Chinese Language Fair

Our song was called "Jing Hua Ci"
by Jay Chou which is about a
 beautiful porcelain vase. 

Yesterday, April 17, 2014, I had to wake up at 5 o'clock in the morning to prepare for my Chinese Language Fair. (This is very similar to the Spanish Language Fair I went to last year.) Normally, I'd be fine waking up at 5 in the morning but this was during my spring break.. where I would have loved to sleep in and not worry about school. Anyways, I arrived at the school at 6:20 and had to practice my song with my group for the competition.

We arrived at the college where the language fair was taken place at about 8:00. At that time, we were just waiting to register for all the events and to start doing these events. I was unlucky and couldn't do a lot of the activities because my group insisted on practicing our song multiple times until it was perfect. (There was a lot of drama involved as well.)

My friend Summer and I managed to do some paper cutting activities and take a photo at the Great Wall of China though. I think my favorite part of the paper cutting activity was talking with the instructor. During the fair, we were only supposed to talk Chinese (which was difficult since I don't know a lot of Chinese) or else you would end up in "jail." Brooke, our paper cutting instructor, was so nice and spoke to us in English more than she should have. She was just so nice and had a friendly conversation with us (half in Chinese, half in English.) I think that if she wasn't so nice, we both would have been in "jail."

It was time for me to compete in my first competition. I had to recite a poem in Chinese and the judge would ask me questions on the poem. I recited "Jing Ye Si (静夜思)" by Li Bai and got a superior on it! (Ratings from highest to lowest: Superior, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Okay.) It was fairly easy and I was glad I practiced my tones. I am terribly at tones.

Jing Ye Si (静夜思)

After my accomplishment, we went back to do another activity. I chose to try the Singing Bowl out. I have never heard of it before in my life and it look so cool. You basically wet your hands and then rub your hands on the side handles of the bowl. If you do it just right, then the bowl will "sing." It's one of the coolest things ever.

Finally, it was time to compete in our singing competition. To be honest, we weren't as prepared as we could have been and not as loud as we could have been as well. Overall, we got an excellent on it.

I missed the awards ceremony except for the very end. Our school won for the sweepstakes. (All the competition ratings are compiled into points and you get a grand total.) At the end of the day, I had a really fun time but it was just an exhausting day. If our school decides to go again next year, then I will definitely go... even if it means taking part of my spring break again.

♥Petpet, who took a two hour nap once she got home yesterday

*Note: When I say "Chinese," I mean Mandarin. I can speak Cantonese, which is a different dialect from Mandarin. So when I say I don't know Chinese, I mean I don't know how to speak Mandarin.

**All photos belong to rightful owner. I do not own any of them.

Zombie Like Me

I have felt like a zombie this past few weeks. By zombie like, I don't mean my brain is half dead, I am constantly craving brains, or that I am walking irregularly. No I'm talking about me not being able to show facial expression... Like a zombie.

How did this all start? Well, it all started with me with an itchy eye. I started noticing that my eyes have been really irritated, especially my right one. At first, I thought that it was maybe just my dry contact lenses. Then it really started to irritate even without my contacts. My next instinct was that I might have symptoms of pink eye (which I've had before.)

A little after, I started to notice that my face was "swollen." I mean, when I rinsed my mouth on Tuesday (4th of February) night, I noticed that my lips weren't closing properly. When I smiled, the left side of my lips went to the side more than my right. My first instinct was that the left side of my face was just swollen because I smiled irregularly. Plus, the left felt puffier than the right.

My mom and I went to the doctor's office on that following Thursday to see about my "swollen" face. Turns out that it wasn't swollen but rather the right side of my face wasn't working properly. My eyes have been so dry because my eye hasn't been blinking properly. Half of my face was paralyzed with something called, "Bell's palsy." It wasn't a stroke or a brain condition. It was just my facial nerves are in shock and don't work very well. Why? The doctor isn't sure but it is probably because I caught a nasty virus while being sick. The virus got to my nerves and made half of my face paralyzed. So for the past week, I've been "sick" and trying to recover my facial nerves. (I had to take a steroid for 7 days to try and stimulate my facial nerves again.)

What just happened to me?!

