blog 15

     The first “great time” that came to mind was when I went on my Emanon Retreat to Big Bear last March. It was probably the first time I had gone somewhere far without my mom driving. In the car were Earl, Ace, Anthony, Renee, Moira, and Edward driving. I remember sleeping through most of the drive and I was scared going up the turns of the mountain so I closed my eyes and eventually fell asleep again. The purposes of the Emanon Retreat were to bond with our team and initiate the new members. This was one significant because usually the new members begin initiation at our coach’s house, dancing our routine blinded folded outside the window of Denny’s, followed by running into the ocean and staying there for a few minutes. This year our coach wanted to try something new. He rented a cabin and a majority of the team went. We shared beds and some people even slept on the floor. We all had to take turns cooking or cleaning. On our first night there we got to relax since a lot of us arrived late. Most of us stayed up until around 5 a.m. I guess you can say that we kind of went crazy. None of our parents were there and we were having fun. For initiation we blind folded the new members and made them do silly things in the house, next we set them in the Jacuzzi for a few minutes and they each were covered with flower and the tradition silly string when removing their blindfolds. The next two days we hung out and played games around the house. On our last day, we decided to go to the snow but we all got kicked off because we didn’t have correct gear. It was actually kind of funny because the man watched us leave and stared at us in the parking lot. We thought he thought we were plotting something, but we were simply waiting to figure where we wanted to eat. 

Opinion on FFN

When I read the first pages of the book, I did not know what to expect. However, it has me open my eyes toward a different view of fast food and the world behind it. I don’t know if I will make any changes. I’ve recently began to stop eating red meat, again (I became a pescatarian my junior year of high school), because of the book. It has really made me think of all the dangers in a slaughter house. How ill the workers are treated, especially the cleaning crews. It digusts me how the people will go to almost any length to earn money.

Blog Entry Week 11

Identifying my truth: Number…3: I enjoy rapping about things happening. When I am doing something, I enjoy rapping and rhyming about what I’m doing or things going on around me. Although I was never a gymnast, I was in competitive All-Star cheerleading. I did get nominated for Homecoming Princess my sophomore year of high school, but I ended up going to a different high school’s homecoming anyways. I have never been to the Philippines, although I do want to go. And I believe that I am a mediocre singer, I get way too shy to sing seriously in front of people.

School right now for me is going quite well. I actually have a chapter test for calculus tomorrow and a psychology midterm on Thursday, both which I still need to keep studying for. I took a break from studying by writing my blog post. I actually like that my classes are so close together, time-wise, because it leaves me free in the afternoon. The main thing that bugs me about school is that my calculus teacher has been showing up fifteen minutes late the past few days, and just about when the class is ready to get up to leave she walks in the door. The most challenging class for me would have to be my psychology class. There is quite a noticeable amount more work that I’ve been doing this semester, but in the end I know it will pay off. All the extra study time, cancelling to go out so that I can study, and talking to people whom can help me and I can help them is great for me. When I study with someone, I don’t want them to feel like all I do is take in their information, I want to be able to contribute to them as well!

Five lies & a Truth

1. I am a gymnast.
2. I won Homecoming Princess in high school.
3. I enjoy rapping about things happening.
4. I am from the Philippines.
5. I am a pretty good singer.

Blog week 9

This is my favorite picture of my boyfriend and I. Although it's not the "cutest" one, it's my favorite because it's the first time that we got to hang out one on one. I guess this is the day that broke the ice for us. Usually, I am an outspoken extrovert but when it comes to me liking a guy I become really shy. My boyfriend, Nicholas, is usually and introvert and really shy. So when he asked if I wanted to hang out after church, I was surprised. This day was the first time we hung out alone because we hung around the same friends, so it was usual to see each other around. The drive was sort of awkward and quiet. We drove to The Cross in Ventura and decided to have a mini photo shoot. This is when he started to become livelier. We were laughed, took turns taking photos of each other, and had a lot of fun. I wore jeans and a hooded jacket, yet he still told me I looked beautiful. From that day until now, we’ve grown closer together and I hope that we continue growing together.

Family

Throughout my life there have been people in and out of my “family,” but it all leads up to where we are today. Today, my family consists of my mother, her boyfriend, and my brother. But it wasn’t always this way. Ever since I was little people have come and gone.

