My neighborhood almost always appears to be a peaceful place. I've never heard gunshots, seen people beat each other up, or any of the stuff that I've seen in movies happen around here. But there's one crime in particular that happens often and goes unpunished: theft.

It's one type of thing that is very commonly stolen, and that would be fruit. I've known for a long time that the usual thieves are squirrels, birds, ants, and all the backyard fauna. Nothing I can do about that, since they have as much right to the land as I do...Well, my old afterschool/summer math teacher said you could hang up these spinning things that would scare away birds (it's hard to describe them...they sort of give you an optical illusion when the wind blows at them), though I have no idea if it's working anymore. Surely even with their bird brains they could figure out that the spinning things wouldn't really attack them. :p

Actually, though, I've seen people become poachers lately. There was one time on the weekend where I was taking a walk and I overheard the conversation of two people. A woman was sneakily taking a fruit (I believe it was an orange) from a plant growing out of someone's front yard. A man scolded her for taking it, but she insisted it was fair game because it was on the other side of the fence and technically no longer on the owner's property. (Well, I guess there's no harm done, I highly doubt the owner of the fruit tree would notice it missing.)

I'm pretty sure I saw someone else who took a fruit too, quite recently. He was walking with his arms behind his back, and I kept wondering why until I saw that he was holding an orange. He also had his hood covering his head, so I couldn't see his face unless I was facing the front of him. Very suspicious! I later saw another old man coming along from the other direction, his hands also behind his back, and once I passed him I whirled around to see if he was stealing fruit. (But that was just me being paranoid, the second old man was innocent. XD)

If you'd expected to hear about something more major, sorry to disappoint you. The more serious stuff that I've caught wind of is in the school environment, what with the copying of homework, ditching of class (though I'd only heard people consider it, I don't know if they actually have), and...smoking. I actually saw a couple of my fellow students smoking one day at lunch when I was walking off campus. They weren't really trying to hide it. It wouldn't trouble me too much except that I figure I'll end up dying of lung cancer while they go along their merry way...

I've always wondered what made people want to smoke. I'd heard that it was done to lose weight (since your sense of taste gets ruined and you won't want to eat as much), or to look cool (no idea if this is true, enlighten me?), or just a mistake - you try it once and get hooked. I have no experience in the matter nor do I intend to have any, but feel free to tell me why you smoke or why someone you know does, if you feel like it.

Well, this is unrelated, but I like to share pictures of similar-looking characters when I see them. I watched the Tales of the Abyss anime quite a while ago and had forgotten about it up until I saw some pictures a few days ago. Tear Grants always reminded me of a Vocaloid, Luka Megurine. (If I remember correctly, Tear sings too. Talk about a weird coincidence, unless it isn't one.) Their bangs and hair colors are different, and Luka's hair is generally wavier, but I thought their outfits were similar.

TEAR GRANTS
click or click


LUKA MEGURINE
click or click

Labels: birds, cigarette, crime, criminal, fruit, luka megurine, neighborhood, people, reasons, scare, smoking, squirrels, suspicious, tales of the abyss, tear grants, theft, thief, vocaloid

Today has been a chilly day. There are clouds in the sky for the first time in a week or so. I can't remember a year when there was such cold weather at this time in June.

Maybe this year is meant to be different. There was rain later in spring than normal. The reservoir is full and beautiful and reflective. But not everything is good about such change. Different weather is bad for some fruits. I heard that cherries were more expensive this year. And my mother worries that our persimmon trees will not yield much when the time comes to harvest their fruits because of the unusual weather.

But this chill, though it is June, makes me wonder if perhaps the summer will end early this year. My dad dismissed the idea, saying something like "The summer really starts with July 4th" which I don't really understand (I mean, only the USA celebrates Independence Day). There was already a warm spell back in May.

I read the book Sisters of the Sword: Journey Through Fire. The main character, Kimi, is driven by her desire for revenge, but she is told that she should not be filled with so much hate, that it will consume her and lead to her defeat. But in the book I am Apache, revenge seems to be embraced, as warriors set out to avenge their loved ones, who were killed by Mexicans in a surprise attack. I've heard the phrase "revenge is sweet", but is it really? If you kill someone, your hands will be sullied by the blood, and you may forever live with the guilt. And it would not bring back the people that you have lost. But perhaps you must kill someone for the sake of the future and of other innocent people - if you don't kill the person, it is not far-fetched to think he or she will go on to take more lives.

