Friday, January 20, 2012
Hello Again...
I promise I'm not done posting on this blog. It surprises me how hard it is to take time to write on here, but I think I'll have a goal to write at LEAST once a month. Hopefully I can get into it enough again to write more, but for now, I'm sorry for the long break I've taken. I have regretted it thoroughly. So much has happened - I really will write about all of it at some point. Soon. But for now I just want to say I'm still around. :)
Oh, and I plan on putting a lot more pictures in the future. It will liven things up and take up space. :P
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Day at Disneyland
It has taken me a while to get around to writing this, but better late than never. :) We had been talking about it for a little while, but we found out on Monday the 17th that we were definitely going to Disneyland. The next day.
Early Tuesday morning, 5:15 to be precise, we (my mom, my brother, and I) got up and drove to the airport. I just want to say right now that I love my mom's job - having a flight attendant for a mother is one of the coolest things in the world. So, we flew to California on a nearly-empty plane (I slept lying down on the row behind our given seats), and our dear friend Alicia picked us up in Long Beach. We went out to have a late breakfast, stopped to drop things off at Alicia's, and then drove to Disneyland. There we met up with Alicia's friend, who works at the amusement park, and she got my mom, my brother, and me in for free. Alicia was going to buy herself a pass, but we all chipped in to get her one. And so we found ourselves in the "Happiest Place on Earth."
First off, we took a little tour of a rainforest on the Jungle Cruise ride. From there we headed to the Haunted Mansion (one of my favorites) and then Big Thunder Mountain (another fun one). We walked right onto Pinocchio's Adventure - or whatever it's called - and then flew through the Peter Pan ride. Nemo's Submarine ride came next, followed by the thrilling experience of Space Mountain (which is definitely on the top three favorite rides list). In the photo taken at the end of the ride, my face was split into a wide smile. Next we went on the Buzz Lightyear ride, where you use a little astro gun to shoot all of the targets with a Z (for the evil Zork or whatever the alien is called). The points were all counted up and in the end, my score was the highest. Oddly enough. Anyway, that ride was followed by one of the best rides in the whole amusement park - Pirates of the Caribbean. It's a classic. Afterward, we went on the Matterhorn, which was a lot more jarring than I remember it being in the past - but it was still fun. Following that we drove our way through the ride Autopia; I taped my driver's license in my journal. We also went on the little Rockets ride (so much fun when we were younger), walked through Pixie Hollow, stopped at the First Aid building to get a wheelchair for Alicia (sad that she needed it for her strained and swollen foot, but having a wheelchair-bound member in a group has its perks), and shopped at the Emporium on Main Street. By then we were ready to head to California Adventure, so we had our hands stamped and headed out of Disneyland. We went straight for one of our very favorite rides in the entire amusement park complex: Soarin' Over California. It is such an enjoyable one that we didn't just go on it once - we headed right for the end of the line to do it again when it was over. Besides, we wanted better seats than we got the first time, so we ended up with the best ones in the whole simulator.
We didn't go on any more rides after that. By then, it was getting late, and everything was being shut down for the final attraction of the night: World of Color.
Remember how I said having a wheelchair-bound member in a group has its perks? Well, its perks happened to include the chance to have reasonably good seats, free of charge, for World of Color. Our little group was shown to the wheelchair-seating area, and we settled down for the magnificent show.
It was waterworks like I have never seen before. There wasn't just light, there was vivid color (hence the name) shone on the jets shooting up into the sky. There was music reverberating through the air as everyone watched in awe. And incredibly colorful scenes from many of Disney's well-loved films were projected onto the screens of water. Some parts of it just about had me in tears, it was so beautiful and glorious and unbelievable. the show was unlike any I had ever seen. My favorite moment during the experience would probably be the scene from Pocahontas, with the emotionally intense version of "Colors of the Wind." "You can paint with all the colors of the wind..." I just about cried, and my heart felt ready to burst with the desire for the moment to last forever. All things must have an end, however, and that experience was no exception. The night came to an end, our vacation came to an end, and I found myself back home with endless normal things happening that I had to readjust to. And yes, I just contradicted myself - some things actually do last forever. Certain, special memories being one of them.
