Unfortunately, not my deceased tree, but actually a friend of mine who moved to Taiwan back in fifth grade. Well, recently, I got a call from her and apparently she is coming to the USA for the summer. I thought she was here because she was born in the USA and is therefore a USA citizen (there was a situation like that for my other friend, who lives in China. She has to come back to the USA occasionally because she is supposed to be just "visiting" and so can't stay in China all the time) but apparently Taiwan is very hot in the summer. Also, she's supposed to move back to the USA eventually - at the very least, before college. It's a good thing for her to live in another country since apparently colleges favor so-called foreign students. And anyways it seems most people think that colleges in the USA are better than those in Taiwan or China...Hmm.

Happy two days after the 4th of July! I was surprised that some people in other countries don't seem to know what the importance of the day is, but then again, I guess it's of no relevance to them anyways. Even in my family, though we live in the USA, we don't care too much about this holiday, except for the fact that my parents get a day off from work.

Recently I was very cheered since I got the Ouran manga's first volume from the library, and also Part 2 of the anime, so now I have been spending my time reading and watching. But unfortunately I have already read the volume of the manga and I am impatiently waiting for more to arrive from the library (I've requested it online, it's very useful!). Ah, well. The world doesn't end until 2012, or so I've heard.

I've tried my hand at knitting lately. My mom knows how, because she says when she was young, half the girls knew how to knit. But nowadays the percentage of people who can knit is really small. It's a dying art...Anyhow, I bought a bundle of light blue yarn. My mom already has needles which she brought from Shanghai. They're made out of wood and they kind of remind me of chopsticks that are round, and pointy at both ends. It's kind of hard to get to hang of knitting at first but if you go slow and patient it'll work out, and it'll feel like a miracle when you understand it. I was really pleased once I was able to do it. I'm going to make a scarf since that's supposed to be easier than a sweater, hat, etc.

It seems like there is a lot of bad drivers out there. My parents often complain about less-than-perfect behavior among drivers. We saw drivers tossing their cigarettes out onto the road. How horrible! If you're going to smoke, don't litter while you're at it, that makes it kind of like the phrase "adding insult to injury". And there's those people who run the red lights, meaning that they drive even when the traffic light is showing yellow or red...And also people who just drive without even looking to see if anyone is crossing the street. People are really dreadful when they're driving...

Labels: 2012, apocalypse, behavior, cigarette, citizenship, college, drivers, friends, independence day, knitting, litter, needles, pedestrians, return, scarf, taiwan, traffic lights, yarn

Far from it. The sky is covered by rainclouds and the dirt on the ground is still damp, so it becomes mud. There is no one at home besides me, leading to an eerie silence only disturbed by the sound of my breathing and typing. But oh well. I am still thrilled because of the recent work the teachers have handed back to me. (The papers were handed back recently, even if the work wasn't necessarily recent) Since I have low self-esteem, I have to brag at home or talk to myself just to keep it up. People mistake it for a cocky, slightly snobbish personality, but it's a facade.

Sorry about not posting my cooking schedule yesterday. I rambled on too long in the previous post and forgot to put it up. Here it is.
Monday Baguette Costrini. (I'm not exactly sure what it was called. You take a baguette - a long, thin bread - and cut it up into little slices. Bake it in the oven until it is lightly browned. Then you spread olive oil, pepper, salt, and cloves onto it, and put chopped tomatoes, green onions, and some cheese on top. Bake it again, until the cheese is melted. Then eat!)
Tuesday Chinese Chicken Salad. (It doesn't taste all that great. I mean, it's unique, I guess, but I still don't like it. I wonder if my parents have tried it before)
Wednesday Finish workbook. (We have this workbook thing which is trying to get you to improve your eating and exercise habits. At least, I think it's for Wednesday, unless it's for Thursday? But that doesn't seem right either)
Thursday Clean up. (We're having Electives Night, where the 6th grades - called pixies - come to look at the electives. Volunteers from cooking class will be baking cookies)
Friday Chocolate Lava Cake. (Suggested by a guy who used to be in my kitchen, back in days long past. It sounds tasty. I hope it doesn't have any sponge cake stuff in it, though. I don't like that)

I feel a bit sad at having to leave my kitchen seen. Not even a few weeks later, I'll be hustling out of there and to the other side of the pavilion, and at the end of the school day rather than the beginning (if the glitch in our grade/schedule online checking system is telling the truth). I will certainly miss the cooking classroom, kind of like I miss the art classroom and the orchestra/band room. Some people say woodshop is fun, but the warmth and spice smells of the kitchens are charming, as is room 1 with its vases of flowers, goldfish bowl, and walls covered by artwork. Even room 27's ragged lines of black chairs and stands and white helmet, used as a bathroom/hall pass, are something I like.

Agh, never mind. Pretty soon I'll be in a rocking chair, knitting hats for a grandchild on the way or something. Maybe I'll move to Arizona (good for old people, who have arthritis and feel the cold more than young'uns) and chat with my other retired neighbors. Being retired will give me more free time, at the very least. (Unless you're a busy grandma running a campaign for AIDS in Africa.)

Labels: atmosphere, cooking, knitting, memories, mood, nostalgia, personality, rocking chair, weather

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