I've also been watching an anime; the name is Ef: A Tale of Melodies. It is a disturbing story, but at the same time it also intrigues me. One of the characters said that he wondered why a person would be born in the first place if they would die. He said that there isn't any point in starting fights that you know you will lose.

But I think that because we are alive, there must be something out there for us to accomplish. I don't think life is meaningless just because we know it will come to an end, for some sooner than others. We still think of things that are temporary as important, like youth, passion, friendship, and dreams. It's up to us to make these things permanent. If two friends swear to be BFFs and support each other when times are rough, then the promise is not broken.

As I am now, I am weak. I don't have thick skin, so the words of people pierce me more deeply than any physical injury. But I still want to become strong. I'll fight every day, even if it's an uphill battle, even if I die and am forgotten. I am alive, so I'll do what I can. There are days when I'm lost in a sea of misery. Days when who I am and who people think I am are different; days when what I want to do and what I need to do are unbearably far apart. But I'll fight on. Even if I'll die trying.

Labels: ability, books, death, different, dream, ef a tale of melodies, fruit, I am apache, journey through fire, life, purpose, reservoir, revenge, sisters of the sword, strength, summer, temporary, weather

I have a different PE teacher now because of the trimester change. I had him last year, in the third trimester, so I am familiar with him. I thought I would be fine again, but last year, when I first started off, I was really tired from his class, and the same thing is happening this year. I'm started to get used to it, but it'll probably take a while before I'm completely accustomed to the hard work again (this teacher isn't mean or anything, it's just that we do more extreme stuff in his class than the teacher I had the trimester before).

When we run a regular, four-lap mile around the track, it's called a Smile Mile in his class. Since we do regular exercises before running the mile, I'm always tired out when it's time to run the mile. So my times have become slow again - I got 8:28, when my recent times last trimester were nearly 30 seconds faster. So I am not too pleased with that, because even when I try to run fast it still isn't enough, what with shoulder and gut cramps...

But then there are times when I am angry at myself for having a weak-minded attitude. I should definitely try my best. You can never say you're already good enough, you have to keep trying. I have to continue to do my best until I run this whole mile smiling. It's not like I dislike running. This year I have discovered that I like to run, as long as there is not a huge amount of pressure on me.

After all, I was able to help someone else just a little bit last trimester. If you want to improve your time or keep a steady pace, then look for someone who runs faster than you, but not too much faster. You could just follow them the whole time, and it might make your time better. One of the students in my class last trimester ran with me to improve her time (with my permission :p ). My strategy for running is to start out with a slow pace, then speed up gradually or maintain the pace, and in the last lap, I try to spend all my energy and sprint to the finish. It's just what works for me. Some folks prefer to sprint on the first lap instead.

My classmate said her time got a bit better this trimester, and it's kind of nice to feel like you've done something. "A good deed is a reward in itself" or whatever the saying was...Not that I built a house for low income people or something. (My dad did, but then he got sick, probably because he was sweating and he wasn't dressed for the cold, or something, and then my whole family got sick.)

Speaking of the cold weather, the squirrels are making their preparations. I think squirrels are hibernating animals, so they have been eating like crazy to prepare for sleeping until springtime. They robbed my backyard of fruits, like the figs and the persimmons. And now the squirrels that live near me are chubby as can be.

I wonder if that added weight means they can't run as fast. Some time ago, I saw a squirrel on the road. It was pretty gruesome, as the squirrel was actually sort of flattened, it smelled a bit funny, and there was some blood. The squirrel must've been hit by a car. Ouch, what a painful way to die.

It seems squirrels elsewhere don't have as much to eat. The squirrels at my piano teacher's apartment were more normal-looking. Probably they have to work hard for their food, instead of having fruit practically at their doorstep, waiting to be picked.

Oh yes, and I just heard recently that my cousins will both be taking piano class. Originally my younger cousin wanted to learn piano, but then her brother decided he wanted to learn too. So now they have a piano and will be taking lessons. They're already having lessons that are an hour long...My mom said to my aunt that it's not good to do that, as young folks have a short attention span. I mean, when I started out piano, I only had half-hour lessons with the teacher, and my lessons are still only forty-five minutes long.