I sure hope I never forget the memory of this incredible experience - I don't want the colors to dim in my mind. It is difficult to capture the vivid picture of the night, but writing down what I can may help me remember the way I felt in the moment. I suppose journals and blogs really are for me in that way; through them I can recall the magical times I never want to forget. Writing lets me remember them.
Disneyland is, as our passes declared, the beginning of memories. Nearly all of them being good. I don't know if it really is "The Happiest Place on Earth," but I'm starting to think it comes close. I always walk out with a tug of sadness amid the happy emotions built up during the day. It truly is a blessing to go as often as we do, for as little money as we pay. My life sometimes seems so unbelievable.
And that is the story of my Day at Disneyland.
Early Tuesday morning, 5:15 to be precise, we (my mom, my brother, and I) got up and drove to the airport. I just want to say right now that I love my mom's job - having a flight attendant for a mother is one of the coolest things in the world. So, we flew to California on a nearly-empty plane (I slept lying down on the row behind our given seats), and our dear friend Alicia picked us up in Long Beach. We went out to have a late breakfast, stopped to drop things off at Alicia's, and then drove to Disneyland. There we met up with Alicia's friend, who works at the amusement park, and she got my mom, my brother, and me in for free. Alicia was going to buy herself a pass, but we all chipped in to get her one. And so we found ourselves in the "Happiest Place on Earth."
First off, we took a little tour of a rainforest on the Jungle Cruise ride. From there we headed to the Haunted Mansion (one of my favorites) and then Big Thunder Mountain (another fun one). We walked right onto Pinocchio's Adventure - or whatever it's called - and then flew through the Peter Pan ride. Nemo's Submarine ride came next, followed by the thrilling experience of Space Mountain (which is definitely on the top three favorite rides list). In the photo taken at the end of the ride, my face was split into a wide smile. Next we went on the Buzz Lightyear ride, where you use a little astro gun to shoot all of the targets with a Z (for the evil Zork or whatever the alien is called). The points were all counted up and in the end, my score was the highest. Oddly enough. Anyway, that ride was followed by one of the best rides in the whole amusement park - Pirates of the Caribbean. It's a classic. Afterward, we went on the Matterhorn, which was a lot more jarring than I remember it being in the past - but it was still fun. Following that we drove our way through the ride Autopia; I taped my driver's license in my journal. We also went on the little Rockets ride (so much fun when we were younger), walked through Pixie Hollow, stopped at the First Aid building to get a wheelchair for Alicia (sad that she needed it for her strained and swollen foot, but having a wheelchair-bound member in a group has its perks), and shopped at the Emporium on Main Street. By then we were ready to head to California Adventure, so we had our hands stamped and headed out of Disneyland. We went straight for one of our very favorite rides in the entire amusement park complex: Soarin' Over California. It is such an enjoyable one that we didn't just go on it once - we headed right for the end of the line to do it again when it was over. Besides, we wanted better seats than we got the first time, so we ended up with the best ones in the whole simulator.
We didn't go on any more rides after that. By then, it was getting late, and everything was being shut down for the final attraction of the night: World of Color.
Remember how I said having a wheelchair-bound member in a group has its perks? Well, its perks happened to include the chance to have reasonably good seats, free of charge, for World of Color. Our little group was shown to the wheelchair-seating area, and we settled down for the magnificent show.
It was waterworks like I have never seen before. There wasn't just light, there was vivid color (hence the name) shone on the jets shooting up into the sky. There was music reverberating through the air as everyone watched in awe. And incredibly colorful scenes from many of Disney's well-loved films were projected onto the screens of water. Some parts of it just about had me in tears, it was so beautiful and glorious and unbelievable. the show was unlike any I had ever seen. My favorite moment during the experience would probably be the scene from Pocahontas, with the emotionally intense version of "Colors of the Wind." "You can paint with all the colors of the wind..." I just about cried, and my heart felt ready to burst with the desire for the moment to last forever. All things must have an end, however, and that experience was no exception. The night came to an end, our vacation came to an end, and I found myself back home with endless normal things happening that I had to readjust to. And yes, I just contradicted myself - some things actually do last forever. Certain, special memories being one of them.