It's weird having half your face not working. I tell my brain to smile and only half of my face responds. No matter how much I smile, I only get it half way. My face looks abnormal and unnatural. The first few days of Bell's palsy, I looked in the mirror and smiled. When you cover half my face, the left side is happy and cheerful while the other side is like an unresponsive blinking doll. IT IS SUPER CREEPY. If it was Halloween, then Bell's palsy would make me an amazing costume/Halloween effect. Sadly, that wasn't the case.

I get to wear an eyepatch at night... so that's kinda cool?

It's been about a week since I've been diagnosed with Bell's palsy and right now, I'm feeling pretty good. Not all of my facial nerves are back but at least I can smile a little bit. My eye is less irritated and dry but still not blinking properly. (It still looks extremely awkward when I show a lot of expression like frowning or laughing though.) It sucks having Bell's palsy but I'm slowing recovering and support from friends and family help me through.
♥Petpet

*Pictures belong to rightful owner.
Read more about a reporter's experience with Bell's Palsy

Lunar New Year 2014

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!

I hope everyone has great fortune and luck for the year of horse. The horse year is supposed to be good for many people.

So eat lots of yummy food, watch lion/dragon dances, spend time with family, and get lots of red envelopes this year!

Gong xi fa cai! (Gong hay fat choy!)

❤Petpet

(Sorry for such a short post. I will post more about my Lunar New Year once I have some free time from the festivities and schoolwork.) 

What we got for Christmas...

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas! I was so busy and lazy today that I yet again, posted when it's almost midnight! I stayed home all day and slept in, so there wasn't really much I did but relax. There just wasn't very much for me to do.

I did get to open my presents though. This is what I got:

I got clothes, make-up, perfume/lotion, paints, a pen, and The Piano Guy's Album. I have to say, it's not everything that I had on my wishlist but I'm happy with what I got. Warm clothes are always nice for cold winter days. Cute skirts are nice for when I'm feeling a little girly (as well as the make-up). I've been into piano and painting a lot this year so those are also perfect gifts!

Shiny Sun/Hannah Bunny got a couple of gifts too:

Shiny got a Kidz Bop Sing-a-Long microphone toy, a "Crazloom" bracelet kit, a kid's art kit, and a "Trio" tablet. The Kidz Bop toy was just something I found at the store that I thought she would like... I was wrong. I wanted to find Harry Potter/Pokemon stuff for her but it's impossible to find cheap items of those brands at stores now-a-days. The two art kits are for her to be creative since she loves to draw and make bracelets. (I should get her to post some of her drawings sometime.) And then of course, there's the "Trio" Android tablet. That has to be her favorite gift. (Now she no longer has to steal my iPod.) Shiny also got a few other small items such as ornaments and clothing.

One of our aunt/uncle gave the two of us a kit that is almost the exact same as the "Crazloom" kit our other aunt/uncle gave to Shiny. Well, great minds think alike, right?

I also got little presents from my friends and our neighbors which were delicious. (Chocolate, banana bread, and popcorn galore!)

So that was my Christmas. I was originally going to get an iPad but I really didn't want it. My mom has been asking for an iPad for almost a year now, so instead, I gave it to her as a surprise. I am happy for what I got and I don't want any more electronics than I need. Sure, it would be nice to play on Xbox and Playstation but sometimes, it's nice to have little gifts that will make me happy then play games all day. (I already do enough of that on the computer.)

I hope you all had a great day or a Merry Christmas! (Depending on whether you celebrate it or not.)

♥Petpet [and Shiny Sun... kinda]

Christmas Eve Joys

Today has been a good day. A lot of good thing has happened. 

•Visit from a few neighbors: A tradition in our neighborhood is to give gifts for people on your street (or just your closest neighbors.) We already delivered our gifts but there were a couple of neighbors who came to our house to give gifts. I just love seeing all these small presents from my neighbors. Even if we aren't super close to each other, it's nice that we are all a community. So it was nice to get little treats from our neighbors. :)

•"New" neighbors: On one of the neighbors that dropped by our house today were familiar faces. Except, the last time we saw them, they didn't live 2 houses down the street! Today, my childhood guy friend who lived only a few blocks away, became my next door neighbor (well, almost next door neighbor.) I was surprised to hear that because I thought that I would never be able to see him again after I left our neighborhood elementary school. Now that he lives two houses down, I can no longer avoid him. I just hate that he had to see me looking my worst (messy hair, glasses, bad outfit, etc.) Not a good impression.

•Visit from an old friend: My mom's friend came over with her 4 boys today and they were happy to see us. They are the cutest boys ever. It was just nice to see them after 6 months.