Labels: car accident, cousins, death, exercise, fruit, hibernation, house, improvement, low income, overweight, PE class, piano, running, smile mile, squirrels

Right now I am typing this at my friend Mars/Miyu-chan's house. She didn't want me to use her own computer, so I am currently using her sister's computer. She keeps pressuring me to write in the blog she just made. (Unfortunately I am not yet a part of the blog team, so I decided I would rather just write in my own friendly Kaisoumizu for now). That reminds me...Recently I was wandering about on the Internet and I saw someone called "kai_mizu" or something like that. I was a bit worried because that sounds quite similar to Kaisoumizu. I hope whoever it is doesn't mind.

It's already 4 pm. Time sure flies. I was scheduled to be at my pal's house from 2 pm to 6 pm. We decided not to go to the movies, so we are here rotting our brains out on the computers. Miyu-chan warned me not to use Mozilla Firefox because it makes her computers crash but I eventually got sick of the slowness of Internet Explorer and went for Foxy. And it is working much more effectively, actually, so I'm glad. (By the way, her sister's computer is a Windows Vista, Toshiba brand. So the screens look a little different from what I'm used to since I have always used Windows XP.)

Which reminds me, Miyu-chan's sister's cursor (you know, the pointy arrow thing you use to move around the screen and click on things). It's a peeling banana which is quite amusing to watch. I used to have a cursor back in the day, when my laptop was still young and restless, but my dad removed the program that lets me choose different cursors because my computer had been running out of space. I kind of miss having a custom cursor, but I don't want to install it on my computer and end up with viruses and spyware. So I guess I have to do without.

Let me talk about something else before I bore you to tears. I am celebrating my mom's successful download. She finally managed to install her Skype, so I can chat with her when she has free time at work. Twice she used only a smilie/emoticon for her message and I was creeped out, so I asked her why. She said it was too tiresome to type out a message. I called her lazy, but she annoyed me by saying she wasn't the lazy one, I was...! Hmph, what a rude thing to say, even if it is...true. Somewhat.

I ate a bunch of grapes earlier. I hope Miyu-chan's mom doesn't mind. I know she probably put it out for my sake, but I'm not sure if I was supposed to eat that much, you know? Then I'd look like a glutton, she'd give me too much food next time, I wouldn't finish it, and she might be offended (though she wouldn't say so). Must be very careful with other people's parents. (That's a word of advice! Remember it!)

Labels: blah, computer, cursor, custom, danger, download, family, friends, fruit, house, impression, internet, lazy, name, skype, time

Nowadays I've been pegging a bunch of different labels onto my posts...So much that they won't fit in the bar you type them into, and you would have to highlight from left to right if you wanted to see how many there were. Or just click your mouse there and keep hitting the left arrow on your keyboard. (If I'm confusing you, just forget it. XD)

Today has been a pretty boring day so far. I woke up, delirious, around 8 am. I was woken up by a need to go to the bathroom which is a sad way to wake up since you won't be able to get back to sleep if it's late enough in the morning. I just read National Geographic Magazine for a while before dragging myself out of bed. I decided to make french toast so I could finish one of my cooking projects. (It's a big hassle having to do homework for my elective. Luckily I only need one more HCP and I'll be done with them for the rest of my life...Unless I join Advanced Applied Arts next year.) It tastes rather eggy instead of sweet, but it's good if you put syrup and sugar on it. (If you use syrup, or even honey, it will be messy, so watch out.) I really hate getting my mouth and hands sticky. It feels like it's hard to clean.

Afterwards I played Animal Crossing on my Gamecube. I just play for some time every week instead of every day on the Gamecube since I really don't have enough leisure time for it otherwise. Lately I've been playing my newest person, Radcliff, like crazy, and since I made him in December I've already fully expanded my house (except for the basement). If you have both games you will notice it is considerably easier to pay off your debt on the Gamecube...Or maybe it feels that way because I have two memory cards and can make money by visiting both. (And I play the DS version every day so I guess it makes me feel like it takes a long time.)