I sure hope I never forget the memory of this incredible experience - I don't want the colors to dim in my mind. It is difficult to capture the vivid picture of the night, but writing down what I can may help me remember the way I felt in the moment. I suppose journals and blogs really are for me in that way; through them I can recall the magical times I never want to forget. Writing lets me remember them.
Disneyland is, as our passes declared, the beginning of memories. Nearly all of them being good. I don't know if it really is "The Happiest Place on Earth," but I'm starting to think it comes close. I always walk out with a tug of sadness amid the happy emotions built up during the day. It truly is a blessing to go as often as we do, for as little money as we pay. My life sometimes seems so unbelievable.
And that is the story of my Day at Disneyland.
Friday, March 04, 2011
Music
I've been really into music lately, so I decided to write a tribute to it.
Right now, the piano is the musically related subject that matters the most to me. Some days, it can be really tough to practice; there are times I hardly touch it. But when I do, it is very rewarding. Today I decided to practice for one hour, and I did. It doesn't feel like I made a lot of progress in that time, but I'm sure I made more that I actually notice. At the moment I am playing Rondo Alla Turca (a well-known classical piece), arranging "Fearless" by Taylor Swift, and learning a lovely piece my teacher composed titled "May." I am also gaining experience with transposing (I learned a hymn in E flat, and now I have to transpose it to E - it's hard!!!), getting faster at scales, drilling the notes with flash cards, and learning lots of little secrets that make playing piano incredibly satisfying.
The piano is not the only instrument I play, though it's my best. I am also having a great time playing the viola in my school orchestra. I'm not exactly an incredible violist, but I have fun with it. For a while, I was learning a piano/viola duet with my mom that we were thinking of playing in church, but that will probably wait. We both have some advancing to do in the meantime.
Aside from actually playing instruments, I also listen to music played on them. Namely, classical. I have grown very fond of all sorts of classical music, and the main radio station I listen to nowadays is Classical 89.1. I love how peaceful it can be, but it can also be very powerful. I love that it never swears and isn't at all inappropriate, no matter how you look at it. It is so unique compared to all the popular music of today, which I sometimes enjoy, but not always. That's why I turn to classical music - I never get tired of hearing it.
Finally, the last aspect of music I enjoy is singing. Right now I sing in my church choir, which is very rewarding. I look forward to being part of it each Sunday. Besides that, I've written some songs and have performed vocally quite a few times throughout my life. I have also been in the Salt Lake Children's Choir, which was a fantastic experience but one that took a lot of time and commitment. I took voice lessons years ago when I was almost too young to remember, but since then I have just enjoyed singing whenever I decide to do so.
So, that is basically all the music I'm really into; for the most part, it's classical. But don't get me wrong - I still love many of the more popular songs on the radio. I love participating in dances, where it is a lot of fun to get into the music with all my friends. However, I'm not one that loves listening to that kind of stuff all the time. I always return to the more peaceful, instrumental side of music.
Right now, the piano is the musically related subject that matters the most to me. Some days, it can be really tough to practice; there are times I hardly touch it. But when I do, it is very rewarding. Today I decided to practice for one hour, and I did. It doesn't feel like I made a lot of progress in that time, but I'm sure I made more that I actually notice. At the moment I am playing Rondo Alla Turca (a well-known classical piece), arranging "Fearless" by Taylor Swift, and learning a lovely piece my teacher composed titled "May." I am also gaining experience with transposing (I learned a hymn in E flat, and now I have to transpose it to E - it's hard!!!), getting faster at scales, drilling the notes with flash cards, and learning lots of little secrets that make playing piano incredibly satisfying.
The piano is not the only instrument I play, though it's my best. I am also having a great time playing the viola in my school orchestra. I'm not exactly an incredible violist, but I have fun with it. For a while, I was learning a piano/viola duet with my mom that we were thinking of playing in church, but that will probably wait. We both have some advancing to do in the meantime.
Aside from actually playing instruments, I also listen to music played on them. Namely, classical. I have grown very fond of all sorts of classical music, and the main radio station I listen to nowadays is Classical 89.1. I love how peaceful it can be, but it can also be very powerful. I love that it never swears and isn't at all inappropriate, no matter how you look at it. It is so unique compared to all the popular music of today, which I sometimes enjoy, but not always. That's why I turn to classical music - I never get tired of hearing it.
