Where I be...

My life has been very casual these past few days. My mom is finally home, and Im loving having her back! It makes such a difference to have her here... Her being gone for 4 months is SO not ideal... Also, school is very easy going! Such a blessing... I would shoot myself if I had to do the same amount of work I did last year. It is so much easier to pace yourself... I recommend it! Don't try to get everything done at once. Take note to that whole cliche saying: "Take one step at a time." I really believe in that now :P

Well, it is exactly 3 months to my 18th birthday. I will finally be considered an adult! That is the legal age for chinese drivers too, so maybe I'll get a chinese license. That would be so cool! I feel so old saying that I'm going to be 18, let alone being a senior. But man, it feels good to move on in life. I cant wait to get out of here and start a new life, where my past wont haunt me every day...

中文是不好。很难！我不喜欢我的老师。。。我要我的古老师！他很好！我想他！但是，我最喜欢说中文。所以，我还在学中文。(Chinese is not good. Its very hard! I don't like my teacher...I want my old teacher! He is very good! I miss him! But I really like speaking chinese. So I am still studying chinese.)

Well, tata for now!

A Beautiful Day in Beijing :)

So I realized I have only written pessimistic stories on here... How could I?? I really am not a pessimist. I promise... I am a happy person :) And I am going to prove it!

Today was not only gorgeous, it was Friday, the day that is always counted down to for 4 days at the start of the week. I had study hall first so of course I got to sleep in, and I woke up to the sun shining into my room with bright, clear blue sky and the wind blowing in the trees. I dont know about you, but I love the wind blowing aspen leaves. It is so gorgeous the way they glisten as they flap back and forth. Aspen leaves are an example of a whisper in the wind. That is really what it sounds like if you close your eyes and listen to leaves waving at you, trying to get your attention. This is what I woke up to this morning, and that is a great start to the last day of the week :)

I cleared up my fight over college with my dad, and things are good again. We are still looking at all options. Classes were great today, because we just worked on projects in literally all of my classes today. I also really love English class, and I had that today. Rugby was after school, and in this great weather, it was hard to not enjoy!! I then played some more rugby with my sister, Marissa, Stephen, and Matthew. We got tired of that pretty quickly, and went to eat at the Iron Horse Saloon. Great place to get some mexican food, just for future reference. After, went home, watched a movie and "sleeping over" in Marissa's room :P Such a great day! Gotta love life.

College...?

So excitement was running through my body as I was filling out an application for ASU. I was excited because it was easier than I thought, and I was finally getting something done for my college life, and early too. I go to fill out the last page and pay the application fee (which I needed my Dad for) and that is when my excitement dissipated.

I told my dad the application fee, around $50 ( I think? ). He goes into his lecture mode, as usual of course. I usually don't mind, but it really irritated me this time, because my "dreams" or anticipations were no longer right there.

"Community college is so much cheaper, and has the same education and classes. It would get rid of your general education for cheaper and then you can transfer to ASU." While that is all true and completely understandable, it's not what I wanted. I know we are told that what you want isn't always what is right... But I always imagined as a little girl that I would grow up and go to college with my friends. I also toured 6 college campuses this last summer (including Chandler Gilbert Community College), and narrowed my choices to ASU and UVU. No where else interested me. These two places felt right. Community College didn't seem like a place where I would fit in let alone enjoy myself. It isn't a good argument for why to not go to community college, but I just don't want to go there. Im usually the one saying not to spend so much money if there is an easier and cheaper way, but this time Im doing exactly the opposite...

So as my dad and I go back and forth in this little argument I start thinking, well I guess I just wont apply there at all. UVU is my top choice anyways, and so Ill just apply there and go there. But my dad crushed that opportunity as well. We had it all figured out this summer for if I attended UVU. I would take first semester off and work (due to out of state prices) and then start up second semester and take a summer semester, where I dont have to pay out of state. That way I would only have to pay one semester out of state, and have some work experience in before college to get a little bit of cash on the side. Now he changed his mind and said, only because now he is set on going to community college, that that might not even be attainable. Wow. Talk about having no choice...

It looks like for college I will be attending where my dad wants rather than where I want. His argument is more logical than mine and more attainable than mine. Here I come community college.

Studyhall

Yo. So today is the day of my first rugby game. I've only been playing rugby for 3-4 weeks and finally have a chance to show my new skills. I have played volleyball for the past 3 years, and it was time to try something new. My twin sister, Marissa, was a rugby goddess and the legend of their team. She has been trying to recruit me to play for years. I finally listened after she doesn't attend the school anymore, due to health problems. I regret not playing it before! It's the best sport ever and I recommend it to everyone!

I guess you might be wondering what day it is and if I have a life other than rugby now. Or not. But today is Wednesday. That means a short day of school. I had chinese first, and don't get me wrong, I love the language and love speaking it, but I hate taking the class... I think my teacher hates me and she has no mercy. I guess I am just used to all my chinese teachers being chill and letting me get away with things here and again. But not this years teacher. She is strict. Right now I am in senior privilege, which is study hall. Originally it was my spanish class, but I could not work with that teacher in that class. So I switched out after a year and will pick up spanish again when I go back for college.

Anyways, enough of complaining about my schedule! Its yet another polluted day in Beijing. Nothing new there... Its rare that you ever see a blue sky or sky at all. It is the most polluted place I've ever witnessed. Life is different this year. It is...empty? All of my friends I have made have moved away. (That's the life of an international student. You always have to make new friends.) You never know the true meaning of "friends come and go" until you live internationally and it happens every year. But then you get to know who your real friends are. They are the ones that stay in touch and ask "how you been?" every once in a while. I think living internationally is the best life for a kid and a teenager. Great experiences!

Ive been to Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, all around China, Hong Kong, and so may cities in places I never thought I would go! Its amazing! I love going to different places. I didn't have culture shock going to China, but I know I will have one going back to the states. I am so used to different cultures around me and what not. It will be differnet. I will be an outcast in my own country. Oh well, it makes for a new adventure :)

Well, my studyhall is over. Until next time, whenever that will be!