Category: Personal Writing

Through this period of my exchange year, I have experienced many different things like using public transportation daily what is not a normal thing for a teenager to do because of the danger and risks of using a bus or a train, many bad things could happen like getting robbed or kidnaped. Another thing that I’ve been doing that is making me learn is having to spend my own money and know how to manage it, what makes me more conscious about the prices of things and how we need to have a budget when going shopping and while doing groceries.

Another thing that for me has being really amazing for me its having neighbors of my age living close to me and we have to make one community that has harmony and we have to help ourselves doing daily tasks and respecting each other privacy and spaces, that is very important because I am living with a roommate what is a really nice experience because we are learning how to be respectful and organized in your own room because the space is not only yours now.

In general my time in Canada as an exchange student was great till now and I hope it will not stop being a nice experience that, I will remember forever that thought me many things like how to live in harmony with someone else, how to get a bus, how to get my own groceries and many more things.

Last night I watched Mid90s, an A24 movie. It was released in 2018 and directed by Jonah Hill. The story takes place in 1990’s Los Angeles and follows thirteen year old Stevie. Stevie is a decently pure and well mannered child who navigates his troubled home life with his boundary-lacking mother and his older brother who beats him. Stevie joins a new friend group he meets at a skate shop. The group consists of 4 boys not including Stevie. The story shows how the boys have their own ambitions and dreams but they are doomed to live little lives in poor neighbourhoods. The group acts very gang like, breaks many rules, rebels together, and runs from cops together. But they still care for one another and speak of the future and ambitions very often. This movie has been on my mind since I watched it. I really liked how realistically they portrayed teenage conversations. The way the movie captured acting out, living in complicated conditions and longing for a better reality simultaneously was realistic. The art direction for the movie was amazing and each scene was very well shot. The music chosen consisted of some great bands and their less popular songs, many of my favourites were included. Morrissey (from the smiths), The Pixies, and The Misfits for example. This movie definitely made its way up to my favourites. 

 

For this personal writing piece I have decided to write about the trip that I am going on Monday morning. On Monday at 3 in the morning my brother dad and I are going to meet my mom in Montreal and we are all staying there for a week. We are staying in Montreal for a couple days than going to old Quebec city. I am very excited for this †rip because i can learn more french than i already know and go to the ice palace. I think the thing i am most excited for is to go on a trip with my family and go to la grande roue de Montreal. My parents and I like to travel a lot and the reason we are going on this trip is because my mom leaves on Friday for a meeting in Montreal and so we decided to take a family vacation after her meeting. I think that this trip will be educational for me because I will learn a lot of history about old Quebec city. I am also excited to go to the airport and travel to a new place where I have never been before.

Do you recall my last PW? The one in Which I talked about my Summer PC Build? Well, over the few months of usage I have my own feedback and whether I recommend a PC like that (PC Specs Below)

As I mentioned above, I have had time to experiment on this Budget System; This was a tremendous upgrade from my old computer, which had a Core 2 Quad, a 17 year old CPU. Despite me not doing any serious intensive tasks, the age of the hardware was felt by me, as the computer had micro stutters, and ran at an average of 60 degrees Celsius. With the new Computer, I am rarely able to load it above 50% CPU Usage, and under load it barely hits 30 Degrees Celsius. Another thing I have noticed, is that Linux is a way lighter Operating System compared to Windows, meaning that an actual “Stress Test” would never cause any stutter. Considering the Applications and my PC usage in general, I am not able to use it to the fullest potential, unlike Windows Users. My computer is surely a bang for the buck, I mean; Custom built (By myself), has modern parts (GTX 1650 Super), and it came at a low cost (instead of $500 I had a trick that put the price down to ~$150). This, however, doesn’t mean that I can’t find a good use to this computer; The Xeon I use is clocked at a slow 2.2 GHz, however, its 6 Cores and 12 Threads make up for it, allowing me to watch 4K Videos without stutters and a comfortable 60 – 180 Frames per second in Benchmark Runs.

There are also some setbacks, as this Xeon has a low Clock speed, it causes stutters sometimes as it is not able to catch up to the GPU, however this is partly my fault, as Overclocking will cause instability of the CPU, and it won’t work as long as it will in stock. I also found that the Cooler can be a bit loud, considering it has 2 fans it is not surprising, however un-plugging 1 is not an option, as it may get toasty quick (underload). Turning down the RPM is impossible through BIOS as well; it seems like this one is kind of on me, however it should be mentioned any ways.