•Visit from my Aunt Lisa and Uncle Minh: Right when I thought we couldn't get more visitors, we got one more visitor before leaving for the Christmas party. My aunt and uncle came and dropped off presents for ShinySun and me.  It was nice to see them before Christmas. I don't see them enough.

•Christmas party with the family: I had a Christmas party at my cousin's house (Uncle Loc's house) and it was so much fun. Sure, I didn't do much but it was nice to hang out with family. The adults had a gift raffle and it was amazing. Not only did people get good stuff but others got bad stuff... Like underwear and dog toys. It was a priceless moment. My mom got a cute little towel cartoon thing and it was adorable. I am typing this at the party because I know that I won't get home until after midnight... So yeah. The party was so much fun but it was exhausting.

I hope you all had a nice Christmas Eve! I sure did. I'll be sure to post my Christmas stuff in a couple of hours. Goodnight for now!

❤Sleepy Petpet

P.S. Sorry if the text is different. I typed I from my iPod Touch notepad.

The Wonderful Wiz

The Original "The Wiz"

On Thursday, November 21st, I went to see my high school production of "The Wiz." I usually don't watch live productions because they aren't cheap. (When they are though, I am all over for the production!)  "The Wiz" is a production of The Wizard of Oz. It's not any version of "The Wiz." It's the "soul version" of the Wizard of Oz!

I really enjoyed the show. The cast did well. Not only was there a lot of good music and dancing, but there was also a lot of good humor and acting. The main leads did an amazing job portraying the characters. I loved all the characters-- Including the Wicked Witch of the West.

As I watched Dorothy and her new friends travel on the yellow brick road to the Emerald City, I felt as if I were on the adventure with them. I was always hoping for the Lion to gain his courage, Tin man to gain his heart, and scarecrow to gain his brains. It was also a little nostalgic because I always remembered being afraid and also loving The Wizard of Oz when I was little. It just kind of made me happy to see everything I watched as a kid on TV, coming to life by mypeers.

Dorothy's slippers were originally
silver until the 1939 movie of The
Wizard of Oz made the slippers ruby
to take advantage of "Technicolor."

I went to not only watch the production, but to also support my friends who are in the musical! Although they didn't have any lead roles, they did an amazing job as part of the chorus. They spent days after school rehearsing for the musical. Even if they have small roles, they change the mood of the auditorium quickly. I
was so proud to see them perform.

♥Petpet

P.S. I feel that my favorite character now has to be Lion and Tin Man. I never really liked them until I saw them on stage. The actors portrayed them so well that I fell in love with them. (I also fell in love with the Good Witch of the South: Addaperle. She was so optimistic and quirky that I loved her. Glinda used to be my favorite witch but that might have changed....)

Pictures belong to rightful owner!

Hallow's Eve 2013

Happy Hallow's Eve everyone! (Or Halloween if you prefer it.) I hope you had a good Halloween if it ended for you already! If not, I hope you are having a good one so far!

How's my Halloween been? It's been pretty decent. I saw a whole bunch of costumes at school today but not too many. I saw a Slenderman, couple of cross dressers, a Minecraft creeper, couple of Mary Poppins, lots of animals, couple of superheroes, vampires, a lot of video game characters, and more. I didn't wear my pirate costume because I didn't feel like wearing it all day and I'm afraid of getting it dirty. 

Even though I have a costume, I'm not sure if I'm going trick-or-treating because my it's going to be weird going with my little sister and our neighbors... Who are all younger than me. I guess I haven't grown out of trick-or-treating yet so might as well while I can? I'll see.

Even if I don't go trick-or-treating, I still have a Halloween party with my new neighbor! That's still something to look forward to. The only problem with Halloween is that teachers still expect you to do all your homework. So I have to get as much homework done before the party... Which is going to take awhile. Why can't we just have a day off after Halloween? That would just make everyone much happier.

Anyways, enough of my rant. I hope that you guys all have/had a good Halloween! I haven't gotten a good scare this Halloween but I might later tonight... Stay safe and eat lots of candy! (Especially your favorite candies.)

♥Your pirate girl, Petpet

Homecoming 2013

So if you read my post last week asking whether I should go to homecoming or not... This is a continue of it.(Click here to read it if you missed it.)

