I would have never seen myself doing these blogs. I got confused on trying to set it up and making it look nice to my likings. I didn't find them interesting at first, always feeling lazy to even start them. But as I did more and more of these blogs, I began to develop a liking in posting one blog after another. I enjoyed writing about the topics that we were given, almost all of them giving countless ideas of what to blog about. I loved getting the comments from other classmates, and that just made me enjoy posting blogs even more.
I don't know if I'll continue to keep this blog going, but I won't leave it to be forgotten. There were many thoughts and ideas poured into it, and many wonderful memories that I have shared with the class. These blogs have been a memorable experience for me, and I know I will be looking back on all the posts to remember them all.
This has been a great semester and I've enjoyed every part of it, and I hope everyone else has too!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Bay Area!
One of the greatest weekends I have ever had happened on Friday, March 18, 2011, and ended on the following Monday morning. The week before, my friend, Ivanarae, who attends San Francisco State, texted me and a few friends about a dance showcase that was happening in San Mateo, up in North California. She really wanted to go, but had no ride. I immediately texted my brother, begging him if we could drive up to San Francisco for that weekend to see that showcase, as it featured many dance teams that I admired. He replied back with a "Maybe" and I got my hopes up. A few days later, my brother sent me a message that said, "It's a go. Kristen and Dar are coming also."(Kristen was my brother's girlfriend and Dar, short for Darlene, was Kristen's best friend.) At that moment, a big smile appeared on my face and I texted back Ivanarae saying we were coming up next week! She could not believe it, and I couldn't either. I was going to the bay area!
It was Thursday night. I had to spend the night at Kristen's house so we could all leave together, saving the drive of picking everyone up individually.We all woke up at 3A.M, on Friday, got ready, and packed everything into the car. We triple checked everything that we needed and then we left an hour later, starting the 7 hour drive to San Francisco. Other than only having to stop at rest stations occasionally so my brother could take a small break from driving or at gas stations to fill up, the drive itself was pretty smooth. The only brutal part was that I was awake the whole time to make sure my brother stayed awake, as Kristen and Dar fell asleep right when we left. But as we ventured further into NorCal, the weather seemed to get worse. The rain poured dangerously harder, almost blinding our view of the road, forcing my brother to drive much, much slower. But despite the horrible weather, we eventually hit San Francisco, where the rain was a lot calmer. We also made great time, arriving just before noon. We drove down the streets of the city looking for the apartments next to San Fran State. We eventually made it to the large housing part of the city and it didn't take us long to find Ivanarae's complex. Once we parked the car, I called Ivanarae, letting her know that we were finally here!
I helped my brother as we unloaded the car of our things and entered the building, taking the crammed elevator up to the apartment room. Ivanarae let us into the room, we set our stuff down, and got settled. She was also expecting another friend from Oxnard to arrive at the apartment also, Jennifer, who arrived a few minutes after we did. Then, those two left to meet up with another friend in town, leaving my brother, Kristen, Dar, and I to explore the city. We left the apartment and drove around, getting to know the streets and locations around us. This lasted pretty much that whole day.
On Saturday morning, we all woke up, showered, and got ready. It was the day of the dance showcase, and we still had a lot of driving to do since we had to pick up one last friend, Julian, in Davis, the next town over, before heading to the showcase. Once the car was packed with everyone, we headed to San Mateo, arriving minutes before the event started. Kristen and Dar took the car to go see their friend, not knowing when they would come back, but we hurried into the building. We took our seats and the showcase started. It was an amazing sight, seeing all my favorite dancers, live and in person, in a place I would've never seen myself at all with some amazing people I could ever know. The event went out with a bang, and the whole building erupted with applause. As people cleared out of the building, we couldn't get a hold of Kristen or Dar, leaving us with no ride back. Ivanarae eventually called for a taxi to pick us up. Then the driver took us to the BART station, which is a type of train, where we took it back to San Fran. Once off at our destination, we then took a bus to San Fran State, where we found Kristen and Dar waiting outside of the apartment building. We all headed back up to the room and rested from the extremely exhausting day.
The weekend ended with goodbyes. We dropped off Julian at the train station and Jennifer walked with Ivanarae to the bus station. We thanked Ivanarae so much for letting us spend the weekend in San Fran and letting us spend the nights in her apartment. We packed up our car and said our final goodbyes before starting the 7 hour drive. It was a great experience visiting a city that I've only dreamed of going to one day, and it was even better spending it with friends that I could rarely see because of the distance.