Lastly, I would like to reflect on my overall thoughts on ” The BEAST” (name given to it by me do to it’s loud roar when the fans spin). “The BEAST” is a wonderful computer, which I craved to have since I was little; Powerful to run any task thrown at it, and the inability to overload the system, I mean, it’s a true dream! However, this Computer’s CPU is meant to be a server CPU, so in the next couple of years, with the coming of newer and more recourse-taking applications and websites this machine may need a full upgrade. Using Linux on this machine has proven to be a smart choice, as it fills up only 1.5 GB of ram on the Desktop, leaving an additional 14.5 GB at my disposal. Unlike the basic Version of DDR3, ECC Ram finds and fixes mistakes in code, allowing for a more secured file transfer (essential safety measure in Servers). I should clarify, this RAM is a little slow compared to its successor, DDR4, which goes up to 3000 MHz (in comparison to its predecessor’s 1899 MHz). This setback is only clear when you use a DDR4 system under load and come back to DDR3.

In the end, I believe “The BEAST” is a computer which I theoretically do not need (as I do not use it fully), however, it is a nice space heater and and a good Multimedia station for movies/shows (perfect combo for Christmas Eve!). If I had Windows, I would be able to find out it’s limits in a day, however, it’s ability to surprise me every day allows for intrigue and expectation rise. To conclude this PW, I may not need this computer, but it is a great addition to my room, being a so called artifact which stands out (due to its roar).

(PC Specs:

Intel Xeon E5-2420v2, GTX 1650 Super, 16 GB DDR3 ECC (Error Correcting Code Memory), 500 W PSU, 256 GB SSD (I have a storage server, 256 GB for apps is plenty), X79 Chipset Motherboard, and Cooler Master double Fan Cooler; This computer runs Linux Mint 20.3 Cinnamon Edition: Total PC Cost: $150 (instead of the planned 500))

A few days ago, I decided to rewatch one of my all-time favorite movies: ‘The Dead Poets Society’ and rediscovered a quote that has stuck with me since. ‘Carpe diem’ which translates to ‘’seize the day’’, is a quote which plays an important role in the storyline and represents one of the main messages and central themes that the movie wants to deliver.

The Dead Poets Society is a story which follows a group of boys at a strict, elite boarding school, who, under the guidance of their ‘unorthodox’ English Teacher Mr. Keating, learn how to think for themselves. The phrase that Mr. Keating repeats throughout the movie ‘carpe diem’ had a big impact on me as well as the group of the boys in the movie. They began to learn how to break free from expectations, follow their true passions and most importantly, how to make the most of their lives. This made me think about my own life and how often I hesitate to take risks. Do I do what makes me happy or do I hold back because I’m scared? I strongly believe in ‘’living in the moment’’ even though it often gets lost or forgotten in the busyness and chaos of life. ‘Carpe diem’ or ‘living in the moment’ aren’t about being reckless but more about doing what makes you happy with confidence. I wish that more people could hear this and begin embracing each moment and memory they get to experience. Life is beautiful.

As I experience life living in Canada away from home, I find myself more grateful than ever for the support of my parents. Every day, they check on me to see how I’m doing, reminding me that I’m never truly alone, no matter the distance. The daily FaceTime calls with my dad have become something I treasure deeply. He’s truly my best friend. We spend hours talking about everything, laughing about anything, and having long talks that help me and motivate me in so many ways.

It’s deeply comforting and sweet to know that if I ever feel sad, my parents are the first people I can always reach out to. No matter what I’m going through, they’re there for me. I believe that this experience has made our communication even stronger. We talk more openly now, and I feel even closer to them despite the physical distance.

Being here is about making the most of this experience, not just for myself but for them as well. I know that my happiness is their happiness. I want them to see that I’m thriving and enjoying every moment so they never have to worry. They’ve done so much for me, and I want them to feel the love and appreciation they deserve. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their help, advice, and love.

To my mom, who always makes countless sacrifices for my well-being, and to my dad, who never fails to make me feel cherished. Thank you. I love you more than words can express.

Today Im writing about one of my closest friends I’ve made in Canada. If you’re reading this blog then you know her, therefore I’m keeping her name a secret (even though you could probably guess who I’m talking about). Even though I’ve only known her for a month or two, I feel a really close connection with her. I don’t know if its because we basically see each other the whole day or because we are really similar but I really enjoy spending time with her. She’s 15, about 5’4 and has red-brown hair.

