Snow Snow Snow 10

Since today is Saturday and we are suppose to have a big snow storm I decided to write about about snow! I can't really decide whether or not I hate or love snow. I only hate shoveling snow in the morning because I am not a morning person. I do however, love shoveling snow at night. I love how the streets seem so peaceful and there are barely any cars. One night after watching a Christmas Carol with my brother in law and sisters we decided that we wanted to shovel the snow at night because it was already getting heavy. Plus, it would be easier for us in the morning. My parents stayed in and prepared soup for us. My real brother, who lives two streets over hadn't started shoveling his house yet so my brother in law decided we should pull a prank on him and his wife. After we finished what seemed to be a lifetime of shoveling, we hiked over to my brothers house. It was so much fun walking over there because the snow was up to my knee and we all kept falling into the snow. I remember laughing so much that my stomach starting hurting. When we finally got to my brother's house we knocked on his door talked to him for a little and told him we were leaving. The moment he shut the door me, my two sisters and my brother in law started shoveling the snow in his walkway but, instead of putting the snow to the side we piled it in front of his door. We called them to come outside and the moment they opened the door they screamed and we ran our butts back home. I have so many good memories playing in the snow and since I don't drive I guess you can say I like the snow =).

My Dad's Tattoos 9

 After finishing my wikispace assignment on tattoos I decided to write about my dad's tattoos. My Dad's tattoos mean a lot to him. During the Khmer Rouge, my dad was a soldier and he got these tattoos to "protect" him and give him good luck.They encouraged him to stay strong throughout the war. Every time I ask my dad if he would let me get a tattoo (Which I probably would never do) he always tells me that back then the soldiers believed that these tattoos would protect them. He didn't get them because he thought it was cool to have tattoos. Because my dad's tattoos amuse me I always ask what they represent. He says that the King of Monkeys (bottom) protects the Mermaid Woman (top) from a giant.It was one of the most  famous stories told in Cambodia. The words tattooed under the two characters are words of wisdom. They are ancient writing so my dad can't read them to me, but I still love how my dad's tattoo's can already tell a story just from looking at the pictures.

Christmas Tree 8

Yes, all of those bags are filled with presents =)

My favorite time of the year isn't actually Christmas day itself, it is the day after Thanksgiving when my family comes together to decorate the Christmas trees. We all love the holidays and especially the music. The first thing we do is blast Christmas Music on Pandora. Then, we get into position as we bring up the different parts of the trees up from the basement. Then, we run around crazy looking for the rug to put under the Christmas tree even though, it is ALWAYS hidden at the top of closet in the shoe room. Next, we move the dining room table to the side so we can place the tree in the middle of the room. After, we all will help my dad put the tree together. When that is all set, we bring up all the ornaments and lights in a little basket from the basement. After hours of untangling the Christmas lights, the bulbs usually break and we have to use our red Christmas lights. (Notice how there are red lights at the top of the tree). The best part of our Christmas Tree is that it plays Christmas music. When the tree is beautified, we all go outside and put Christmas Lights on the bushes in front of my house. One year we had those Reindeers that light up and move. Unfortunately, they broke after a bad snow storm. Putting up my Christmas Tree with my family will always be the best time of the year.

Olympia Sports 7

    

      This week I have decided to blog about Olympia Sports. I am so fortunate that I have been able to have my first job here. I remember when I first applied, I thought that it was so unlikely that I would be working there. I do not play any sports in school and I honestly, don't know much about sports. So when the manager called me I was super happy. She interviewed both Amaris and me and later offered us a job. My manager is wicked cool, just like my coworkers. Because twins could not work together she gave Amaris a job at the Olympia sports on Bridge Street. 

     Because of Olympia Sports, I have gained so many skills. My communication skills with customers have gotten better. Not only that, but I actually know how to work a register. It is weird but, ever since I was little I have always wanted to be able to work behind a register. Working there has forced me to gain extra knowledge on products and how to persuade customers into buying the products. I love that I get to interact and make conversations with all sorts of people. Sometimes there are shop lifters and people who come to disturb the store, but I still like working there. The best moments are when customers actually appreciate what I do for them. 