It was Thursday night. I had to spend the night at Kristen's house so we could all leave together, saving the drive of picking everyone up individually.We all woke up at 3A.M, on Friday, got ready, and packed everything into the car. We triple checked everything that we needed and then we left an hour later, starting the 7 hour drive to San Francisco. Other than only having to stop at rest stations occasionally so my brother could take a small break from driving or at gas stations to fill up, the drive itself was pretty smooth. The only brutal part was that I was awake the whole time to make sure my brother stayed awake, as Kristen and Dar fell asleep right when we left. But as we ventured further into NorCal, the weather seemed to get worse. The rain poured dangerously harder, almost blinding our view of the road, forcing my brother to drive much, much slower. But despite the horrible weather, we eventually hit San Francisco, where the rain was a lot calmer. We also made great time, arriving just before noon. We drove down the streets of the city looking for the apartments next to San Fran State. We eventually made it to the large housing part of the city and it didn't take us long to find Ivanarae's complex. Once we parked the car, I called Ivanarae, letting her know that we were finally here!
I helped my brother as we unloaded the car of our things and entered the building, taking the crammed elevator up to the apartment room. Ivanarae let us into the room, we set our stuff down, and got settled. She was also expecting another friend from Oxnard to arrive at the apartment also, Jennifer, who arrived a few minutes after we did. Then, those two left to meet up with another friend in town, leaving my brother, Kristen, Dar, and I to explore the city. We left the apartment and drove around, getting to know the streets and locations around us. This lasted pretty much that whole day.
On Saturday morning, we all woke up, showered, and got ready. It was the day of the dance showcase, and we still had a lot of driving to do since we had to pick up one last friend, Julian, in Davis, the next town over, before heading to the showcase. Once the car was packed with everyone, we headed to San Mateo, arriving minutes before the event started. Kristen and Dar took the car to go see their friend, not knowing when they would come back, but we hurried into the building. We took our seats and the showcase started. It was an amazing sight, seeing all my favorite dancers, live and in person, in a place I would've never seen myself at all with some amazing people I could ever know. The event went out with a bang, and the whole building erupted with applause. As people cleared out of the building, we couldn't get a hold of Kristen or Dar, leaving us with no ride back. Ivanarae eventually called for a taxi to pick us up. Then the driver took us to the BART station, which is a type of train, where we took it back to San Fran. Once off at our destination, we then took a bus to San Fran State, where we found Kristen and Dar waiting outside of the apartment building. We all headed back up to the room and rested from the extremely exhausting day.
The weekend ended with goodbyes. We dropped off Julian at the train station and Jennifer walked with Ivanarae to the bus station. We thanked Ivanarae so much for letting us spend the weekend in San Fran and letting us spend the nights in her apartment. We packed up our car and said our final goodbyes before starting the 7 hour drive. It was a great experience visiting a city that I've only dreamed of going to one day, and it was even better spending it with friends that I could rarely see because of the distance.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Three Important People
The first person is my grandfather. My grandfather was always there for me. He is very hard-working and will always be there to provide our family with everything we need. He has been very helpful and supportive in getting my life on the right track. He has always been there for me through the good and the bad, and I love him for that. He's supported me all throughout my high school life, steering me towards the right choices. Even after high school, he was still there for me. He helped me get my permit, and eventually my license. He's helped pay for my college fees. He has even taught me how to cook certain food dishes. I know that he has been preparing me to lead my own future because I know he won't be there for me forever, and I am very thankful for all that he has already done.
The second person is my coach, captain, and fellow dancer, Mark Raquedan. From the start of my high school life, I joined the squads at my school, one of the greatest choices I have made. That's when I met Mark. He is a very determined person, always wanting to finish certain things, no matter how long it takes. He has been coaching the Channel Islands squads for quite a while, and was there during all four of my years on them. Even after I was done with high school and done with the squads, Mark eventually went from being my coach to being my captain as I joined another dance team that has been around for years. He has showed me that commitment in doing something you love is one of the best feelings ever. It was because of him that I developed a passion for dance.
The third person is my friend since kindergarten, David De La Cruz. David has been a very good friend to me. He is very trustworthy, and always has interesting things to say. After he left to Japan after the second grade, I thought it would be forever until I saw him again. But he eventually came back to Oxnard after almost 8 long years. I spotted him at school during lunch and I immediately recognized him as my best friend from elementary. We're always catching up on good times, and there's never a moment where bitterness develops between us. That's how best friends are supposed to be.
The second person is my coach, captain, and fellow dancer, Mark Raquedan. From the start of my high school life, I joined the squads at my school, one of the greatest choices I have made. That's when I met Mark. He is a very determined person, always wanting to finish certain things, no matter how long it takes. He has been coaching the Channel Islands squads for quite a while, and was there during all four of my years on them. Even after I was done with high school and done with the squads, Mark eventually went from being my coach to being my captain as I joined another dance team that has been around for years. He has showed me that commitment in doing something you love is one of the best feelings ever. It was because of him that I developed a passion for dance.