Together we share a lot of laughs, even though I consider her jokes to be more like “dad jokes”, she’s still has a fun humour. She’s really like to style and braid people’s hair but I don’t let her touch main unless its to give me a massage. Her magic hands are truly one in a million!

As the year goes by, I hope we become even closer and wish to make more memory’s together.

It’s coming to an end for bird migration this season. A few weeks ago, was the biggest movement for species so, my parents and I went to East Sooke Park and hiked to the hawk watch spot. We arrived at the lookout around 8:00am and began scanning for songbirds and seabirds with our binoculars and scope. There were hundreds of California Gulls on the rocks and flying around the fishing boats, and hundreds Common Murres on the water. After a few hours, it had warmed a bit up, so we redirected our focus to the treeline. And fair enough, the raptors started appearing over the ridge. It was a calm day, and they showed beautifully against the white clouds. In the first hour we managed to see 63 Red-tailed Hawks, 44 Turkey Vultures, 16 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 14 Cooper’s Hawk, and the odd Osprey and Bald Eagles. All these raptors are trying to migrate south for the winter, but they must wait for the perfect weather to cross the strait (piece of ocean between Canada and USA). Especially the Turkey Vultures because they will not flap until they have crossed. They must get high enough and wait for the wind to blow in the right direction because attempting to cross as a group. They also travel the furthest. Some flying to southern USA, whilst others go as far as South America where they will spend the next five months before heading back north. As the day carried on, the cloud crept away from us making it more challenging to see the hawks against the blue sky. Over 200 Vaux’s Swifts were also migrating through, as well as over 300 Band-tailed Pigeons. That day, we saw a total of 48 species at that hawk lookout spot.

Earlier last week, me, my Dad, and my two brothers put together a plan to go visit my family in Northern British Columbia for Thanksgiving, and to go hunting as well. With this fourth trip of the year complete, I can happily say that I was able to go up to Smithers through each of the four seasons this year. Fall is really such a beautiful time to be up North, especially seeing all of the trees drop their leaves, along with the beautiful colours to show for it. This 1200km drive would take a total of 16 hours, including a ferry. It was so surreal seeing the sunrise and sunset during a single drive, and it really shows how vast and wide our province is.

With a couple early starts, we did the drive in one day, going both directions. This drive traverses through some of the most rugged and beautiful landscapes British Columbia has to offer, such as the Fraser Canyon, the Cariboo, and the Bulkley-Nechako. The trip went amazing, with lots of highlights, such as getting my first grouse this year, having my first Thanksgiving with my family in Smithers, being treated to a show of dancing Northern Lights the night I arrived, and having the ability to make my second annual fall trip, which I’m incredibly grateful for. We started our drive back home early in the morning, arriving back home late that night. After a full day of travelling, I looked through the photos in my camera roll as I came though the door at home and thought to myself “It all feels like a dream”.

On day 2 of being in Arizona I didn’t actually do that much. The most that happened during that day was me and my mom went over to the waterpark. The waterpark was pretty interesting, when I walked up to go to the waterslide there was a very tall cactus that my mom kept insisting, I take a picture of her next to. On day 3 of being in Arizona; me and my friend went to the mall. The mall there reminded me of Mayfair a little bit. But it was much bigger. There were also many more plants scattered around the mall than at Mayfair. The name of the mall was the Chandler Fashion Center. The first thing me and my friend did was go over to Zumiez to check out the clothes they had there. I tried to use my debit card to pay for it; but it did not work across the countries. And I was about to pay so I did not have time to fix it. I ended up having my mom giving me her credit card and just paying her the money back later. At Zumiez, I bought a shirt with a Mazda Rx-7 on it, and the other one had a Nissan. My friend did not buy anything because he did not want to spend too much money. After this, me and my friend went over to a diecast car shop, and we looked at some of the cars there. I saw one that said “1 in 5”, and mistakenly thought that it meant it was a 1 in 5 in the whole world. I only realized after I got home that it was a 1 in 5 in the set. The mall was honestly one of my favorite parts of the trip. But it only got better from there. To be continued in part 3…….

   

“Silent Hill: PT” was a video game published in 2014, and was later taken down. “PT” stands for playable teaser, and it was a one of a kind game. Throughout years, many would try to recreate this game, but nothing would ever compare to the original. I had never played it, but I played a very close remake of the game. It features a gameplay where you walk through the hallway of what seems to be a mansion, and you loop over and over again. as you progress, things start to happen, like the phone ringing, or the mannequin would start following you. I had played this remake in VR with my best friend Ryan, and it was a very… interesting experience. Now, he’d never admit it to you, but he was much of a scaredy cat during that game. To be fair, I don’t blame him. We took turns going in front of each other, walking down the hall, and at one point, the bathroom was open. I opened the door… it was dark, and when I looked in the sink, I could not begin to describe what I saw. In a few minutes, I’d leave the bathroom, and we’d continue. The piano would play, and there was a fridge tied to the very high ceiling by a rope. The fridge would swing, and you’d wonder why there was crying. A radio sounded once, about a crime, a husband who had shot his wife or something along those lines.

