Ring In The New Year!

     My intention for 2017 is to get my feelings straight and realize who my real friends are. This year has been really confusing because I have cut off friends because they were fake and I honestly could not deal with them anymore. The reason I need to get my feelings straight is because they get in the way of too many things. My feelings made me drift off with a few of my best friends and now I am really close to one of them again. I hope that in the new year I can rebuild my friendship. Hopefully I am more careful on who I choose to be friends with. 

It's not about what you get, it's about what you give

     I honestly cannot remember what the best present I have ever gotten, mainly because I can't choose. I also cannot recall what the best present I ever gave to someone. This year I want to give my sister a really meaningful gift. Since my older sister's birthday is a few days after Christmas I always give her the birthday present on Christmas. I decided to make her a collage of pictures of us. She always complains on how I never think of her when it comes to gifts (which is such a lie I always get her something). I always ask my mom for suggestions but she always tells me it has to come from me oersonally (that doesn't really help). I really hope she likes it because I am going to be working hard on this particular gift. This gift will really emphasize how much she means to me. I know that we may argue a lot, and I may say some pretty rude things to her, but I really do love her.

What's in a name?

     My first name Andrea comes from many places such as, Greece (Female) France (Female), English origin (Female), Danish origin (Female), Italy (Male), Albania (Male), and Switzerland (Male). In all the origins it means brave. I guess that can relate to me because I am up to try new things. I am also considered brave because I like to speak my mind and say I feel without caring if I get judged. I do back out at times, but eventually I choose to do it because I want to see what will happen. My last name comes from Spain meaning "belong to the Lord" or "he who belongs to the Lord". I'm not really sure what that means, but I like it. I think it's pretty cool that my last name comes from Spain considering that I have Spaniard roots  The only weird thing is that my dad is not from Spain (i have my dad's last name) my mom's dad is from Spain. Maybe both my parent have Spanish roots.

Something that speaks to me

     A quote that really stands out or speaks to me is a lyric from the song "Fake Love" by Drake. The lyric is "I've been down so long, it look like up to me, they look up to me, I got fake people showing fake love to me straight up to my face". To me this means that there are people out there willing to fake a friendship just because they want money or popularity. Some people use others to make themselves feel better and feel higher than everyone else. The part "they look up to me" to me means that they will do anything to be like you, even if it means to make you look like a bad person. "Fake people showing fake love to me straight up to my face" means that there are people out there that will fake their personality and fake their feelings towards you without hiding the fact that they are just using you for their personal reasons. I just really like this lyric because nowadays you can't really be sure on who you can trust. To many people are fake so it's pretty shocking to actually find a loyal person to be friends with.

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What am I grateful for?

     What am I grateful for? I am grateful for my friends and family because they mean the world to me. They help me get through the day and whenever I'm having a bad day they'll always be there by my side. Although at times they can get me irritated, I'll always love them and will do anything to keep them in my life. I am also very grateful for all the opportunities I have been given. When I was on the JV Volleyball team in 7th grade it's like I was part of another family. I am really grateful for being on the team because volleyball has always been a huge part of my life. I started playing when I was five years old so it was really important that I made the team. Without volleyball, I would have nothing to do with my life because not only is it my favorite sport, but it's a way I clear my mind of the problems I have at the time. I am really hoping to make the team this season again. Another thing  I am really grateful is for my health, education and how fortunate I am. I know that there are people out there that are dying everyday because they don't have a lot of money to buy food, or have a shelter, or for the doctor and I hope that one day I can help with that. It breaks my heart seeing all these people in Chicago that are homeless and sometimes I see people around my age and I cannot even imagine what they are going through. I am thankful for many things, but to me these are really important, especially my friends and family.

Thoughts on Donald Trump

     I don't know how to feel about Donald Trump winning. I'm not saying he's going to be horrible because I don't know how he's going to be. I just hope he won't deport all immigrants. He needs to understand that not every Mexican, or Hispanic is the same. Donald Trump is stereotypical. He believes that because one illegal Hispanic immigrant is violent or associates with drugs he thinks every other Hispanic is the same way. All I'm saying is that if he really believes that he'll "make America great again" then he should try to support REAL PROBLEMS going on and not his irrelevant thoughts on immigrants.