     After working there for a couple of months, I realized  people who work in retail don't get enough credit. It takes so much to run a store and keep customers satisfied because sometimes a customer can ask for a lot or come off completely rude and not understanding. Especially, during the holiday season the store become really crazy and all we can do is keep a smile on our face and make sure customers leave happy.  

Violent Media Leads to Violence in Kids? 6

WWC Wrestling Moves (not my own pic) Pic URL

     My topic for my positions paper in English class is about whether or not violent media leads to violence in children. This topic has been found to be very controversial. There are many research projects done that have proven that violent media does affect children and there are other research project done that have proven that violent media do NOT affect children. I strongly believe that violent media does affect kids and can cause violence.

     Now, your probably wondering why I have a picture of the WWE wrestlers and why I chose this picture. Well, it is because this pictures depicts how intense these matches can get. Whether these matches are set up, or are real live wrestlers doesn't matter to me. What matters is that these wrestlers are showing that violence is okay. These people in the picture will most likely wrestle until one of them has blood all over their bodies or have broken and bruised ribs. Yet, the crowd is roaring with the sight of one man hurting and attacking the other senseless. 

     While I was doing research on violent media leading to violence in kids, I read an article about a thirteen year old boy who killed his little five year old sister. The worst part was the cause of death was because the boy had practiced WWE wrestling moves on his little sister. Even when his sister told him she was hurting the thirteen year old had attacked his sister until her very last breath. In my opinion if that little boy had not seen these wrestling moves on television, it would not even have crossed his mind to practice the wrestling moves on his sister. 

Flowerhorns 5

         

       
             Ever since I was young, every time my dad brought me to the pet store I would beg him for gold fishes. Although, hesitant each time, my dad would always give in. My dad use to have many gold fishes when I was younger. He put them in a huge tank and let them grow until they were bigger than the size of his fists. When I was about seven years old, on one Sunday morning while my dad slept in, I walked quietly down the stair case to look at the fishes in the dining room. I knew my dad would get so mad at me if I fed them, but I couldn't help it. So I tip toed and reached for the can of fish food. I pushed open the fish tank cover and turned over the can to feed the fish. The moment I turned over the can of food, the cap came off and all of the food fell into the fish tank. I panicked, ran upstairs, and pretended to sleep. Later that day, all of my dad fishes were dead. He was so upset, and confused. I overheard his conversation with my mom while he was cleaning the tank. "I don't know what happened. They all look blown up," he said in Khmer. I felt bad and I never told him until last year. He laughed at me and said, "I knew it!" I still feel bad until this day!

         My dad missed raising gold fishes so during my freshmen year, my dad bought me and Amaris three gold fishes. Their names for Poseidon, Hercules, and Billy Bob. My dad, Amaris, and I loved setting the tank up. We bought a castle for the fishes to sleep in and swim through, and colored pebbles. We loved decorating it. Then, one day I came home to an empty tank. My dad didn't even tell me that he was giving the fishes to his friends! I gave him a confused look and he looks and tell me, "Don't worry! We're getting a Flowerhorn fish." I thought to myself what the heck is that. Finally, one day I came home to the ugliest fish I have ever seen in my entire life. It was big and fat. My dad placed a chair and admired the fish for hours. I'm not even joking. He literally sat in front of the tank for hours... He told me that the flowerhorn looked ugly because it was stressed from being in a new tank. He then looked at me and told me that when it grows it gains colors and has Chinese symbols on them. Over time, I grew more and more attached to the fish, but my dad had a different kind of love for this fish. Every morning, before my dad leaves for work he yells out, "Have a good day my angels! I love you!" and Of course, I reply back with, "I love you too daddy!" But get this, one day he says "I love you see you later!", and once again, i reply with "I love you daddy!" But with great humor, he says, "Im not talking to you!!! I'm talking to my fish!!!" I laughed so hard that morning. So yes, I admit the flowerhorn is much cooler than a goldfish. It is so beautiful and obedient. I really hope this fish lives forever. 