At one point, we couldn’t keep going down the hall, and we were forced to go upstairs. When we went up, we had gone through that hallway a couple of times, at one point, you could hear the piano being played downstairs. I had gotten very scared, and so had Ryan, so he made me go first down the hallway for the rest of the game. Soon, I began drowning out the noise by singing the Mario theme and dancing down the hallway. We looped again, and the closet door that was at the beginning of the hallway was slightly open, showing a small TV perched on a stool. I couldn’t go in the closet, and Ryan couldn’t care less, so he kept going. I, however, had stayed, and watched the TV. It featured a little cartoon man in 2D, walking down a white hallway, over and over, for a while. The TV glitched, an image flashed of the little cartoon man that was rather disturbing, and a figure came out from the side of the closet door, only to slam it shut in my face. Ryan didn’t believe me, I probably wouldn’t believe me too. We looped again, and the door at the end of the hallway was open, revealing a staircase into what seemed to be some sort of attic or upstairs room. Ryan had told me to go first, I had no objections.

I went upstairs, and he followed behind. There was crying, specifically from an infant, which could be found in a cradle across the room. When we looked into the cradle…

I had hid in the closet, and Ryan couldn’t see, but we eventually made it out of the room. We kept up our pace, and we looped again. As we walked down the hallway, a tree had crashed through the window, and the attic latch opened, a ladder falling down along with a basketball, which we had chased, if I remember correctly. Back to that room, we had to hide from a tall man with a shotgun, then we’d crawl through a boarded crawlspace full of spiderwebs, seeming to replicate a kind of ventilation. In the end that chase wasn’t worth the triumph, because he’d get you anyways, and he’d drag you away with his heavy weapon in hand, and it was at this point I had realized there was something much deeper. There was a rope, and he’d push you against and over the railing, and then something would close on you with the sound of screaming and a muted door slammed shut.

Something about being cold, and the silent sound of swinging.

Today I stared thinking about Cowichan Lake. I’ve been to Cowichan Lake a million times by now and I still love it. I grew up in Cowichan so my parents took me and my brothers there often (especially when my cousins come to visit). The last time I went was two years ago during the summer. That… was an experience. My cousin and I were begging my mom to take us to Cowichan Lake. We were very busy that day, but as a 13 year old I was very stubborn. My mom agreed, but only if we finished all of our chores before hand which we did. Once we were done, we packed everything that we will need. My dad was already in Cowichan for work reasons so we also packed his bag. I took my bag and put it in the trunk. We left for Cowichan.

When we arrived we first went to my dad’s worksite. It was really close to my old school so my brothers and I decided to roam around it for a bit and shared some memories about all the stupid things we did there. When we actually went to Cowichan Lake I checked the back of my mom’s car and saw only my cousin and my bag. I looked at her and she looked at me. I asked her if she put the other bags in the trunk and she replied by saying she thought that I PUT THEM IN!!!

“DO YOU NOT HAVE EYES?! I SERIOUSLY PUT MY BAGS BEFORE YOURS!!! WHY WOULD YOU THINK I PUT THEM?!”
“BRO I DON’T KNOW MAYBE ‘CAUSE I TOLD YOU TO!!!”
“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT I FREAKING TOLD YOU TO PUT THEM IN!!!”
We went on and on and my mom was getting mad at me. My dad (being the best person to ever exist) calmed everyone down along with saying that whatever happened happened, and we should just make the most of it. I honestly felt bad, but decided to go in the water anyways since that was the main reason we came and went where the current wasn’t as strong.

My cousin being the stupid being she is somehow moved towards the VERY DEEP END. At first I thought she was fine, but I saw her struggling and me being the AMAZING, AWESOME, AND COOL cousin I am thought to myself, “Yeah, I don’t really want her to die today.” So I started going towards her knowing THIS IS MY MAIN CHARACTER MOMENT (I was really scared) told my brother (Who was ten at the time and very dumb. We are not going to tell him I said that) to NOT follow me. Pretty clear instructions if you ask me. I mean he knows he can’t swim. So I start going towards my cousin, thinking I’m about to save her life and will never let her forget… even if she saved my life a million times; she starts to restore her balance and move towards the shore.