It starts with my father. My mother and he got married a few days before I was born. They separated around the time I was in kindergarten. I would visit him at his new girlfriend’s house on and off until I was about twelve. The visits seemed to get further apart, starting off every other weekend and ending up to about once a month. I eventually began to not care whether I got to see him or not. I loved being with my mom. I eventually told her that I didn’t want to go visit anymore and she respected my decision. I am still close to his side of the family and they understand that I do not want to be around him as well.

Around the age of thirteen, my mom had begun dating someone new. This was a major change because I was always an only child; however, I liked to share and play with other kids, but he had three kids. This was a really drastic change for me; I had gone from just my mom and me, to having three siblings. My room had been revamped from having my single bed and two TV’s, to two sets of bunk beds and that’s about all that fit. For awhile, I enjoyed the fact that I had people to hang out with whenever and also to help me clean. But this is when I started doing chores more routinely. I used to help my mom whenever she asked, but now with four other people in the house, I had to help way more. I grew tired of not having my own privacy and started to develop more of an attitude. My mom and this boyfriend were together for a few years before breaking it off.

Towards the end of my eighth grade year, my mom started dating her current boyfriend whom I get along with great. My mom and him have been dating ever since. At first, I was a bit skeptical of him but we eventually got along really well. When I would see the way he could make my mom laugh, it made me really happy that she finally was genuinely happy. Although they both have strong personalities, they challenge each other often, which I think is good for a healthy relationship. Almost a year ago we were blessed with my little brother. He has brought us much closer and I love them all to death.

Although, “family” was often an obscure word, I think I have finally found the balance and realize my true family. I can’t wait to start my own family some day!

Essay #1

It Wasn’t the Right Time

     Growing up it’s always been my mom and me. My dad left at a young age, so she’s always been the one I was dependent on. Although we butt heads, in the end she will always be my best friend. I never really realized how much she did for me and meant to me until she got pregnant with my brother. That’s when everything changed.

     My mom had been dating Gerry for a little over three years and his family always asked when an engagement or baby would be coming. In March, my mom found out she was pregnant. I was truly happy to hear that I would be getting a younger sibling because I always wanted one. I also liked Gerry enough that I wouldn’t mind him being around all the time. During the pregnancy, Gerry was usually at work but when he was home he’d help out my mom as much as he could.

A few months after my mom became pregnant, she noticed that she became tired easily and ran out of breath quickly. Her doctor had diagnosed her with cardiomyopathy, which I later found out that it could lead to a sudden cardiac arrest because of the irregular heartbeat. The doctor said it could be because of the pregnancy because her body needed to work to provide for the baby as well as my mother. As the months went by, I noticed how much weaker she seemed. But every time we went to see the ultrasounds of the baby, I could see how happy she was to see the baby on the screen. Yet I still couldn’t handle seeing my mom so weak because she has always been the strongest woman I know. She always has been independent and can stand her own ground. So to see her weak like this was so strange to me.

The day came in mid-October. I was in my second period class when I received a text that my brother, Christian Jayden, was born. I started crying in class because I was so happy. I had to go to the hospital the next day because the doctors needed to run some tests on my mom and the baby. My aunt picked me up to take me to the hospital. The drive seemed like it took forever because I was so excited. So many questions were running through my head; I wondered if he would like me, what he looked like, if he cried a lot, and many other questions. When we finally got to hospital, I wanted to run up down the hallway out of the elevator to see my mom. My mom was connected to an oxygen machine and my brother was in an incubator type thing to take away the yellow in his skin. I couldn’t help but stare at both of them. The baby seemed so frail and my mom looked so pale and drained. I was then reminded that my mom was still sick.

I had gone home and my mom had to stay at the hospital for two weeks because she was still sick but the baby got to go home to his grandmother’s house. Gerry stayed with her until late at night every night after work. I had found out that my mom had to stay in the hospital longer while I was in ASB class. In that class I sit in a podium overlooking the whole class and as I read the text message, I began sobbing. There was nothing I could do about it because I knew she needed to stay there to get better. Her boyfriend had picked me up one night so I could see her. I began to cry when my mom and I were alone and she asked, “Why are you crying?” with a slight smile and laugh. I told her,” Because you don’t look like yourself. You look so helpless,” I said as I stared at all the machines connected to her. She needed help doing things that she never would have needed help with before, simple things like going to the bathroom, even. The nurse walked in and my mom explained why I was crying and the nurse began to reassure me that my mom would be fine; she just needed to rest because her body was exhausted.