The ups and downs to homework 4

   

       So first, I am going to address my hatred towards homework.Most of us wish that homework didn't exist right? (Click Here) Well, that is just it. It does exist and I hate it. I know that homework is suppose to help us out on the long run, but I feel like it is so time consuming. Isn't it tough enough to go to school for six hours and on top of that work, play sports, volunteer, and/or finish chores? It is taking up more valuable time in our lives. I have never felt so strong about my dislike of homework until right now. I don't only work on the weekdays, but I work on the weekends too. So when I finally feel like I can relax, the thought of all the assignments due Monday are running through my head. It drives me insane! Maybe, I am being a little dramatic right now, but I feel like homework alone can put so much stress on a student. It causes lack of sleep and lack of sleep can cause us to become sick. Then, being sick adds on to stress because it's harder to do the homework. Now I'm not encouraging that everyone shouldn't do homework, but I wish the workload was less. Some students are trying to get into their dream college and do their best in school even if it means doing over five hours worth of homework, but I feel like some teachers forget how difficult high school can get.
        Although I hate doing homework, it can be helpful in many ways. For instance, when I'm studying for UML chemistry, I just go back to watch all of my lectures again and redo all of the online problems. Not only that, but because I took honors chemistry my sophomore I forgot everything about chemistry. So starting the UML class scared me. Luckily, I saved all of my homework from sophomore, because I was able to go back and work on practice problems. All of my past homework assignments helped me to get a good grade on my first exam. Homework is a pain in the butt, but it helps students have a better understanding of a topic. This causes them to have an easier time during class when they move onto more complicated subjects that include what they learned previously. Using UML chemistry as an example again, the labs have been helping me as well. Although, the lab write ups are very long to do it is only helping my future. It's going to help me work in the medical field. I'm gaining so much knowledge from taking this class and I'm hopeful it will benefit me in the future career. After rambling on about how much homework sucks and how much I hate it, I do realize how helpful it can be though. Now I am going to stop being a brat and move onto my next homework assignment. =(

Dancing 3

          One day during my freshmen year in High School, I was approached by someone who asked me and my sister if we wanted to take dancing lesson and learn how to pop and lock. The first thing I thought was,"Nooooooo wayyyyyyy!" I use to do mini talent shows at summer camp and at festivals, all of which I regretted. I wanted to accept his offer, but I was too embarrassed. After a while, my sister and I changed our minds. We thought it would be an exciting opportunity for us.
        When I first went to the revolving museum. I was very nervous. I never really went out or met new people, but throughout the process I made a lot of really good friends and mentors. When I first met Sam, my "dance instructor" I thought he was absolutely amazing! He told us about one of his students, who now competes all over the world as a pop and locker. I, even saw the video of the girl myself. I was inspired.
            A lot of the time practice was difficult for me. I wasn't use to learning the moves and perfecting it quickly. So yeah, I did get aggravated a lot of the times, but Amaris and Sam made it so much easier for me. We took months to perfect an entire routine and then Sam told us that we were going to perform it at Dance for Peace. Dance for Peace is a big event that happens during the summer. I never imagined performing in front of hundreds of people, but I did it!
          Amaris and I performed with other talented groups, such as "Break-fast" club Freshm*nt Squad. /we all practiced at the museum, but in different rooms.We all became really good friends afterwards. So to warm up before the big event. We went to the green stage at the Merrimack and performed for a small event. I was so happy and grateful for the opportunity to perform with these people.
           When the big day finally came, I was extremely excited. There were so many performers and volunteers and a huge audience. The whole entire day was a rush of excitement. Amaris and I were finally on the stage with the rest of the crew when our names were called. It was pitch black and in just a few quick seconds a bright light shined on me and I could not see the audience. My heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest, but the moment I heard the music I just started to dance and do the moves I have been trying to perfect for months. When the performance was over, our group got lots of compliments. Even if i were to mess up every single move in my dance routine, I believe I would've still had the best time of my life on that stage. Whether its performing or dancing like a monkey in my room,dancing will always be one of my favorite things to do.