Finally, the last aspect of music I enjoy is singing. Right now I sing in my church choir, which is very rewarding. I look forward to being part of it each Sunday. Besides that, I've written some songs and have performed vocally quite a few times throughout my life. I have also been in the Salt Lake Children's Choir, which was a fantastic experience but one that took a lot of time and commitment. I took voice lessons years ago when I was almost too young to remember, but since then I have just enjoyed singing whenever I decide to do so.
So, that is basically all the music I'm really into; for the most part, it's classical. But don't get me wrong - I still love many of the more popular songs on the radio. I love participating in dances, where it is a lot of fun to get into the music with all my friends. However, I'm not one that loves listening to that kind of stuff all the time. I always return to the more peaceful, instrumental side of music.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas!
It's been a while, but I just wanted to share a poem I wrote this month. Merry Christmas!
Christmas Tree
Shiny strands of silver beads
Climb like hikers on a hill
They gracefully wind their way around
The branches they were made to fill
The orbs of glass so bright and bold
Hang like stars in the midnight sky
They fill the space left in between
The dense, dark foliage, low and high
Radiant lights of a shimmering sheen
Glitter like a city in the shadowy night
They ardently blaze through the dusky gloom
Glimmering, dazzling, gleaming so bright
Christmas Tree
Shiny strands of silver beads
Climb like hikers on a hill
They gracefully wind their way around
The branches they were made to fill
The orbs of glass so bright and bold
Hang like stars in the midnight sky
They fill the space left in between
The dense, dark foliage, low and high
Radiant lights of a shimmering sheen
Glitter like a city in the shadowy night
They ardently blaze through the dusky gloom
Glimmering, dazzling, gleaming so bright
Friday, September 24, 2010
NYC
A couple weeks ago I went on an amazing trip to New York City. As I can't remember all the details, I'll inform you through some edited journal entries. Enjoy!
Friday, September 3, 2010
The airplane ride last night went well. After writing the day's journal entry, I read and then listened to the radio until the signal was lost. Then I actually managed to sleep for maybe three hours. When we reached the airport, we took a cab to my mom's aunt and uncle's apartment. After they showed us around and we chatted for a while, we slept for another three hours on a king-sized bed. I had never had less of a desire to get up before then, but my mom wanted to get going and not waste a day in New York sleeping. I agree with her.
We rode on the subway down to the World Trade Center. For a few hours following lunch, we shopped at a gigantic store called Century 21. I got a few shirts there, and some shoes when we stopped by Payless. We also spent a lot of time at a very cute store with stylish clothes and accessories called Strawberry. I got several headbands and a super cute hat there. Finally, we went to a sparkling shop called Gem Story and got some jeweled necklaces. I took tons of pictures, of the apartment and of the city. Besides meals and shopping, we wandered around, checked out the church, and spent some time in the awesome apartment. It really is cool here. But my feet are about to fall off and I’m exhausted, so that’s all I’ll say tonight.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Today was an amazing day. I can hardly wrap my head around it. The first thing we did was walk around in the Juilliard School of Music, Dance, and Drama, which was awesome. Then my mom’s friend and her two daughters came over and we spent a bunch of time with them. After we showed them around and chatted, we went to an adorable restaurant called “Alice’s Teacup.” We ordered “The Jabberwocky,” which consisted of beverages, scones, and unlimited sandwiches. Some of the sandwiches were good, and others weren’t my favorite – and the same with the scones. But it was still really fun, and they sprinkled us with glitter at the end. We all had a great time.
After a long, hearty lunch, we took a cab to Times Square. We went shopping at Forever 21 for a long time, though we didn’t get much. On the way back we stopped by “Pinkberry” and got tasty frozen yogurt. Then we went back to the apartment and hung out for a while – we went up on the roof of the apartment complex, took pictures, and relaxed. And finally, the big moment came.
My mom’s friend dropped us off in her slick BMW convertible (I want one!). We walked into the Gershwin Theatre, registered our tickets, found our seats and waited for the show to begin.