I see this and decide to turn around myself just to see MY BROTHER RIGHT BEHIND ME DROWNING!!! Since he was close to the other side of the river (close to the shore) and so was I. So, I grabbed on to a nearby branch and pulled myself up. I was about to lift my brother up and started thinking about how the hell my going to be guiding him back to the other side.

Luckily, there was a stranger willing to help. He was alone and I was shocked that he even decided to help because most of the time (the sad truth), people just watch. They don’t do anything they don’t really care. That’s just basic psychology (The Bystander Effect). He helped my brother get to the other side. I will forever be grateful to him.

After processing everything that went down in the last 30 seconds I decided to go back to the other side myself. We basically were all done with the day after this and all of us were starving so we went home. My mom (and everyone was) was shocked that I actually know how to swim (it had been a while). Honestly I was shocked myself. We all learned that day that we all really cared for each other and would rather put ourselves in risk then to watch the others suffer. Cowichan Lake brought us closer that day in a really weird way. Also irrelevant, but a few days later we went to Sooke Potholes and my brother also nearly drowned again.

All Quiet on the Western Front and the excerpts of the WW1 Poetry gave us a different about war and how awful and heartbreaking was for every single soldier.

Erich Maria Remarque is the author of the book-¨All Quiet on the Western Front¨- which back on those days was really criticized because was the first book to show the true colors of war and not with a patriotic view of heroism and duty as always. This book tells the story of the young soldier Paul Baumer a German soldier fighting for his nation. Paul describes how him and his friend’s comrades live in fear, a quick picture of the brutality of war. A sense of being lost and falling apart, that the war has taken everything from them and change them completely, their entire personalities has been reshaped by being a soldier.

On the other’s handouts we can read excerpts from Luis Barthas, Herbert, Gabriel Chevallier and Arthur Graeme West. Here we can read about the horrors of living in the trenches, the disgusting that it was because of the mud and pests, the devastation of crossing across ¨No Man’s Land¨.

On the handouts of poetry, give us a little glimpse of the view from people that’s express with the beauty of their words. What I like about this is that as you read this you are able to feel what the author wanted to express, the beauty behind the madness, and the sarcasm make these excerpts worth of reflection and thought.

As the ultramarine blanket

wraps itself around me

I feel the world going quiet,

the storm inside my head

pausing for an instant.

 

 

A wave of calmness comes over me

as I stare into the navy blue sky.

The grass tingling beneath my weight,

the midnight breeze giving me shivers

 

 

Every year it is the same,

the olive trees

announcing life and a beginning

gifting me again with new days

Beneath the weight of daily grind,
The spine, a river, bends and winds.
With gentle touch, a healer’s art,
Restoring balance, mending heart.

Each crack, a whisper, a sigh released,
Muscles soften, tension ceased.
In stillness found, the body speaks,
A dance of relief in subtle peaks.

In the hands of healing, pain takes flight,
As alignment guides us back to light.
A journey inward, both bold and true,
In each adjustment, we start anew.

As a new year swiftly passes into a new beginning, the opportunities once far out of reach rush closer and closer to me. These opportunities I mention are of course none other than my wonderful passionate new friends and my recently instated captain position of the junior girl’s volleyball team. My new friends who have come across the world just to study in Brooke’s Westshore include some very familiar faces such as Emma, Roberta, Olivia, and many more. This has been one of the most drastic changes in my school life this year because as many people come to find out I didn’t like almost anyone from last year. Nonetheless, besides my generous returning friend group countless of the students were in other sorts just not my cup of tea. This new interdiction of friends has brought me much more happiness in my day-to-day life and I am so glad I have met all these amazing people. 

Besides my new friends, a new leadership position has come my way! Gratefully accepting to be the team captain of my volleyball team has been very thrilling, to say the least. With numerous upsides and downsides, from losing to winning games, my team especially the girls who have never in their lives played volleyball before having made massive amounts of progress. This progress has made me incredibly proud to be able to be their team captain and with much more progress to be made I believe we can become the non-stopping winning team we deserve to be! 