As you probably figured, I went to homecoming yesterday! (Thank you RedWing for your feedback. I took your advice and the advice of all my other friends.) It was different from my middle school dances for sure. I mean, at my old school, the dances had about 60-70% middle school going and it was only from 5-7PM. Homecoming was similar but there was only about 20% of the school that went and the dance was from 7-10PM. Plus, there was a formal dress-code which I NEVER had with my other dances.

I went to homecoming with a group of friends. We had "dates" but some of them were unofficial and we mainly stayed as a big group. It ended up being uneven however because one of the girls couldn't go last minute. (So we had one "bachelor" in our group.) It was really fun going as a group. We just messed around, danced awkwardly, and had crazy fun. Even on some of the slow songs, we tried to have some fun.

When we weren't in a group, we were dancing with our dates... but that only happen a couple of times. My "date" was my guy friend G. He never asked me to go with him. It was just a pairing my friends did for us... But none of us opposed so I guess it was okay.

Last night was the first dance I've ever had with a guy. (Dances where I was forced to be paired up don't count.) I know it's really really late for me to have my first "couples" dance but I was never popular in middle school. Plus, none of the guys had the guts to ask me to dance with them. :P Either way, I would never imagine that my first dance would be with a guy like G. He's not the type of person, appearance wise, that I would dance with when two years ago but that doesn't matter because he's so sweet. ^_^ 

Homecoming was truely an amazing experience. My feet hurt like crap from dancing in heels but it was worth it. I got to have a fun time, meet some new people, get some more exercise, and dance with my friends.

It's been a month of high school and I'm already getting a group of friends... I guess I owe it to my social friend though.

Until next time,

♥Petpet who's surviving high school

Brace Face, No More!

After almost 3 years of wearing braces, I finally got them off! You have no idea how excited I was when I heard I no longer need braces.

I really like braces because they straighten my teeth but it's painful when they have to be tighten it. Taking care of my teeth and braces was a pain (very hard to floss.) 

So now that I have my braces off, I can finally floss without taking a decade! I mean, I still have to wear retainers but that's different. It's not as painful as braces and not as distracting.

So now I have straight teeth and no braces! Thank you mom and dad! 3 years paid off. Now it's time for me to get rid of all my extra elastics from the orthodontist.

❤The smiling Petpet 

A Day at the Lake

I am so sore. Why? You might ask.

Well... Let's just say I held on for my dear life for minutes at 20-25 miles per hour on an inflatable tube.... That's right. It went tubing.

Yesterday, it was a special holiday for my state because that's when it first became an official state of America. Like most families, we went to the lake to enjoy ourselves. My uncle has a boat and invited all of the nieces and nephews (so Shiny Sun, my cousins, and I) to go to the lake on their boat. It's a nice boat but it's not as big as my other uncle's, which is just fine. We spent there the entire day. At first, it was cloudy and windy so no one wanted to go on the tube. So, my cousin drove us (he's the same age as me but could drive the boat with an adult watching him.)

 Our tube looked liked this one

Once we could start tubing, guess who had to go on first? This girl. This girl who hasn't been on a boat since she was 9. But this girl is one for adventure. So, I went on the tube first with my cousin-twice-removed. You have no idea how scared I was. I couldn't see anything because I couldn't have my glasses on and I had a hard time getting my grip. My "partner" fell a few times but I never did...

I went on a few times again and never fell off but after 10 minutes of holding on for dear life, I let go due to exhaustion and hurt knees. (My knees were skidding across the water and I couldn't do anything about it!) After the constant bruising, I had to let go and not go back on.

My little sister, Shiny Sun, actually went tubing too. She's a little girl but she can hold on to that thing like me. She kept riding over and over again and never wiped out. Not bad for a first timer. And she was actually having a ton of fun too.

Where all the burning happened

We all had to take turns riding the boat so some of us would be in the picnic area while the others were on the boat. And since there were a ton of teenage boys in our family, what did they do to keep from being bored? They played with fire. They put sticks into the hot charcoal and then pulled out those sticks and burn innocent bugs, write on the cement, or melt things. I swear, they are all pyros.

Either way, I had a lot of fun spending time with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Boating was fun and so was tubing. Only problem is, I'm sore from holding for my life. At least I work my upper muscles. :P I'm not too happy about the bruised knees though.
♥Your sore Petpet

Tubing picture belongs to rightful owner!

Need for Speed

Yesterday was Shiny Sun's 11th birthday party.