"The Third Twin" by CJ Omolol

     The book that I have recently finished is called The Third Twin by CJ Omololu. The Third Twin is a suspenseful book that is about two twins named Ava and Alexa (called Lexi), who were adopted by a very rich business man when they were babies. Growing up whenever something broke they would blame it on Alicia, their made up third sister. Now Ava and Lexi are 18 and the only reason they use Alicia is to go out with guys that they wouldn't normally go out with. Recently a boy that "Alicia" went out with, got killed and the DNA tests and evidence point to Alicia, someone who is not real. Lexi and Ava have to get to the bottom of who did this because either one of them is a killer or Alicia isn't just a game anymore.

Do I have a best day ever?

     I don't think that I have a BEST day ever but maybe a very memorable day. My most memorable day was when I met Ayesha Curry at a book signing on September 22, 2016. It was me, my mom and my sister. I want to be a chef when I grow up and Ayesha Curry is a chef and had recently released a cook book. My sister had bought me her book called "The Seasoned Life" and we went to a book store in LaGrange to go and meet her. I remember that I was sweating and shaking on our way there because I was nervous but excited at the same time. Once we got to the book store I went to the front to get my ticket and got in line for her to sign my book. A worker asked for my name to write it in a sticky note and put in my book so that once we got to the front Ayesha Curry would know who to write it out for. Eventually we got to the front and at that point I was like "Oh my God this is actually happening!!" I couldn't believe it. I was shaking so much and was in shock that I was not only meeting Stephen Curry's wife, but my idol. She opened the book and saw my name and was like "Hi Andrea how are you" and I was just freaking out because she said my name. I literally started tearing up and could not speak at all. Anyways she was so beautiful and polite and I just cannot believe I met her. I will never forget that day and will cherish that book forever.

Blogging Tips

     Blogging can be hard at times, but honestly it's quit simple. I have a hard time with reading/commenting on others and with being prepared for feedback. I know they don't sound that hard to do, and they're not, I just overthink what I am going to say.

     For reading/commenting, the reason I have such a hard time is because I can get distracted while reading. I can be almost towards the end and then I suddenly forget what I just read because my mind was elsewhere. Now for commenting, this one is difficult only because I don't always know what to say. I fear that I'll say something weird, or I won't make sense. I know that I will overcome this because know whenever I read, I'll make sure I stay on task. Now as for the commenting, this one just takes practice I guess. I just have to think about what I am going to say and it's going to be alright.

     The reason I have such a hard time with being prepared for feedback is that I just don't know how to respond back or how to take negativity. I've never had to deal with negative comments (thankfully) but if that ever does happen I don't know how I would take it. Now for me responding on a comment  back, I have trouble because I feel like I'm too blah. Like I just reply "thank you" for them complimenting my blog. The way I can overcome on responding is by trying to explain or say why I feel that way. For the negative feedback I'll just tell a teacher or ignore because even though it does bother me or bring me down, I use it as motivation so in a way they help me become better and that's exactly what they don't want.

Where I have traveled

     I am a person that loves to travel, but as much as I love to do it, I don't get to do it as often. When I was 6 I went to Los Angeles, California for the second time. It started off as a really bad vacation but ended with a high note. When I was little I would get sick while traveling on the airplane. I was hoping I didn't get sick...but I did. I would not stop throwing up and my dad wanted to cheer me up so he bought me a stuffed animal. Once we arrived to LA I felt better. That feeling didn't last long. During the taxi drive to the hotel I threw up again. I remember going to target and having to buy new clothes. Although the ride to LA was horrible, my experience was amazing. My family and I went to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Disney Land, and we also spent some time with my family that lives in LA. Anyways I hope that I get to go back to California soon and I am hoping that this time I don't get sick.