This was the longest time in my seventeen years of life that I had been away from my mom. And I never really knew that it would affect me so much not having her around. While she was in the hospital, I tried to go out as much as possible to keep myself busy. But there were nights were I’d sit alone in my house restless because I was scared of losing her. When she eventually came home, I tried doing anything I could to help her. It didn’t take long once she was home for her to seem her normal self again. Now she has to take a few more pills than usual to help regulate her heartbeat, blood pressure, etc. Looking back, I still get emotional because that was the lowest point that I have ever seen my mother. She seemed so vulnerable and it helps me see that I need to treat her with much better respect. Every day, I remind myself that I need to do the best I can to help her out and show her how much she means to me because tomorrow is not always promised. This was a significant event for me because it helped me realize that someone you love and hold so dearly could be gone within an instant and before that happens, you should always make them feel important.

Interview with a classmate

 The classmate I interviewed was Steven Martinez. He recently graduated from Rio Mesa High School and was a part of the French club. In his spare time, Steven enjoys watching TV, listening to the radio, sleeping, talking on the phone, and going out with his friends. When he is with his friends, they like to go to the pool, watch movies, hike, and party. I also found out that Steven and his friends are “straight edge”; they don’t need extra help to have fun. What motivates him to go to school is to advance toward a better future and also to make his family proud. His current schedule is busy and at times hard to handle; however, he pulls through by managing his time. He considers his parents and his friend as his role models because he sees them as hard workers. He considers himself a role model for other because people compliment him on his academic strength. In a few years he sees himself graduated and working in the field of forensics. He likes OC because of the campus size. He was surprised that people in college were “actually nice and easy to get along with, unlike in high school A quote that inspires him would be, “We all might be alive, but not all of us are living”. 

Texting

     I really enjoy texting. It is fast and efficient for me. Especially because I am a shy person on the phone and it is convenient if I need to do something because I have the ability to reply when I want to. However texting can also lead to miscommunications due to spelling, grammar, or abbreviations and other misfortunes. When my mom texts me and she abbreviates words, I often get confused because I understand the abbreviations as other words. I often find myself rereading text messages from my mom a few times before understanding them. Also I am so used to grabbing my phone and replying to a message that when I am driving I often pick up the phone but remember to put it down and reply later. I also like texting because if I am not in the mood to talk, I can always just text. With texting there are fun “emojis” that you can send too. There are emojis of faces, food, animals and other miscellaneous icons. Another reason I like texting better than calling would have to be if I needed a favor or had a question but not much time to engage in a conversation with someone, I can easily talk to them via text. I guess you can say I’ve been text crazed since the sixth grade.

Reality TV

Growing up I enjoyed typical kid channels like, Nickelodeon and Disney. But as I entered middle school, I began to watch reality TV shows. My favorite was Real World on MTV, but I knew that people didn’t really act like that. I’ve always thought reality TV shows are scripted because who honestly acts so crude and immature like that in real life.

Although I can say for the past few years my favorite reality TV show has been Bad Girls’ Club on Oxygen. These girls claim to be the “baddest girls where they come from”. The show constantly consists of the girls fighting and arguing with each other. But when it gets too hectic and a girl needs to be sent home, a replacement is sent for her. The “originals,” the girls that are there from the beginning, will haze the replacement to see if she can handle it. The girls also usually form cliques, but they tend to change depending on the drama going on.

Personally, I believe that reality TV shows aren’t bad because they are there to keep people entertained not influence them. If a person becomes influenced by the television show that they are watching, then I believe that they are not mature enough to be watching that show. While watching Bad Girls’ club or other reality TV shows, I constantly find myself saying,” If my daughter or kid ever acts like that…” because I understand and believe that reality TV shows are purely for entertainment.  

