late birthday surprise.

this has been such a hectic week. and i had the craziest mental breakdown yesterday! but i'm over it now. i think this coming up week is going to be better.

right now i'm listening to random call of duty conversations and i'm also listening to my sister's off-tune violin playing, which is okay because she's only been playing for about 3 days.

i was super excited when she decided to switch from being a ta to taking violin classes instead, because then i would also get a chance to play the violin with her!!!! i used to actually be quite decent for my age, but i stopped in 8th grade, because i wanted to be in the publications class instead, to write for the newsletter, and after that i just never got a chance to play again. it was quite sad actually, after a while. i mean i didnt mind not playing at first, but now when i look back, i wish i just would've stuck with it. i'm amazed that i'm still able to remember notes and even play songs from memory!! yeah, i'm pretty excited. i thought about doing my senior project on going back to violin, but i'm pretty set on cooking right now. josephine's sister is going to be my mentor!

i'm going to go look for some scholarships, and finish up my homework in a little. but i forgot that i never uploaded my birthday videos/photos. so i'm sharing them now, even though september is already almost over! but my birthday wasnt that long ago :)

i decided to just upload one video, because the others were taking foreverrrr. byee guuuyss.

- PACHIAAAAAA bang

cheeeer up.

the economy is so bad, yet Americans are still going about their business, as if nothing is wrong. i guess i am guilty of that too, except i have this constant voice in the back of my head that keeps me a little worried everytime i purchase something totally unnecessary. i'm pretty sure the country's not gonna go broke dead, like back in the depression days, if our economy crisis gets out of hands-- but still, i am worried. i guess sometimes i worry a little too much though. i think its unhealthy.

school is so not as stressing as i invisioned it to be. however, it is still stressing! i'm not pulling my hair out of my brains yet, but i think i'm managing fine, seeing as how i still have the ability to procrastinate and get away with it. well, i can't say that yet, because i havent really gotten any grades back yet-- except my psychology test, which i got a D on. but the majority of class got D's... so i guess i'm on the right track. you can't blame me though! i've got 5 AP classes! and i really didnt think that was really that impressive or shocking, until i started telling people, and everyone gave me the impression of it being impressive and shocking! yay. i for once dont feel stupid. whooooooo. i'm still worried though. worried, worried, worrrrrieddd!

pheeeewwwwwwwwwww. so i guess i'm going to start typing slower now. i've really been rushing with everything these past few weeks! would anyone like a chihuahua by the way? we have accumulated too many dogs over the past few years, and we really no longer have time to take care of them anymore :( so if anyone's interested in adult chihuahua's, i have a few. REALLY!! i'm just looking for good homes for them! HELP ME OUT! there's no charge. and i'm getting desperate, because REALLYYY, i don't have time to take care of them anymore, and they need to get to good homes. i'd appreciate it, if you know anyone who's interested in chihuahuas, and you pass this information to them :) they're so incredibly sweet and cute.

i don't want to make this blog a reaaalllyy long one, but i havent blogged in so long, and i have so much to update on! well, let's just keep this short. i got my camera in! it's amazing, and i love it-- i've been taking pictures of everything! my birthday was freaking amaaazing. i've discovered a crazy love for baking. my senior project's gonna be on cooking (that's not official yet though).

today i went to the flea market. and there really wasn't anything that great. i got this cute indian bracelet/ring (or so my mom says-- that it's indian) and some yellow nail polish! then i came home to work on my yearbook "about me" and now after this i'm probably going to cook dinner and study for french...

ahh, i feel so sad thinking now, about how summer's over. i saw some of my co-workers at the flea market today, and i saw my kids at the Hmong Family Healthy Day picnic yesterday. i miss being a kid. this is gonna be my last year and the world is so crazy these days. ahhhh. that just means that we gotta cherish every moment, and savor all the good times. i mean look at my grandparents and my parents! they were in the middle of a war, and look at how far they've come. yes, you just gotta cherish every moment. and cheer up :)

salut, salut!
PACHIA

do want you wanna do.