It was amazing; every bit of it was either a laugh-out-loud moment or a heart-wrenching part of one wildly wonderful, well-done, Wicked production. If you haven’t seen it, you have to. It was truly amazing, and I hope I will never forget it. I don’t think I will. Nothing I write here will do it justice – some things can’t be expressed in words.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
This morning we got up a little earlier than usual to go to church. It was a singles ward, though there were members there that wouldn’t normally be in a singles ward (like us). At the end, my mom and I chatted with an old friend from Vermont who is now a fairly famous ballerina living here. It was nice to see her again, after such a long time.
We came back to the apartment and hung out until my mom’s aunt and uncle came over. We talked for a good amount of time and then took the subway to a place where we waited in line for quite a while. Then we hopped on a ferry and rode over to Governor’s Island. We circled the island, but on the way we got ice cream, took pictures of the Statue of Liberty (on an island a little ways away), checked out some extremely weird art exhibits, and then ferried home.
For dinner we went out to a very nice Chinese restaurant, Shun Lee. I ordered sweet and sour pork (something I am used to and I know I like), and tried some new things from everyone else’s dishes. It was delicious.
My relatives said their goodbyes and left tonight – now the only time we have left in New York is tomorrow morning and part of the afternoon. And we’ll do whatever we want with that time.
Monday, September 6, 2010
My day started out in New York City and ended a few thousand miles away from there. Though we only had a few short hours left in the big city, we got a lot of stuff done – packing (a given), a quick walk through the peaceful trees of Central Park, a short trip inside the Museum of Natural History (which was really cool; I wanted to stay much longer than we did), brunch at the Shake Shack (which everyone has been talking about), some frozen yogurt from Pinkberry (coconut!), we picked up a really amazing treat at the Magnolia Bakery called “Blueberry Jamboree,” and traveled back to the airport. I read and slept a little on the flight home.
Was that a successful trip or what? I sure think so. I can’t wait to go back, either.
Friday, September 3, 2010
The airplane ride last night went well. After writing the day's journal entry, I read and then listened to the radio until the signal was lost. Then I actually managed to sleep for maybe three hours. When we reached the airport, we took a cab to my mom's aunt and uncle's apartment. After they showed us around and we chatted for a while, we slept for another three hours on a king-sized bed. I had never had less of a desire to get up before then, but my mom wanted to get going and not waste a day in New York sleeping. I agree with her.
We rode on the subway down to the World Trade Center. For a few hours following lunch, we shopped at a gigantic store called Century 21. I got a few shirts there, and some shoes when we stopped by Payless. We also spent a lot of time at a very cute store with stylish clothes and accessories called Strawberry. I got several headbands and a super cute hat there. Finally, we went to a sparkling shop called Gem Story and got some jeweled necklaces. I took tons of pictures, of the apartment and of the city. Besides meals and shopping, we wandered around, checked out the church, and spent some time in the awesome apartment. It really is cool here. But my feet are about to fall off and I’m exhausted, so that’s all I’ll say tonight.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Today was an amazing day. I can hardly wrap my head around it. The first thing we did was walk around in the Juilliard School of Music, Dance, and Drama, which was awesome. Then my mom’s friend and her two daughters came over and we spent a bunch of time with them. After we showed them around and chatted, we went to an adorable restaurant called “Alice’s Teacup.” We ordered “The Jabberwocky,” which consisted of beverages, scones, and unlimited sandwiches. Some of the sandwiches were good, and others weren’t my favorite – and the same with the scones. But it was still really fun, and they sprinkled us with glitter at the end. We all had a great time.
After a long, hearty lunch, we took a cab to Times Square. We went shopping at Forever 21 for a long time, though we didn’t get much. On the way back we stopped by “Pinkberry” and got tasty frozen yogurt. Then we went back to the apartment and hung out for a while – we went up on the roof of the apartment complex, took pictures, and relaxed. And finally, the big moment came.
My mom’s friend dropped us off in her slick BMW convertible (I want one!). We walked into the Gershwin Theatre, registered our tickets, found our seats and waited for the show to begin.