Fast Food

                When I was younger I was a cheerleader and we would always travel so fast food was eaten quite often. However, with my fast metabolism, I didn't think too much of it. I didn't really care for fast food, except for In-N-Out; I would never turn that down. As a cheerleader I had to eat healthy, so I constantly snacked on granola bars and fruit. I never really cared for fast food because I loved my mom’s cooking.  The best part of fast food is that Happy Meals came with toys. My favorite toys were any Sanrio toys, especially the Hello Kitty watches. I remember once when I was younger while I was in the play pen at McDonald’s, I saw a little kid throw up in the jungle gym and I never really liked going into them after that. My mom dated this guy for two years and he had three kids, roughly around my age. It was a big change and there were four more mouths to feed. Since my mom was only used to cooking for us two, we would have KFC, McDonald’s, etc. every other day because she was not adjusted yet to cooking for all of us. I had also quit cheerleading around that time because it became too expensive for me to do it with the new kids. Quitting cheerleading meant my activity went down and so did my metabolism. As a result of quitting cheerleading and eating more fast food, I began to gain some weight.

                Now I feel about the same with fast food. I actually eat less fast food now because I can understand, what I then thought was gibberish, the nutrition facts. I understand how what I effects my body and my health. I am not entirely against fast food because it does taste good, especially when I’m in a hurry and it’s cheap, but I try my best to stay away from it. I still would say my favorite meal is an animal style cheeseburger, fries and a “Lemon Up” (half lemonade, half 7 Up) from In-N-Out. Actually if I had to work at in a fast food business for part time, I’d like to work at In-N-out because I’ve heard they pay well and the employees always seem like they enjoy it there too. Also seeing their food prepared fresh in front of you is a good feature. I’ve always hated when you receive a burger or anything and you can tell it was made in a batch and that it was sitting there before I ordered. When out with friends and they want to stop by a fast food place, I often find myself suggesting a restaurant. Although it is a bit pricier, the quality of food is better. If they do prefer the fast food, I question if I am really that hungry or if I’d rather wait until we get somewhere better.

Past. Present. And Future.

I have lived in Oxnard my entire life. I was born in the "new" St. John's Hospital in 1994 and lived in South Oxnard. From what I can remember I've lived in four different place: my maternal grandparents' house, my paternal grandparents' house, my aunt's house and the condo that I currently live in and have lived in the past fifteen (give or take a year) years. I was an only child for seventeen years and my parents have been separated for thirteen years. I recently gained a new brother last October named Christian Jayden. I attended Tierra Vista Elementary. That's where I remember making my first two friends from school. I was playing the kitchen playset with my friend, Nana, and I saw a girl walk in the door with her mother. I eagerly ran up to her and ask if she wanted to pla with us. Her name is Krystal & I've kept in touch with these two girls until now. In elementary school, I always like to cut my own hair. At the end of kindergarten I decided that I no longer wanted bangs, so I took scissors and cut my hair straight across. In my kindergarten promotion pictures I had two missing teeth and short, little hairs sticking up in the front. But I didn't learn because the same thing happened again my sophomore year of high school. After elementary, I attended Ocean View Junior High. Every year we had a different Vice Principal. I had my first "serious" boyfriend in junior high. I actually met my current boyfriend in eighth grade. I also dealt with my bestfriend moving away because her father was being stationed somewhere else. I remember I was so upset that I wouldn't even talk to her, even though it wasn't her fault. I finally came to my senses a few weeks before she moved and we hung out everyday until she had to leave. Next I went on to Channel Islands High School. I met some really great friends there; however, I lost touch with most of my other friends. Junior year was the best out of my high school experience. I got closer to my best friends, Meryll Valdez and Cliff Andres. We had a group of about twenty close friends and we'd hang out all the time. But we grew apart once it became senior year and we split into different cliques.
Present. I am currently a recently graduated high school student. At the moment I aspire to become a radiologist or a farensic scientist/behavior analyzer. I am in a relationship with Nicholas of over a year. I am a temp at Giorgio Armani in the Camarillo Outlets and part time at Banana Republic. So far, I enjoy attending college. I just got a new car, marina blue pearl, PT Cruiser and I have named her Aria.
Future. I hope to have a future helping people as much as I possibly can. I enjoy helping others feel good about themselves. I plan on getting married on a beach or in a garden, and my wedding color will be Tiffany blue. I also would love to have at least two children, the boy first and then a girl. I hope to be done with school by my mid-twenties. I want to provide my children with a great life and provide all the necessities for them. For the future, I just hope to be healthy overall.