"People don't listen to what you say,
but what you do."

--keith hawkins.

On Friday, I had a senior event, SENIOR BBQ. But before I go on to talk about that, let me talk about the Senior BBQ training. Well I was one of the students picked to be a leader at senior bbq. And the night before (thursday), we had to go to the "training" from 5-8pm. Yeah THREE HOURS!! Pretty crazy. What could we possibly do for three hours? Well it was worth those three hours. We even went a little overtime. So there were probably 40 or more seniors there (half of them I knew) and the speaker, Keith Hawkins was there. He was going to be the motivational speaker for the senior bbq and he was going to teach us how to lead these group activties. So no the senior bbq was not just going to be a day where you could hang out with your friends, the senior class was going to be broken up into "random" groups and we would be forced to do activities to get to each other. First Keith got us to do some really wacky activities that were totally fun and exciting. We had to partner up with random people we did not know and talk to them and play these insane icebreakers. It was a great way to start it. Then we got into real business and got split into groups and we learned these new activities.

Most activities were just a couple icebreakers where everyone could get to know each other's names, trust each other and eventually learn how to be a team. The last activity was pretty intense. We had to pass a toilet roll around and take a piece of tissue and we were supposed to tell a personal story of something that impacted our lives, made us the person we are, etc. Well we were all kind of like..."we did not really sign up for this". But it happened. The first person who started in my group was Catherine and I had class with her so I knew her but she set the tone and she really did tell a personal story. And after that we all told a story and got really choked up and I actually told a personal story I had never told ANYONE (not even my very close friends) about and I didn't break down but I did tear up/cry a bit but by the time I had finished, I felt better and it was let go. It was an amazing experience. We all found out things about each other and really sympathized each other. I honestly felt better telling a bunch of acquaintances/strangers my story and I did not feel like I was judged at all. We hugged it out in the end and it was an empowering moment.

Well after that the next day was senior bbq and we came early. That was the fun part. Keith Hawkins was an AMAZING speaker. He was fun and everyone respected and listened to him. I cannot believe how great he was and how personal he seemed. He truely understood us and what I remember most about his speech was about doubt and fear. He said at this time, we live in doubt and that doubt turns into fear. We don't apply to certain colleges because we don't think we can get in. We don't try to promote ourselves because other people said we weren't smart enough. And he said, it is truely sad how we can believe that. As long as you believe in yourself, it does not matter what you cannot do. He said job = just over broke. He said you should want to be able to do something so much that you would do it for free, but you are so good at what you do, you get paid for it. What he said may not be realistic or logical enough, but he made it happen for himself. And he supports his kids well enough and his family to do what he loves. And I believe him and I want to do as exactly as he said. I want to do something I love so much I would do it for free, but I do it so well, I get paid for it. that is why I want to go to college. To learn what I love and to find what I love and not to worry about how to make the quickest and easiest buck.

So during the senior activities, I did actually meet some new people in my group and from the parts where we had to partner with random people. I truely believe that senior year is about breaking barriers and not caring about who you are friends with. I find it so much easier this year to talk to people who I would not really ever talk to or be friends with. I don't even about "cliques" or status. All of that is in the past and I really hope the rest of the senior class feels like that to because HELLLO we are the only class of '09 left so we should know each other before we are not together anymore.

So at the BBQ itself was AWESOME. We went to the park across from our school and luckily it is pretty damn huge (a lot of grass area/fields) and we had a huge slide thingy, adrenaline rush jumpy thing, a bungee cord bouncy thing, and a velcro wall. I went on everything except the velcro wall. They were all awesome but I kind of got whiplash from the bungee cord thingy.

I look pretty intense because that thing was pretty intense.
And it was harder than you think.
I saw football players getting sore after this.

I kept falling. Look at the warrior, Chrissa
Mike and Kumar had to help me in the end because I could not get up.

Cutest kids ever. Craziest entourage ever.

And we like cheesy group photos like this.