We went to our favorite fun center. It has laser tag, XD theater, arcade, mini-golf, go-karts, and more. I've been there so many times that I know what's the best... and to be honest, my favorite has to be go-karts. We stayed there for about 5 hours (1 hour eat.) I had so much fun and too much adrenaline.

I went on the "bumper boats" about 2 times to beat the heat. The Go-Karts about 3-4 times and managed to pass people ahead of me. It was actually pretty fun. The constant wind in my face was refreshing and I just got to feel adrenaline. During my drives, I managed to do pretty well without being a jerk (unlike other people.)

At one point, there was a guy trying to pass me to catch up to his friend in front of me. I wasn't going to let him until I didn't turn sharp enough and he had the chance to pass. You know, I could have hit him in the back of his kart and not let him pass like a jerk... or I could've just stopped for a second and let him have his fun. You probably guessed which one I did.

Then some jerk girls aren't as nice as me. I was driving and was catching up to a 2 girls (they have passengers for the Go-Karts.) Anyways, I decided that I wanted to pass them so when I got the chance to, I got past them. Right when I was about to turn the next curb, they hit the back of me and turned me around the course. I had to wait until everyone else behind me could pass so I could make a U-turn back onto the course. They tried to do that with a few other people too... which was really stupid. I mean, just let me pass you for a second instead of making me spin out! They were teens so I'm not sure if they know how to drive. If they do, I just hope they aren't that wreckless.