Yes Blake, I’m writing about this, I loved it. I’ve been wanting to write a personal writing for a bit because I can say whatever I’d like no instructions. Now, I get to talk about my trip to Horne Lake, along with my date, Blake. I don’t get the chance to travel too much because of you know, money. So when I went to Horne Lake, it. Was. Beautiful. The views that we went to see, the things that we did, amazing. I thought I would be somewhat bored there, nope. It was full of activity and it was amazing. Sometimes me and Blake would sit in our trailer (We shared it!) and I would pull out some mini sour cream donuts and some drinks, and we would just sit and chat haha. My favorite part was Blake taking me to high mountain places pretty far away using his Wolverine (the vehicle not the hero)! I love drives like that I don’t know why. Going somewhere random on bumpy rides are fun for me (apart from when I got brutally impaled by dry branches, BLAKE haha). We went to such cool places, with amazing views of the entire lake. I would kill to go back there just me and Blake. we even went out on the water and visited a cave nearby, a giant spider lurked in there, I wanted out, fast. We went to some islands, and man it was amazing, who knew a cabin in the woods would be the best thing ever. I won’t reveal the secrets of everything there, but that was the best time I’ve had in a long while. Now Blake all I ask, is please let me go back in winter, I wanna walk or drive across the lake!

My personal writing is gonna be about the top 3 places I would like to travel to and why. The first place I would like to travel to is Paris. I have always wanted to go to Paris since I started becoming really good in French. I have always wanted to go see the tower especially at night which is a reason I would like to go I want the other reasons are because Paris is really beautiful and they have really good pastries that I have always wanted to try. The second place I would like to travel to is Hawaii, and specifically Maui. I have been to Maui 2 times but each time I have always loved it, there is lots of activities and it is very beautiful my favourite part is watching the sunset and its even better because its right on the beach. Lastly I would like to travel to Spain, I would like to travel to Spain because I have seen lots of photos and heard a lot of good things about it and it sounds really amazing I would really like to see the castle building in the Barcelona.

I am going to write about my friend because she’s making me. Her name is Anna. She’s blonde and very pretty and she has to wear glasses because she’s blind. Anna is like the sweetest person I have ever met and she’s begun to be very special and close to me but probably because I am with her 24/7 because she’s in the dorms as well. She’s on the volleyball team and I do not know any of her other hobbies. If I had to describe her in a way of objects or brands. She’d be a vanilla candle, cinnamon and brandy Melville obviously. And she is like really boy crazy about a boy who she has not had one word with in her whole life, but you know other than that she’s pretty chill and I’d pick her in a room of other friends and whatever. She swears a lot and does pretty weird stuff but at the end of the day she’s chill. kinda. When I come back to the dorms from the weekend, Anna is one of the main things I am excited to see when back in the dorms. And when I am bored, I just go to her room because she’s very entertaining. Thats all I can think of right now.

The moment we stepped outside it felt like a blowdryer. The temperature at the time was around 45 degrees Celsius. Arizona reminded me of the wild west from those cowboy movies, Although we were in the heart of the city, there was nearly no grass that could be seen. Where grass would be in Canada, there were rocks in Arizona. We decided to take the sky train over to the parking lot where we would rent our car. While we were finding the car that we rented; I felt like I was going to die from the heat. And to make matters worse, the car we rented was a ford, and the dashboard was extremely confusing for my mom; who said it was like a space ship. Along the drive to our hotel, we could see cacti sitting all across the sandy hills which streched on for what seemed like miles. After some time we eventually got to our hotel, which had an old desert architecture look to it. The architecture was beautiful, The buildings were very square, and the windows had distinct arch shapes to them. There were tall palm trees standing all around the resort. Later during the day, my friend came over to see me. At first we went to the pool and chilled out a little bit. After this we went inside an played some games. I had my slides resting on the side of the pool; and I genuinely expected the heat to melt them, but to my relief they didn’t. It was around 6:00 or later from what I remember. When we went inside we had some of the pizza from the hotel, which was delicious. The first day was pretty fun overall; besides the travelling. The thing about the heat in Arizona is the fact that you don’t need to use a clothes dryer and you can just hang your clothes out in the heat and they will dry in an hour or less.