And even make a pyramid. I felt bad for the guys.

And pretend to be like married couples. Yay gay marriage.

And pelvic thrust and stick the booty out like no other.


P.S HERE IS A HILARIOUS YOUTUBE VIDEO OF MY FRIENDs.
i was the mean girl with the black hair who was teasing mike and not giving him the velcro thing.

-----christina :]

finally it is that time

Finally it is that time, the time where WE (pachia and i) ARE SENIORS. Well Pachia is not officially a senior until Tuesday when she starts school. I've already had my first week of school over. Can you believe it? I've had my LAST first day of school already. It is still kind of scary to think of---my last year of high school, no way. The only bad thing is that I am one of the "oldest" in the school. And I don't know like 80% of the schools because they are full of underclassmen. I knew a lot of upperclassmen, even when I was a freshman but now I am an upperclassmen and my underclassmen friends are very few. Well maybe I will make more later when club activities start and I am in quite a few clubs (and officier for every one of them). I am looking forward to making new friends and getting to know my senior classmates who I have not met already.

On Friday, our first senior event was the SENIOR SUNRISE. We had to get to the stadium at 6am. I got there at like...6:20. So the sun was already up but it was still fun to hang out. We just mostly ate pancakes, took lots of pictures and just messed around until school started at 7:45. It was still great hang out time tho.

Do you like our senior shirts?
I think they are okay.

I am looking forward to the events to come, the friends to come, the ups and downs of the year to come. Bring it on I SAY!

goals for senior year.

1. don't lose sight of your dreams
2. dont lose sight of your goals
3. procastination, once again, is BADDD
4. dont avoid applications and hard work because you are scared of the future
5. stay focused
6. keep grades up
7. dont stress yourself out (or you will have an ulcer)
8. dont get depressed at all
   
9. have fun, and lots of iiiiittttt
10. dont let anything or anyone stop you from having a kickass year.
11. go to a jonas brothers concert
    

So I am freaking addicted to this song. (EDIT: ADDED NUMBER 11)

----ck

we can make change happen.

I am a little late (day after) to talk about Obama's speech but I DO NOT believe a speech like his last night can be OVERSHADOWED by Mccain's VP pick, even though it has been. But last night's speech left me an impression that like my AP Government said, "his speech is a speech you will remember for the rest of your life". I do not know if everyone felt that way (probably not), but a connection was made for me when I heard his speech last night.

Well I have been of course watching majority of the Democratic National Convention so of course the previous speakers (Hilary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, etc) had set a very high bar for Barack Obama. Finally, it was his turn to convince the people that he is the right person. There is only so much others can say to endorse him but it is up to him to impress and swing the voters in his favor. And I believe he did his job. Hilary Clinton was able to tell her former supporters that they should not swing Republican. Biden assured us that Obama is a good man and Biden did swing many more voters in Obama's favor. I didn't really want to talk about Biden's speech but I DID LIKE IT! I don't know but I just like Biden by looking at him. And he had a great personal story. He made me love him after his speech.

However, in the beginning of Obama's speech, I was kind of bored. He seemed to have a VERY SLOW start and said a lot of cliches and kind of summed up what everyone said in the last couple days. But somewhere, I don't know where but it just PICKED UP and just started getting better, and better and I was on the edge of my seat. AT ONE POINT, I stood up because I was overwhelmed and amazed by his words. Of course I teared up at several points in his speech but I think I teared up in every speech (except Bill Clinton's). The things that struck to me the most was when he had one point where he talked about his family. He said

Because in the faces of those young veterans who come back from Iraq and Afghanistan, I see my grandfather, who signed up after Pearl Harbor, marched in Patton's Army, and was rewarded by a grateful nation with the chance to go to college on the GI Bill.

In the face of that young student who sleeps just three hours before working the night shift, I think about my mom, who raised my sister and me on her own while she worked and earned her degree; who once turned to food stamps but was still able to send us to the best schools in the country with the help of student loans and scholarships.