         

Zeus Sok Koo 2

Zeus on his third birthday =)
                 
                           I used to have a major fear of dogs. One time my cousins' Pitbull chased me into the street and I almost got ran over by a car. That same Pitbull bit my cousin's lip when he was visiting from Canada. Furthermore, that exact same dog chased me at my cousin's house and bit my foot. I still have those bite marks on my foot. Therefore, every time I saw a dog, regardless of what size it was I would have a panic attack. I never wanted to have this fear of dogs. I thought they were so cute. It was just that every time I saw one i assumed it was going to attack me.
 Then, one day Zeus came into my life. One of the best things that has ever happened to me.
My older sister had a boyfriend (now husband), who lived in South Bridge, MA. She told me and my twin sister that we were going to sleep over. When we finally reached his house I refused to get out of the car. That was when I saw Zeus. I was so scared and upset at my older sister. There I was, a fourteen year old girl, who refused to get out of the car because there was a dog. How embarrassing! All his family members (lots of them!) were waiting outside to greet us, but honestly, that was the last of my worries. I thought to myself, "How would I get into the house without having to go near that fat dog?"
                         So eventually, I did get out of the car. I grabbed my bags, closed my eyes, and ran into the house. I threw myself, as well as my belongings onto the couch and froze. He followed me! Yup, there he was sitting down right in front of me. His head was tilted downwards while his eyes looked up at me. He was the cutest thing in the world! Then, my brother in law came to my rescue! He put Zeus on a leash and told me to run into a kitchen to grab an ice cube for Zeus. I did it. I actually did it. I came back, still a little tense and threw the ice at Zeus' paws. My brother in law looked at me and laughed. He said that I can put the ice in Zeus' mouth and he won't even try to bite me. So once again, I did it! All of my worries were gone. From that moment, I felt an obsession for dogs. All I wanted to do was sit next to Zeus, pet him, feed him, and take him out. It was just that easy to get over my fear of dogs.
                            Since my brother in law moved into my house for a period of time, Zeus had also moved in. I loved waking up to him in the morning. I love the way he looks at you when he does something bad. I love the way peeks his head into my room to check if I'm there. I love how he will only go to bed if I'm there with him. I love how he whimpers when he wants to come sit near me and the door is closed. I love the way he struggles to get under my legs when I'm watching T.V. I love him so much. I never knew I could love a dog the way I love Zeus. He is the nicest, most gentle English bull dog in the whole world.  

                       

Zeus in big trouble 

Zeus trying to jump on my bed

       

 

Cambodian Weddings 1

I love going to weddings. Most of all I love going to Cambodian weddings. 

I've been fortunate enough to have helped both my older brother(left picture) and older sister(right picture) with their weddings. Cambodian weddings are very different from American weddings. It is much longer and tiresome, but all worth it. Traditional Cambodian weddings last several days, but in America some Cambodian people shorten the ceremonies. I really don't know how many ceremonies there are, or even their purpose, but they are all essential in getting married the "correct" way in my heritage. Of course, all weddings run on different times, but I am going to share a few experiences of a Cambodian Wedding in the way that my family does it.

           The first day the whole household has to be up around four o'clock in the morning in order to get ready for all the guests who usually, arrive around six. When it hits seven o'clock the ceremony begins. The whole ceremony is basically acted out.The groom and his family awaits the approval of the bride's family to enter the house. After, the bride and groom are supposedly introduced to each other for the first time. Then, the groom's family enters the house baring gifts and valuable food such as a pig. From there on the bride and groom are to sit with their legs crossed throughout the entire day (except when their changing into a million different outfits for the different ceremonies). For instance, there is the ceremony in which, the monks are blessing the couple. Furthermore, there are ceremonies in which the guests tie a red yarn (blessed with water by the monks) on the couple's arm. Not only that, but the most emotional ceremony of the day would be when the bride and groom's parents take a moment to let go of their child and send them off with their beloved ones. Khmer weddings are very exact and detailed. That is why the ceremonies are spread out over a duration of two-three days. My parents, however find it overly exhausting to have weddings last that long so the first day consist of the most important ceremonies, while the second day would be the reception. The day of the reception is just as hectic as the day of the ceremonies. Both my brother and sister had over five hundred guests show up at the Hong Kong Restaurant. It was really hard to get them all seated, but overall I could say both of the weddings were successful.

I've never had greater memories than the ones that I have made at my brother's and sister's weddings. The parties didn't end until the morning. The food was absolutely delicious. Not only that, but all of my family from Canada, Texas, North Carolina, etc. come together to share these special moments. I can't express the happiness I feel to see my siblings walk down the aisle with the people they love and I love as well. Each time a wedding ended, I get so sick and always lose my voice, but I don't care because I love weddings. No worries though! I am in no rush to be having a wedding of my own!