All that Go-Kart driving made me crazy for speed... and that's not a good thing when I'm about to get a driver's permit soon. I'll get over it soon though.
~~~~~~~~
Aside all that, Shiny Sun had a great birthday party. She got to hang out with her closest friends and celebrate her birthday. We also got to hang out with our cousins and just have a good time.

Her birthday isn't until the 26th but it's always worth the celebration! So happy birthday little sis! (You'll get your present on your actual birthday.)

♥Petpet

A Day in the Spanish Language Fair!

¡Hola mis amigos y amigas!

This week, I went on a fabulous trip to a foreign language fair! (Thursday, to be precise.) Okay... maybe it wasn't fabulous but it was pretty fun.

The day started off at 5:30 in the morning. It may seem pretty late for some people but for me, it's really early (I am NOT a morning person.) I ate breakfast and packed up for the long day ahead. Then I left the house at 6:05 to go to the train station. Our school tends to travel on different forms of transportation. Instead of taking a school bus or just a bus, we go to the city electric train or take the train.

This was the first year we took the train. I've been on the electric trains for many years. The difference between the trains was size, speed, and quality. I mean, the Wi-fi there is great, the seats are comfy, there are tables, double deckers, and wall plugs so you can charge your device after a long day... That is why I like the train more than the electric train.

So, we had a long 40 minute train ride and then another 10-15 minute bus ride to the Spanish language fair. We attended an open ceremony around 8:00 and then went to do our Spanish improvs. It was in a completely different building so we did some walking in the brisk cold air. We all signed-up and waited for our turns. The judges give different rankings for how well you did. From best to worst, you get Superior, Excellent, Very Good, and Good. We did the improvs (impromptus) and got excellents. (We weren't loud enough, I guess.)

Next, we had to do skits. By that time, it was about 9:30. I was part of the "Cinderello" (Cinder fellow) skit so, I had to participate. More waiting until we could enter. We performed and all three groups (there were two other groups that did "Capuerucita Roja" [Little Red Riding Hood]) got a superior!

Then we finally went into Españolandia. In case you were wondering what it is, Españolandia is an event the language fair puts up and it's a mock country. When you enter, all you can speak is Spanish. If you speak English, you go to "jail." So, we waited in a long line to enter. We went through la aduana (customs) to make sure I'm not carrying anything "illegal." Then we went to the el banco (bank) to exchange money for "pesos." I exchanged a $5 bill which gave me 50 pesos to spend. Then, we took el metro (it was just a little hallway) and then into Españolandia! The place was crowded with people. Our goal was to visit every station in an hour to an hour and half. We almost did but we ran out of time. We went around different places... such as the kisko, souvenir store, hotel, photos, and more. I wanted a sombrero as a souvenir but they ran out. There were no hats left when I went and that sucked. Sure, I didn't have any occasions to wear it but it's a sombrero!

We went to almost all of the places except the restaurant because it was a long line and we didn't have enough time. Some of the people there were really nice (one guy helped translate) while others were super strict. I almost went to "jail" once. :P

After being in a crowd of people, we went out and to the closing ceremony. There were no seats left so we ended up standing/sitting in the back. I was so tired after all the activities and Espanolandia so all I could do was think of ways to keep me up. I was trying pay attention to the ceremony but it was difficult with all the people talking. At one moment, I happened to tune in and I thought I heard my school's name being called for 1st place. Turns out, I was right.

We won a trophy for having the most "points" within all of the middle schools. It felt good to beat so many schools... even if we didn't know what it was for in the first place. We didn't even know that we could win one and got first place! Our school is just that awesome.

Next we went for lunch. I got Jamba juice.

It was 1:00 and we boarded the bus to aboard the train. I was unlucky and ended up having to stand and near some girls that I absolutely hate. (They always get on my nerves when I see them because of their attitude.) So, that was torture. Once I got on the train though, all I could do was try to relax but not fall asleep.

So, that was my long day! I love learning about different cultures but learning a new language isn't easy. Now I have to go write a 1-page reflection on it.
♥Petpet

Prayers for Boston Bombing

So you know that I always like to keep my blog updated on world/country events. Today, April 15, 2013, was another one of these events.

It's been all over the news so you've probably already heard... but in case you haven't there were 3 bombs that went off today. 2 bombs went off during the Boston Marathon and 1 explosion in the JFK Library. Then there was a rumor that there was another bomb somewhere but they were able to stop it before anyone was harmed.

It's scary to think that this could happen. I mean, the Boston Marathon is huge. It's been going on for years and has never had a threat or attack... until today. The 1st bomb went off at about 2:50 PM Eastern time and then the 2nd one went off 10 seconds after not too far away. It was right near the finish line too! The finish line... where family and friends were waiting for their runner(s) to cross the finish. It's such a horrible thing to happen.

During those bombings, 2 deaths occur but with 100+ injured. I only found out recently but one of those deaths was a little 8-year-old boy. To find out that a child was killed for supporting someone he loves... that's horrible! Along with that young boy, many other children were injured and were taken to the hospital.

There were people who actually got the bombings on video. I watched it an almost burst into tears. I just cannot believe what happened and all I can think about is the people. Why did it happen to those people? Why did it have to happen? Why, why, why?! Everything is so traumatizing. I still cannot believe it happened. So, in case you are curious, I will show you the video.