What struck me about that quote was he was implying that back then, his family struggled but America helped them out, but why can America no longer help us now? He reminded me that

Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves - protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.

I know that being an American, we don't always expect the government to be there. We like to keep a distance from our government but at this time, this period, we need our government desperately. I see the economy, homes, families, and people crumbling before me. I know of the problems that exist in this country and Obama does too and he has pinpointed and addressed every one of them.

And the thing that Obama definetly did what he needed to do was ATTACK McCain ("If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next Commander-in-Chief, that's a debate I'm ready to have.") and give us SUBSTANCE. And he brought that last night. He showed us that he is ready for the fight, he is ready for those debates with Mccain. And last night, he finally told us what he wanted to do. Although he may have been too specific because of course I questioned where is he going to get the money when we are in a trillion dollar deficit but of course, Mccain is going to have the same problem also. But Obama did a good job of attack Mccain in the right points. It is because of his status quo and that he "doesnt understand" is why he cannot be the right person for the job.

And what I loved most was he brought up this is more about partisan politics (democrats vs. republicans), this is more about abortion (pro-life vs. pro-choice), it is about the common ground, is about the common American goals in life and we need to get back to it. We need to get back to the original ideals of democracy.

We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country. The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals. I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination. Passions fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers. This too is part of America's promise - the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort.

He addressed every issue that we talk about amongst ourselves. Every time he hit an issue that I have discussed with a friend or a family member or a stranger, I though wow he really does know. Once he started talking about the common effort, he just soared from there. And when he talked about all these things and when he said

The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of America.

I felt proud to be an American. And I think during these times when America has such a bad reputation, when everyone has been making fun our own president, when our own citizens cannot even take pride in our president, and when our own soldiers are fighting a hated war, American patriotism has been waning since the great masses of it during Sept. 11th but Obama brought it back to me. I seriously am proud to be an American because through the American dream and the freedoms in this country that someone like Barack Obama can be president and I will be even prouder when he is President. He is reminded me this country is made of individuals united in one effort for our American democracy and ideals. And he has reminded the voters that they all count and the government is there for them. He tied everything that from change, to the American dream, and the promise of America all into his speech and he did it well.

I have greater hope for this country after his speech. And if Obama does not get elected, I will be truely sad for the future of this country.

Oh and I am not going to post the video because it is like 40 minutes long so you can see it on the democratic national convention website or ny times.

Oh and thoughts on the Republicans. I think Mccain would have a better chance with Rominey (though he couldnt because he was too rich) but who the heck is this random woman? Like they said on CNN or whatever (my mom told me this quote), you cant just put a skirt on someone and expect her to be Hilary Clinton. She barely has experience and honestly, if Mccain dies, would you want her to be president? This is a very bad choice for Mccain. I think his VP choice is going to PULL votes away from him. It is already evident that some Republicans are going to vote for Obama because either they liked Obama's speech or because they like Biden. At least if Obama was to get "assassinated" (knock on wood), Biden would be a great president. I am excited for the Republican National Convention! I want to hear this obsure Alaskan governor speak!!!! And Mccain. I actually liked Mccain back in the primaries so lets see if I still like him.

And why am I so interested in the democratic national convention? Because in AP government we have had like at least 30 minute discussions in class about them and they have been EXCITING and i love hear other people's opinions so of course all I have said in this blog, I talked about in class and a lot of people felt similar to me.

I glad I have watched the Democratic National Convention because I feel like this is a moment in history. Watching Obama made me want to cry because I thought of him being president and that is just so historic that I could not even imagine it. It is truely amazing what a revolution this election year is. And I am SAD I CANNOT VOTE AND BE APART OF IT. But I am so glad I witnessed his speech last night because I WILL not forget what he said and I cannot believe for those who did not watch it that they missed such a great opportunity to be truely enlightened.

AND IF ANYONE DISAGREES WITH ME GO AHEAD, I want to hear your response and thoughts. :) I am a friendly debater.

---ck.