Then we hopped in the car and headed to Saratoga. Sometimes I insist on going there so we can see the farmer's market. I tried some samples of salmon spread and it was pretty yummy. (But my dad says food always tastes better when it's a free sample.) I also bought some apple cider. I usually get my apple cider from a stand called Rainbow Orchards. And I get my strawberries from whatever random places there are. We always sample the strawberries first to see if they're sweet, then look at the price. If it's reasonable and the strawberries were tasty, then we buy it. And of course, since there are cage free brown eggs, we get those. They're cheaper at the farmer's market than at Whole Foods anyhow.

So right now my dad is probably napping and I can't practice piano. I figure I'll go do some Wii Fit to pass the time. I should exercise anyhow, since it's the weekend and I don't have PE. D: I suggest you all do the same, as you are reading this.

Labels: blog, cooking, egg, exercise, farmers market, food, fruit, homework, label, moaning, nap, sleep, video games, waking up

Usually I only do kitchen-related work at school in cooking class... And this is my first time cutting fruit, basically. XD My mom bought some fruit, so we were able to make a smoothie. I cut the strawberries, a banana, and an apple to put in the smoothie. (I only cut one of the two apples we used because I'm not good and cutting and peeling apples.) At first I was freaked out while cutting the strawberries because there was red stuff on my hands. But then I realized it was just strawberry goo.

I basically wasted away this whole Saturday. In the morning I was really tired so I tried to sleep in and kind of succeeded. I got up at 10 am. By then my dad and his friend were gone...Probably for tourism purposes, seeing as the friend probably hasn't been to California much before. My mom says they must've gone to Stanford University and San Francisco...Typical.

After a while, I practiced piano, ate breakfast, and did my usual money-making business on my newest Animal Crossing (Gamecube) account. And then it was practically lunchtime. And soon after, my mom left for the library, shopping, and acupuncture. I was highly disapproving since I think acupuncture is like torture. (I just don't like seeing people have needles stuck in them.)

I played the Sims 2 in the meantime. I really shouldn't have. It was just a waste of time. XD Maybe I ought to have spent that time making a new avatar for myself...But too late now.

I saw something kind of disturbing today. I was planning to do one of my Home Cooking Projects this weekend, since you are required to have a total of six of them by the end of the trimester. So I wanted to do cinnamon rolls as one of my projects. I was looking for yeast at my house, and I found a small packet with yeast in it.

I checked the expiration date...It was December in 1999! Prehistoric thing! I was freaked out and my mom asked if we could use that but I said no way since it's so old.

Apparently, my mom used to have a breadmaker, but she gave it to one of my dad's friends, whose wife loves cooking. So apparently my mom hasn't used yeast ever since she came to California. That must've been before I was born. o_O

Labels: cooking, day, expire, food, fruit, homework, tour, video games

My dad dragged me awake at noon to try and make me adjust back to Pacific time. It's not really working since waking up made me have a headache. But I guess I have to start somewhere so I can't really blame my dad.

I just ate a sandwich for lunch. Yesterday my dad bought two sandwiches, one for my dinner yesterday and one for my lunch today. They're from a bakery-ish place called Panera Bread. If you live near me, you may know what that is. There are other Panera Bread stores in the USA, I think, but I've only been to the one near my house.

Afterward, we went to the grocery store because my dad needs to make some soup. Usually I have some soup with my dinner every night so it is sort of necessary. He got some tomatoes and bok choy (a vegetable. My history teacher likes it, but I don't. But now I'm kind of used to eating it, after all these years). He also got some pears and bananas as snacks. The pears all look kind of bruised and they have a weird shape. (The kind I like are greenish and they're called D'anjou pears or something like that) Still, they taste good. At least to me. (Some people like different pears. Suggest some kinds to me if you like.)

Then we went to the library. I already renewed some of my books except for the ones that I already finished and should return. We waited in line to return our books since the Santa Clara Library uses electronic returning now. The guy in front of us was kind of slow. I guess he wasn't very good at it. (He got confused and put his hand near the place you put your books to return them, so it kept saying "barcode not identified!" but finally he managed to press the right buttons and get his receipt) We were a lot faster. But I guess we're used to it.

Once we got home I was starting to get drowsy again but I had to go practice piano. So I did. Then my dad needed to leave again (he didn't bring me with him this time). He said he needed to buy bones. At first I thought he was crazy but he reminded me that the meat on the bones is for cooking the soup. So never mind, hehe.

Labels: bone, fruit, library, lunch, piano, shopping, sleep, vegetables

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