WARNING: This following video is not for all audiences. Please watch at own discretion.

In the articles and news reports I've heard, the scene was not pretty. There was blood everywhere and limbs in various places. I cannot even begin the thoughts going through my head when I hear that... And to think that this all happened during a sporting event.

Those who didn't finish the marathon were stopped.

For now, officials aren't sure who to blame but they think it may have been a terrorist attack. The White House went on lockdown for that and many other places are well aware of their surroundings. I just can't believe this happened. Finishing a marathon is supposed to be a great achievement. Thousands came to run and thousands came to support. Then, when the winners have already crossed, people wait for their loved ones to cross and then the explosions happened. I mean, a whole marathon was ruined because of that. I mean, many others crossed but those who weren't in the front of the crowd had to be stopped. So many
things were wrong with the attack... I mean, CHILDREN were in the crowd and they were injured. Whoever did this... I cannot forgive. I can not forgive a human for causing dreams to die and on such an occasion... but that's terrorism.

The explosion at the JFK Library is still being investigated but no one was hurt. Officials say it was a fire and it is most likely unrelated to the bombing. Still... to have 3 main events happen in just one city is scary....

So, for all those injured people and families, I pray that you will be safe. America is here to support.
♥Petpet

Day of Love

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

From my love to you, I give you... COOKIES.

They aren't real... but still. =D

Anyways, I had a pretty good Valentine's Day. Not that I did much... Since I don't have a boyfriend, but friends are great too.

Speaking of friends, I feel so horrible! A whole bunch of people gave me Valentines/candy/sweets, and I didn't give them anything! I feel like an awful person now because these friends deserve something sweet. >.< Now I have that guilt ever time I eat the candy. 

But these people I've met are the sweetest. I mean, look at this pic!:

That rose? It was probably the nicest Valentine I've received so far. No, it's not from a secret admirer. It's from a special duo. At our school, we have Valentine Grams (which are basically "you order, we deliver") and I happened to get one. It was from "Force of Habit & Hershey" (Sorry Nom, I told you wrong.) which was none other than my guy friends, Dan and Jake. They ordered every one of their gal friends a rose. I thought that was so sweet! It must have cost them a fortune to get that many roses! (I am going to miss them so much when we depart for 9th grade. ;_;)

The cupcake was made by my friend, Taylor (the girl). It's so cute that I had to take a picture before I devoured it. (It was super yummy.) I also received a whole bunch of candy and chocolate from my other friends. (That's where all the guilt came in. >.<)

To be honest, I never really liked Valentine's Day because there's just people getting high off of sugar and couples everywhere. Maybe when I'm in high school I might like Valentine's Day more but for now, I'll just have to enjoy the candy.

It's such an unhealthy diet but...

Anyways, I hope you had a great day with your special someone!
If not, I hope you had a good day of stuffing yourself with candy!

♥Petpet, who is missing someone special... while eating chocolate.

Lunar New Year 2013

Happy Lunar New Year, everyone! (Also known as Chinese New Year.) 2013 is the year of the snake so that means that you'll need steady progress and attention to detail. So focus and discipline will be necessary for you to achieve your goals!

I've been so excited for this day to come (it's one of my favorite holidays) but the preparation has been gruesome. Last week, we had to go to temple to thank the Gods (Buddha, Quan-Yin, etc.) for granting our prays and giving us a good year.

Then for the rest of the week, we cleaned the house and bought things we needed for the New Year. (Most of the things we bought was food though.)

FUN FACT: When the new year comes, it is best for the house to be clean as if the house was new. It's also the time when people get new clothes. ^^

On the day before New Years (yesterday), we had to pray that god will keep us healthy, safe, and bring a good year. We also had a good feast of foods that are to bring good things in the upcoming year. Then, later at night, we went to 3 different temples to pray for the new year and receive red envelopes and more fruit.

We don't usually go out to the temples but this year, it was crucial for my mom to. Why? Well, it's the year of the snake and my mom's Chinese Zodiac is a snake. When the year is your zodiac, you are going to have tougher luck. Next year is crucial too (because it's my dad's year.)

Anyways, our trip to the temples was interesting. The weather was not good at all. It was snowing for most of the day and also most of the night. It wasn't too heavy but it was still snow. The snow made driving really slow and it was a very hazardous trip. We were gone for about 3-4 hours at night in snow. Let me tell ya, in times like this, you've got to expect a few car crashes, slick roads, and even drifters. In less than an hour of our car ride, we saw one car turn 260 degrees. It was pretty scary to watch. Luckily, the driver didn't crash into anything and there weren't many cars around. Then, on the highway, there was a total of 5 cars on the side that seemed to have crashed. Later, we also saw a car crash occur at an intersection. It was small but it was still a car crash.

The third temple was probably the best visit out of all of them because we actually did something that was worth remembering. We arrived at 11:06 PM and the ceremony was already starting. This was a Vietnamese Temple so I couldn't understand a single word they said. What they did was recite from the "bible" and the people had to stand there as they recited. I managed to go through it all the way without tiring but I almost fell asleep (It was almost 11:30 at that point.) Luckily, there was a really loud drum and gongs to wake me up near the end of the ceremony! Plus, there was firecrackers and fireworks (scaring away the old year) to get my energy up!