Summer Reading Blog: Focus 1 - Characters

Paper Towns by John green
Focus 1: Characters

    The book I chose to read over the summer was Paper Towns by John Green. This book is about a boy named Quentin Jacobsen and his childhood friend, Margo Roth Spiegelman. The last time they spoke was when they were nine years old, so it surprised Quentin when she climbed through his window for help. He agrees to her all-night adventure, but the next day Margo disappeared. Quentin finds clues that help find her. It seems though as if she does not want to be found. Quentin sets off on an adventure to find Margo, but is it worth the struggle?

    The main characters of the story are Quentin and Margo. Both are portrayed as something they are not. Deep down they are hiding who they truly are. The way John Green portrays Quentin is that Green makes him have a laid back and chill personality. Quentin acts laid back but he is also hiding a part of him, he never knew he had; an adventurous side. On page 73, Quentin states, “I’m a ninja,” Him and Margo had snuck into SeaWorld and was worried they’ll get caught. After a while he got used to it and thought it was fun. By saying that hes is a ninja means that he enjoys the feeling of having a once in a lifetime adventure with Margo. Throughout the rest of the book, Quentin starts to break into other places. Margo has influenced Quentin to take risks. Another example is that on page 239 Quentin tells his parents that he has to skip graduation to go find Margo. That right there shows his carefree side.

    Margo however, is portrayed as a popular adventurous girl. Margo is an adventurous girl but she secretly loves poetry and listens to old records. On page 112 it states, “... bookcases as tall as me and twice as long, filled with vinyl records.” Quentin, Ben, and Radar were all surprised because they never thought that she liked music. Ben found a poetry book in one of her shelves. On page 115 it states, “I went over to where he had knelt by the bookshelves… Walt Whitman, ‘ Leaves of Grass’ “ Margo acted differently at school than how she is at home or with Quentin.

    Quentin treats people differently than how Margo treats people. Quentin is friendly with peoples ple whether he likes them or not. On page 17 it states, “ ‘Chuck’ I answered as friendly as I could muster. Chuck hadn’t given us any serious trouble…” This shows how Quentin can handle being friendly with a vulgar person like Chuck. Even though Chuck had insulted him, Quentin managed to keep cool.

    Margo on the other hand, likes to get back at people. On page 30 Margo explains to Quentin the plan of their road trip. Margo says, “Tonight darling, we are going to right a lot of wrongs. And we are going to wrong some rights…” This means that she wants to make sure everyone who did her wrong knows not to mess with her. The only two people Margo cares about very much are Ruthie, Margo’s little sister, and Quentin. Margo treats them as if they are the only people in the world. On page 296, Margo calls her little sister and says, “... it was a mistake and I’ll call now. I may not call mom, but I’ll call you…” On page 304 Margo tells Quentin how she’ll always write him and will miss him. She states, “You have my word. And I’ll see you. We’re not done seeing each other.” This means that she still has that special connection with him from when they were nine.

    All in all, I think that the author John Green described Quentin and Margo differently because he wanted to show character development. This story really shows how Quentin and Margo changed their personalities at the end. Quentin learned to live life to the fullest. Margo learned to express herself.

Ten Years From Now

     Ten years from now I want to be a culinary graduate from Stanford. I want to live in San Fransico, California where I can pursue my dream of becoming a chef. The reason why I want to become a chef is because I love being in the kitchen. While growing up I would always help my mom cook. I also love to draw. I love art class, and in cooking you use some art because your presentation is key.

     Continuing with my dream of being a chef, I want to own or at least start a successful restaurant. Another reason why I want to be a chef is that I always watch Food Network and that inspires me to do what they do. I get a lot of ideas from those shows. I just want to be able to drive past my restaurant and say, "I made it."

     I know a lot of restaurants tend to be pricey so a lot of families cannot afford food. I would help pay for their meal and if they are going through financial problems I will help provide their basic needs. I just want to be able to make a difference in someone's life.

     Cooking is not going to be my whole life. I also want to play volleyball in college. Sports is a big part of my life, especially volleyball. To me volleybll is the best way to clear your mind. I forget about everything and just focus on my game.

     Over the years I've wanted to be many things: firefighter (age 4), being famous (age 10), pro volleyball player (age 12), but I think that I will stick with being a chef. Last but certainly not least, I want to stay friends with my current friends and I definitely do not want to drift away from my family.