The third person is my friend since kindergarten, David De La Cruz. David has been a very good friend to me. He is very trustworthy, and always has interesting things to say. After he left to Japan after the second grade, I thought it would be forever until I saw him again. But he eventually came back to Oxnard after almost 8 long years. I spotted him at school during lunch and I immediately recognized him as my best friend from elementary. We're always catching up on good times, and there's never a moment where bitterness develops between us. That's how best friends are supposed to be.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
A Review on The Boiling Crab
If you love seafood, you're going to love this place. Located in Koreatown, Los Angeles, Alhambra, and Garden Grove(Orange County), the Boiling Crab is a popular seafood restaurant, but it's very unique in its own way. In a normal restaurant, you would be served food on plates with utensils, but when eating at the Boiling Crab, there are none of these. You are seated at a table with wax paper laid on top with a roll of paper towels nearby. Then a server puts a bib around your neck, and as silly as it sounds, it will really help. And once you get your food, you can begin to eat... with your hands!
They have a wide variety of delicious seafood to choose from. You can choose from blue crab, oysters (fried or seasoned), dungeness crab, king crab legs, lobster, crawfish(fried or seasoned), clams, or shrimp(fried or seasoned). There are other types of food as well, such as corn-on-the-cob, Cajun fries, sweet potato fries, sausages, and steamed rice. There are also certain seasonings (and spiciness) that you can add to give your food more amazing taste. Getting all the seasonings with your order (rajun Cajun, lemon pepper, and garlic butter) is called the "whole sha-bang," which is something I would recommend on getting with any order. Depending on what you order, your food is brought to you in a large plastic bag, soaking in all the seasonings and juices that give it the amazing flavors that Boiling Crab is known for. Everything is pretty pricey, but I think it's worth it.
Inside the restaurant itself, there are cans and bottles of different kinds of beers lined up on shelves along the walls. Many jerseys representing many different sports teams hang below these shelves. There are a few 40-inch televisions for customers to enjoy various shows as they chow down on their food.
If you plan on eating at the Boiling Crab, you can expect a LONG wait as it is a very popular restaurant. There are benches outside of the doors to sit on as you wait to be seated. There are wooden areas around the waiting area that the Boiling Crab staff encourages their customers to write on. Average wait times are around 30 minutes to an hour, but it will all be worth the wait.
They have a wide variety of delicious seafood to choose from. You can choose from blue crab, oysters (fried or seasoned), dungeness crab, king crab legs, lobster, crawfish(fried or seasoned), clams, or shrimp(fried or seasoned). There are other types of food as well, such as corn-on-the-cob, Cajun fries, sweet potato fries, sausages, and steamed rice. There are also certain seasonings (and spiciness) that you can add to give your food more amazing taste. Getting all the seasonings with your order (rajun Cajun, lemon pepper, and garlic butter) is called the "whole sha-bang," which is something I would recommend on getting with any order. Depending on what you order, your food is brought to you in a large plastic bag, soaking in all the seasonings and juices that give it the amazing flavors that Boiling Crab is known for. Everything is pretty pricey, but I think it's worth it.
Inside the restaurant itself, there are cans and bottles of different kinds of beers lined up on shelves along the walls. Many jerseys representing many different sports teams hang below these shelves. There are a few 40-inch televisions for customers to enjoy various shows as they chow down on their food.
If you plan on eating at the Boiling Crab, you can expect a LONG wait as it is a very popular restaurant. There are benches outside of the doors to sit on as you wait to be seated. There are wooden areas around the waiting area that the Boiling Crab staff encourages their customers to write on. Average wait times are around 30 minutes to an hour, but it will all be worth the wait.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Thoughts About FFN
Even before I started reading Fast Food Nation, I immediately thought about my life and fast food. Although some of the information in the book proved to be interesting to me, it sickens me reading about all the things done to a fast food chain's foods. I can never look at a burger the same way, but even so, it's still hard to resist their deliciousness, though I still can't believe all the things going into my body.
Almost all the foods on a menu can be unhealthy for anyone, no matter how much they say it isn't. Also, the employees who work for these places are always being put down by others and are poorly treated. Fast food chains are a big reason for America's problem concerning weight due to all the "ingredients" put into their foods.
Almost all the foods on a menu can be unhealthy for anyone, no matter how much they say it isn't. Also, the employees who work for these places are always being put down by others and are poorly treated. Fast food chains are a big reason for America's problem concerning weight due to all the "ingredients" put into their foods.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
5 Lies... 1 Truth.
Can you find the truth?
1) I love to swim.
2) I drove my grandparents' car into a bush.
3) I have secretly stalked someone who eventually became a good friend.
4) I had the opportunity to be in a dance video.
5) I am the tallest in my family.
6) I sprained my ankle during a school rally.
1) I love to swim.
2) I drove my grandparents' car into a bush.
3) I have secretly stalked someone who eventually became a good friend.
4) I had the opportunity to be in a dance video.
5) I am the tallest in my family.
6) I sprained my ankle during a school rally.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
What I miss the most.
I really miss dancing with the Channel Islands squads. It's what kept me happy. Looking back at my high school life, I felt like I was at my happiest then. The competitions are what I miss the most. Here are a few videos that are very memorable to me.
Co-ed Dance 2010(Glee Theme)
All-Male 2010(Music 101)
Coed Hip-Hop 2009
Coed Dance 2009(Masquerade Theme)
Coed Dance 2008(Hairspray Theme)
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