Throughout many months, prior to the summer of course, I have been looking for computer parts which I could use to build a budget friendly but also powerful computer. Using different online shops, I was able to find a combo of computer parts (Motherboard, CPU, as well as Ram), which all together came at an affordable price of $59. Not wasting any time, I have ordered it, and it came during June this year. At this point, all I really needed was a case, as well as some other parts, like a new GPU as well as a Power Supply. After finding a $5 office computer case on Facebook Marketplace, which had all the necessities I needed (a CD drive, CPU Cooler vents), I quickly decided to buy it, which took an hour trip on the car. Next, I needed the CPU cooler itself, as I was now rocking a 6 core 12 thread CPU, and I needed an obese cooling system for it to run smooth, especially the more demanding tasks I would expect it to run. Hopping on to Facebook Marketplace, I was able to find an affordable cooler ($20), which was not only compatible with my cpu, but also came with 2 fans ready to cool the beast down. Using my vast knowledge on PC building, I took the Power Supply from My old Computer, and assembled my new PC (it took me 3 hours of careful work). However, even after this, my PC wasn’t finished, as I was using an 11 year old GPU with 5 year old parts, so I decided to switch it out. After coming back from Vernon in August, I was able to find a deal on a GPU for only $80 (it sells for $160 on the Market), and I was able to finish my computer, which due to it’s fan roar I have named: ‘The Beast’.

PC Specs:

Cpu: Xeon E5 2420 V2, GPU: Gtx 1650 Super, PSU: 500W, RAM: 16gb DDR3 ECC (Error correcting).

 

I like making random symbols, I have made many symbols and will make many more, I do not know why I like doing this, I just do. I generally experiment with different strokes making different symbols. I have a notepad where I write down all sorts of different symbols. there are many different styles of symbols including; maze like, sharp, bendy, elegant, etc, etc. I sometimes doodle them on paper i’m given it’s very handy for that short of thing. how many times do you get handed free sheets of paper to doodle on! anyways I wonder how you get symbols converted into Unicode? anyways symbols can take on many shapes and forms. one time I wrote down a list of two hundred symbols to be used in base two hundred, anyways I forget were I put that list. WAIT! two hundred just like the word count of this post!, I can’t believe your gonna make us type two hundred words for homework! (and yes, I am saying two hundred instead of 200 for the word difference). anyways back on track, I think symbols are cool I really do not (This post ends at 200 words because I don’t like this criteria)

Planes may bring excitement to others, but to me they bring nothing but annoyance and discomfort. People’s faces always contort in ways that are unfamiliar to me when talking about planes. They may seem to be gleeful faces but to me they are awkward and unnatural grimaces, because there is no possibility that people take enjoyment in flying. I find the very idea of people being happy about planes to be in itself crazy and unnatural. 

I could understand the sentiment if one had never been on a plane before. The excitement would be excusable. However, if one has flown before and they enjoyed it, I would have to classify that individual as troubled and insane. 

The repetitive worries that the whole traveling process induces do not favour my mental health. Trying to make it to the airport on time with all the traffic that constantly dwells around any airport imaginable. The cold and unforgiving staff that are in charge of making the process “seamless and easy”. God forbid you make a mistake! They do not hesitate to attack. Nitpicking seems to be a necessary quality to work at an airport. Going through security where every insignificant thing seems to be a cause for alarm. 300 arbitrary procedures must be conducted and followed or else the process of actually getting to your gate becomes even more hellish. The walk to your gate if you miraculously make it past security. Say you want a bottle of water and gum, a totally reasonable desire before boarding. But do you have fifty dollars prepared? Not including tax of course. The unorganized boarding system where everything is delayed. You should be thankful not to have a connecting flight. 

 

The whole process is cruel and unforgiving. Every time I fly, I swear to never get on another plane. Yet, I always find myself on them again in no time at all. Just as I am on a plane right now. 

This weekend I went to the fair and it was really fun!

I had planned this with my friends for almost a week now. Saturday morning  I went shopping to Mayfair with Emma,Ely and Olivia for some things we needed. It took us more than expected so we had to take another bus. We arrived to school only 30 minutes before we had to leave fore the fair so we quickly ran to our rooms and changed. It was hard but we all managed to be ready in time.

We took a bus, and shortly after we were finally at the fair. As soon as we arrived a wave of cotton candy and popcorn scent hit us. There I could finally relax. We started walking towards some friends who were already there. First we went to an attraction call the zipper witch made you flip in every direction.

As we were making the line I was still debating If I should go, it looked too scary, I could hear the other kids screaming their lungs out. Finally it was our turn, I really wanted to run the other way but for some I just went for it. I was really nervous but at the end, Im really glad I did it because even if in the moment I was really scared now its a memory I laugh about. After that we went for some food and we came across a temporary tattoo stand. Emma, Ely and I went to take a look and ended up with some sparkling  matching cherry’s tattoo.