We didn't get home until about one o'clock but it was worth the long trip.
It was a very long day but I'm so pumped for the year of the snake! Gong Hay Fat Choy!

♥Petpet

Pictures belong to rightful owners

Happy 2013!

It's 2013 now... Another year has passed!

Man, I have wasted so much of my time. xD Everything seems so long ago yet, time flies too fast.

Let me start off by reminiscing of what happened here:

• I posted one fashion tip. (Whoops. Totally forgot the rest of the year.)
• I entered in my first science fair!
• Reviewed 4 books: Demon Princess, Wild Magic, Princess Academy, and Hunger Games Triology
• Had to apologize twice three times for not posting. ^^;
• Came back from a "fishing trip."
• Proved that I was an anime freak.
• Reblogged 50 Posts to Do Before You Turn 18 which is now the most popular post here at Petpet's Room/Hideout! (Thanks Selena!)
• Took care of three baby girls.
• Got excited for summer (plus a special day)
• I got sick during summer.
• Recaped a few episodes of AGT (then stopped.)
• Went on vacation! (Part 1, 2, and 3.)
• Combined Speedy Wing's Hideout
• Got to 5,000 visitors!
• Started 9th grade
• Got asked to fight some evil do-ers
• The Captain joined the blog.
• Got Gangnam Style Fever
• Captain Busy Seagull wrote about his adventure to space and Poptropolis Island. (Part 1, 2, and 3.)
• Went to Hawaii. (Still working on the post!)
• Captain's birthday = day of Mach 1s
• Danced to macarena and cha-cha
• 12/12/12
• Gave blessings to Newtown
• Reported shaking in Poptropolis

Whew! That was quite a lot. I guess there were a few highlights here at Petpet's Room/Hideout after all!

There's so much that happens in one year, it's hard to sum it all up. I have to say though, the best few moments of the year was Gangnam Style reaching 1 billion views, the U.S. presidential election, and the "mission to Mars."

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So, when it's a new year, it's time for resolutions! I made some last year so let's see if I accomplished them!

Well, I have a couple of New Year Resolutions for school, home, and of my blog. First on the list, school. My resolutions are to keep my 4.0 GPA this year, do my schoolwork and important projects before instead of last minute, write in my planner more (I've been slacking lately), and pay attention more in class.

4.0 GPA? Check!

Schoolwork and projects before? Not really....

Write in my planner more? Er... Kinda?

Pay more attention in class. Pretty much... there were a few times though...

Overall:

For home, I want to be a better helper. Maybe help around the house more with taking out trash, sweeping the floor, vacuuming, and other chores. I could also keep my room clean (I'm clean but sometimes, I need to clean up a bit) and get along better with the family.

Eh. I kinda did that and slacked other times. So...

As for here, a resolution is to post way more.

Well, I posted more than I did in 2011! So...

Now, time for my new resolutions!

• Live life
• Keep up my grades
• Be more social
• Help out my parents more
• Try to not come online when I have homework (this is gonna be a tricky one)
• Improve my music skills
• Post more
• Make the world a better place
• Try new things
• Become a bigger Otaku

I'll probably forget these resolution in the next month... But, oh well! I can try this year.

Either way, even if it's a new year, it's still another day in life so keep living!

♥ Petpet

(Otaku moment: the saddest part this year was Sword Art Online ending! It was a beautiful anime...)

Pictures belong to rightful owner

Blessings for Newtown, Connecticut

You've heard it... Or you haven't.

On December 14, 2012 at about 9AM, one of the worst school massacres started. The results? At least 27 dead, 20 of them were children. The story... I don't even know where to start.

All I have to say is... bless those families who lost their loved one during the massacre. And for those adult heros, thank you for saving so many children while risking your own lives.

A moment of silence, please....

Those were just a few of the pictures in dedication of those who died on Friday. After the news was spread, President Obama made a speech about it. There were times where he wiped a few tears too...

But what really touched me, wasn't the speech. It was the actions America did after. We became a nation and everyone grieved for those in Newtown. It was a terrible disaster and everyone prayed for those that were in the shooting.

All over the nation, flags were put to half-staff in honor of those 27 victims. Even days after the event, we still grieve for and with them. This event reminds us of the children. They may not always be the best but they are innocent and they mean very dear to us. I'm only a teenager but if I were to hear such a thing happening to my little sister, I would feel horrible.

It's not only those that died we have to honor. We also have to honor those brave elementary kids and the teachers. Those teachers were in a very deadly situation but they still tried to keep the class silent and hidden. Some of the teachers that died were brave enough to face the shooter and protect the children.

The children... some of them watched their best friends die that day. Something like that... doesn't come easy. They were so brave to be in such a horrific scene. Then there were those hiding, scared. They were trapped inside their classrooms, closet, bathroom, where ever. They heard gun shots piercing through the hallways and each second, they hope that it won't be them next and they won't have to be like this. Those children are so brave to be able to go through that...

Out of all the shootings we've had this year, this one (in my opinion) was the worst. Why? Because it involved the death of 20 innocent children... all from ages 5-8. They had a whole future ahead of them. Graduation, love, marriage, children of their own.... They still had the whole world to explore.

That's why the government is taking action. Of course, there is a huge debate on if we should or shouldn't change gun control... It's gonna take awhile for a decision though.

Either way, Newtown, here at Petpet's Room, I give you prayers and blessings. This terrible thing could've happened to anyone, any town... but it happened to be yours. =(

My dearest regards to the angels and their families...

♥Petpet

All pictures were found on Facebook and belong to rightful owner