!(Unfortunately, Claire doesn't find a charm but Claire will become a part of the Pretty Committee.)

My favorite part was when Massie's ex-best friends ditched her, and then Dylan, Alicia and Kristen stood up for Massie. I liked that part because it showed a strong bond of friendship between them, and I think friends should support each other just like the Pretty Committee.   

The Mysterious Benedict Society

*****

By: Trenton Lee Stewart.

This book is amazing!!!! I can't even describe how good the book is! This was definitely a five-star-worthy novel.

It starts off with an ad in the newspaper.

"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" A very talented boy named Reynie Muldoon decided that he was fit for that ad, and headed off to the location the ad instructed to go to. There, he takes several tests and he passes them all. Later, he meets with 3 other kids(Sticky, Kate and Constance)that have passed the tests as well.

After the fourth and last test, the foursome meets Mr. Benedict, the reason of this whole ad. Later, they find out that Mr. Benedict is on an important mission to save the world, and that he needed very special and talented children to help carry out the mission, which, only children could accomplish. The mission was to stop an evil man named Mr. Curtain from brain-sweeping the world! Lately, Mr. Curtain had sending out messages to people's minds, brain-sweeping them slowly. 

So Reynie, Kate, Sticky and Constance go to the Institute, a school Mr. Curtain had built. They spy on Mr. Curtain and his lately movements to find out what he was doing. I won't tell anymore...read the book!

My favorite part was when Constance swallows the licorice. While Kate was spying, she  threw  a marble at the guard, then sneaked off, accidentally stepping on a piece of licorice left by a guard. When the guard found the marble, he found that the licorice he spat out was gone. So the guards inspected everybody's shoes. Of course, Kate had the piece of licorice stuck to her shoe. Fast as lightning, the tore the licorice off and passed it to her Reynie, who passed it to Sticky, who passed it to Constance. Constance, without any clue, lifted up the licorice and said, "What is this?" Luckily, the guards hadn't seen Constance holding the licorice yet, but they were turning around to where Constance was sitting. At the last minute, Constance realized what she was going to happen, so she swallowed the licorice! The soggy, dirty licorice that had been stepped on Kate's dirty shoes!!!! Blecchhh...   

Bali!

On December 26th, my Mom's friend came over to our house. Our family and her family were going to go to Bali together. So we spent the 27th shopping for last-minute things, and then we were off!

4:30 a.m.

7:00 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

6:00 p.m.

10:30 p.m.

This is the most important times on 28th, when I left for Bali. First thing up, my Mom woke me up at 4:30 a.m. to get ready to go to the airport. Since our plane left at 7, we had to move quick. We skipped breakfast, and came early. So we went to Starbucks to fill up our stomach. My sister and I had hot chocolate and cinnamon buns. Then we boarded the plane and left for Bali! I slept the whole way, waking up twice or thrice. But that was all. So I can't really remember my plane trip. 10 a.m. was when we arrived at our hotel and had checked-in. My room number was 254, while Mom's friend's room was 255. We were right next to each other. :D So then, we changed into our swimsuits, practically bathed in sunscreen then went out to the pool. 6 p.m. was when we finished swimming and got showered for dinner. I ate a burger. It was good, but not as good as Burger King. :( Then we walked around the beach, which was right next to the restaurant. There were a lot of little crabs and shells. The beach was decorated with lanterns, and it was beautiful. I wrote my name in the sand with my shoes. It got erased all the time because of the tide, though. After dinner we all went in and brushed our teeth and got ready for bed while Mom and her friend talked. Ah. It was a tiring day.

CHRISTMAS!!!

I'm sorry I didn't post for a long time...I was lazy on Christmas, and then my Mom's friend came, and then we had to go to Bali and there was no computer there...so...sorry, but I'll write away ASAP.

On Christmas morning, I woke up, completely frizzed out, because I didn't get to sleep much on Christmas Eve(obviously, read my christmas eve post!). But I remembered that it was Christmas, and most important of all...PRESENTS!!(hehe) so I looked under my pillow and there was my present from Santa! I got presents from my family too, so I'll list them underneath. And I will put the pics on later, as soon as I can.

1. Juicy Couture wallet

2. Blue velour tracksuit

3. Matching blue shoes

4. Black cargo pants

5. Jeans

6. A scarf

7. A green dress

8. Rp. 500,000

9. A book(that i really wanted)

10. 3 DVDs

So that day was all about presents and food and everything...I loved all my presents!!!!

Hope you guys all had a great Christmas too!!