After that I didn’t go much more attractions, I mostly hold the bags, food and drinks while my friend went.  Some time after we took a small break because we were all cold and hungry, there we noticed it was already night-time. We went for some donuts and took a lot of photos in the process. Finally we went to our last attraction witch was the ferris wheel. I liked it because it was slow, but we couldn’t really se anything in the dark sky. When the ride finished it was time to go so we all reunited at the exit and walk to the bus stop.

The last week of summer brought a wave of nostalgia that wrapped around me every day. I tried to savor every second and spend every moment with my friends, cousins, aunts, and grandparents. There was something so heartwarming about it, as if we all knew the moment was slipping away, but we were determined to make it unforgettable.

The routine was always the same: I would go to the beach with my towel and book in hand, finding the perfect spot to tan. I would lose myself in the pages of whatever book I read, or I would fall asleep and let the hours slip by. It was perfect. Everything. Right down to the last-minute detail. I loved every part of it.

As the days passed, I felt excitement, knowing I’d soon see my friends back home after a month in Italy. I missed them, our routines, and the comfort of them. But that excitement was always mixed with sadness, knowing I’d have to say goodbye to everyone. Saying our goodbyes was the hardest part. Wiping my nonna’s tears made my heart ache in a way I can’t explain. The feeling was always bittersweet. And that’s why I love it. There’s nothing like the simplicity and beauty of summer.

Yesterday marked the end of my first month here at Brookes and I can confidently say that these past four weeks have been a rollercoaster of emotions and feelings for me. From the overwhelming feeling of homesickness and longing to go back home during the first few days, to the nervousness and excitement of the first week, to the constant feeling of happiness and joy.

I am happy because I’m able to fulfill my childhood dream of living in a foreign country during my teenage years. I am happy because I get to make unforgettable memories. I am happy because I get to meet amazing people from all over the world and form lifelong connections. I am happy because I’m stepping out of my comfort zone every day and challenging myself to grow and thrive towards becoming a better person.

Trips to downtown Victoria, visiting the sunflower fields, joining the volleyball team and playing my first game, going on walks in the forest, camping trips, going to the fair; these are just a few of the unforgettable memories I have made during my first month here. But even the simple things which I wouldn’t have considered as special back home, are memorable for me: constantly being surrounded by my friends and spending every waking minute together  (which I would’ve considered as quite tiring before coming here), visiting Walmart for the first time, walking through ‘the typical Canadian’ suburbs  (it’s just like in the movies), trying my first corndog and caramel apple, running to ‘save-on foods’ after school, just to name a few. Living here sometimes still feels so surreal to me.

I can confidently say that these past four weeks have been everything I have dreamt of and more, and it would be an understatement to say that I can’t wait for the rest of the year!

 

 

Monday was National Truth and Reconciliation Day, also known as Orange Shirt Day. After doing some migratory birding in the morning, my mum and I went to the South Island Powwow that afternoon downtown. A powwow is a social gathering with dances held by the First Nations to honour their culture and to remember the children who attended residential schools. I had never been to a powwow before, so it was a pretty cool experience. There were Indigenous Peoples of all ages dancing in a circle together to the beat of the drums. Each one of their outfits seemed to tell a story. Around the field there were small shops set up in tents which we visited, and many food trucks with very long lines. It was truly amazing to see so many people in orange shirts, supporting this holiday, and taking the time to attend and learn more about it.

Do you know that feeling every winter? You know, that feeling when winter is just about to start and the leaves have fallen off the trees and you get your first epic powder day on the mountain? It’s an amazing feeling really, and it’s something that’s almost irreplaceable. When Christmas is just a few days away and you’re sitting by the fire with your hot chocolate and shortbread just watching the snow fall right by your window in a cozy cabin. I know I have, and I have to say that it has to be one of the most relaxing feelings ever. I remember skiing the mountains up North with my cousins, whether it’s making that last run on the T-Bar, hitting a jump in the park, or throwing on some skins and traversing up through the powder fields in the seemingly endless mountain range.

To me, it’s an ultimate sense of freedom, and it’s something I can’t wait to experience again. Just getting to these small ski towns is equally as impressive in my opinion. Whether you’re driving in a car or flying in a plane to these places in BC it almost seems that the landscape never stops. You drive, and drive, and drive, for a whole day, through so much terrain until a small town nestled in the vast mountain range comes into view. For a moment you look in disbelief at the signs on the winding mountain highway when you see a sign that says the town centre is only 10 minutes away. Ski season is almost upon us, and even the Northern mountains have already been covered in snow, despite the fact that’s it’s not even October yet. Crazy right? At this rate, the fall could turn into ski weather rather than the usual hunting season in the North.