It was amazing; every bit of it was either a laugh-out-loud moment or a heart-wrenching part of one wildly wonderful, well-done, Wicked production. If you haven’t seen it, you have to. It was truly amazing, and I hope I will never forget it. I don’t think I will. Nothing I write here will do it justice – some things can’t be expressed in words.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
This morning we got up a little earlier than usual to go to church. It was a singles ward, though there were members there that wouldn’t normally be in a singles ward (like us). At the end, my mom and I chatted with an old friend from Vermont who is now a fairly famous ballerina living here. It was nice to see her again, after such a long time.
We came back to the apartment and hung out until my mom’s aunt and uncle came over. We talked for a good amount of time and then took the subway to a place where we waited in line for quite a while. Then we hopped on a ferry and rode over to Governor’s Island. We circled the island, but on the way we got ice cream, took pictures of the Statue of Liberty (on an island a little ways away), checked out some extremely weird art exhibits, and then ferried home.
For dinner we went out to a very nice Chinese restaurant, Shun Lee. I ordered sweet and sour pork (something I am used to and I know I like), and tried some new things from everyone else’s dishes. It was delicious.
My relatives said their goodbyes and left tonight – now the only time we have left in New York is tomorrow morning and part of the afternoon. And we’ll do whatever we want with that time.
Monday, September 6, 2010
My day started out in New York City and ended a few thousand miles away from there. Though we only had a few short hours left in the big city, we got a lot of stuff done – packing (a given), a quick walk through the peaceful trees of Central Park, a short trip inside the Museum of Natural History (which was really cool; I wanted to stay much longer than we did), brunch at the Shake Shack (which everyone has been talking about), some frozen yogurt from Pinkberry (coconut!), we picked up a really amazing treat at the Magnolia Bakery called “Blueberry Jamboree,” and traveled back to the airport. I read and slept a little on the flight home.
Was that a successful trip or what? I sure think so. I can’t wait to go back, either.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Back
Summer, as usual, got busy - I spent more time than I thought with my cousins at my grandparents' house, less time than I would have guessed doing Night Games, and tons of time practicing the piano, organizing my desk and other parts of my room, and thinking about school.
So, school is back in. It became astonishingly overwhelming incredibly fast. I was having a hard time keeping up with my practicing and spending hours on homework that I couldn't spare. Losing sleep and skipping meals and feeling half-dead all the time were some things that were happening, so my mom decided I had had enough. She talked to my guidance counselor and I've had a change in schedule - I'm no longer in the GT (Gifted and Talented) classes. They don't count for college and I personally think they are meant for those who would be bored out of their minds in a normal class, so they're just not worth it.
I'll still technically be in GT science (because it really isn't different from the core science class), but for history and English, I'm done. I'm excited to meet new people and be with some of my other friends that I haven't had classes with, but I'm really sad to leave those in my GT classes. I went all through seventh grade with them and was planning on going through eighth grade too - but it became too much. Maybe that's my fault for spending more time than needed on homework, or getting less sleep that I should have, or maybe it's a change that was meant to happen. Maybe I'm just not cut out for it, at least right now. But for all my friends I'm leaving - I'll miss you! And to my other friends that I may get to see more often - I'll see you soon!
So, school is back in. It became astonishingly overwhelming incredibly fast. I was having a hard time keeping up with my practicing and spending hours on homework that I couldn't spare. Losing sleep and skipping meals and feeling half-dead all the time were some things that were happening, so my mom decided I had had enough. She talked to my guidance counselor and I've had a change in schedule - I'm no longer in the GT (Gifted and Talented) classes. They don't count for college and I personally think they are meant for those who would be bored out of their minds in a normal class, so they're just not worth it.
I'll still technically be in GT science (because it really isn't different from the core science class), but for history and English, I'm done. I'm excited to meet new people and be with some of my other friends that I haven't had classes with, but I'm really sad to leave those in my GT classes. I went all through seventh grade with them and was planning on going through eighth grade too - but it became too much. Maybe that's my fault for spending more time than needed on homework, or getting less sleep that I should have, or maybe it's a change that was meant to happen. Maybe I'm just not cut out for it, at least right now. But for all my friends I'm leaving - I'll miss you! And to my other friends that I may get to see more often - I'll see you soon!
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