Wrap up Class of 2016

Final Moments as a High School Senior

Even though I'm a bit late on this post, I have been wanting to share this with you guys and keep it as a memento of what has been going through my mind as I graduated with my friends and classmates. By the way, it's pretty long, but it's worthwhile reading. 

If you want a spiel of what it's like to be a in a catch-22 for college, continue reading. It does get a bit dark, but it's noteworthy to read it. 

If you want to read a positive story, then scroll down to Graduation--June 8, 2016. There are fun pictures down there. :D

Enjoy reading.

College Acceptance (late May)

This is the moment when each person finally gets to confirm which school they are going to (unless something happens like UC San Diego updating your application on June 8, 2016, the day you graduated...) Anyway, I can distinctly remember the dread of waiting from the colleges I had applied and facing the high expectations from my parents. 

Back in March, I only got accepted into UC Santa Barbara out of the eleven schools I have applied and was wait listed for UC Davis, UC San Diego, UChicago, and UC Irvine (I never got a response from them). 

Once March ended, my parents were still not happy at the results. Arguments arose between my parents and me, mainly over my decision to declare Biology as my major and to not spend innumerable number of hours on my college applications. I can distinctly recalled the night when I first learned I was wait listed from UC Davis. I'm not sure if this is accurate, but by declaring Biology or another capped major, I was placed in a more competitive pool and more likely to get rejected compared to someone who has done a lot more stuff than me.

While my parents continued to argue as if that would change the past, I locked myself in my bedroom and just cried. My father's words, "You disobeyed me" echoed in my head, and another dark thought crept in my mind. I told one of my friends if he could called me and later that night he did. Over the phone call, I kept telling him, "I'm scared. I'm scared. I don't want to be here, I honestly feel that my parents valued me based off the colleges I got into. I don't know what to do. I really don't know what to do." When it was March 24, 2016, my family learned I was rejected from UC Berkeley, and the same argument arose again.

The next day, I wrote in my journal...



                "4 rejected, 4 wait listed, 3 more to go. Hmm, I feel like I'm in a tight knot position like ( :D) who has two accepted schools as well as ( :D)'s AP Chemistry classmate last year who was wait listed to UCs and then got into UCLA after being wait listed from it. It feels I'm dangling between a hope of a miracle and despair. But I need to keep believing in God. I cannot give up on Him, and I cannot give up on myself. I need to have faith and take the risk. What do I have to lose? Go to Ohlone and take the placements and registration forms. [I actually am doing this, and I'm fine with it now. Hey, I got to spend a few months at home with my friends and be chill before I transitioned to my college in the spring semester]. Gap year? Honestly, I'm shooting for UC Davis at this point. May 1 to June. One month and and a half of waiting. Wait, Hope, Pray.

                I guess I'm still holding onto God because I know that not trusting in God is something I can't imagine nor refuse to imagine because I will be someone I will not want to be.

                Okay back to UC wait listed essays. At least the garden meeting cheered me up. I hate being valued by colleges as if it determines my entire life course. I'll talk with you later."

-Deborah Chen

Once April began, I have tried my best to not let the fear and uncertainty to follow me because it was not a comfortable feeling to carry around at school. While I heard about my peers getting into the colleges I wanted to get into, I felt an odd mix of  joy and jealousy towards them, because a part of me felt that I was left out. Yet, I remembered my mom confidently telling me that God has a great school for me in plan once May comes along. When she told me that, I felt it would UC Davis because I felt really confident that I will be accepted into that school.

Over time, I wrote my wait listed essays for UC Davis and UC San Diego and submitted them before April 15, 2016. I made preparation to settle at UC Santa Barbara, but I felt I would be at UC Davis. But, of course, my parents wanted me to appeal for UC Berkeley, so I quickly wrote an appeal essay and submitted it too. When May rolled in, I decided to send my AP scores this year to UC Davis. Later on the same week, I checked my email and learned that I did get into UC Davis on May 6, 2016. I was screaming and shouting, " I got into UC Davis! I got in! Thank you God!" and jumped around the house. It was so exciting for me to see a Congratulations email from UC Davis. While I wanted to submit my SIR within the same hour, my parents told me to wait for my other wait listed colleges. Nevertheless, I submitted my SIR one week later and then spent the next three days filling out online forms for housing, health insurance, orientation, etc. I later learned that my friends also were accepted, and I made plans to have all three of us to be roommates. It really did felt exciting for me, yet I still felt that lingering "what if I got into UC Berkeley?" inside of me. I tried to push it aside, but it kept creeping in the back of my mind. By the time, I was convinced that I have my next few years planned, I learned that sometimes life does not work like that at all.

I shall continue on this story with something I wrote on the day I went to Senior Ball. 

Written on May 28, 2016 Saturday

For those who have talked with me for the past few days, you may already noticed that I was in a dilemma. Four days ago, something arrived in my email.

Tue, May 24, 2016 at 4:21 PM

An Update to your UC Berkeley Application

............

I never expected that I will be spending the next three days debating intensely over which college I should go to. I asked my counselor, my biology/AP Environmental Science teacher, my AP English teacher, over twenty friends through Facebook and in person, and my family over which one was best for me.

Update:
I ended up deciding to go to UC Berkeley over UC Davis. It was one of the hardest decision I had to make in my life because I want to go to a school for genuine reasons and not out of prestige or family pressure. After talking with 20+ people, I decided to block out the noise and visit the campuses to get a nice feel of the universities. At UC Berkeley, I felt I would have more opportunities to explore and expand my interests there in the humanities field and meet people with similar interests as me compared to what I found at UC Davis. There's a lot of activity going on in UC Berkeley, and it seemed quaint in that kind of sense. I don't know what will happened, but I would still say that both universities are terrific and still love to visit UC Davis (and maybe bring my friend's hammock, so that we can doze the day away).

Honestly a lot of my friends and teachers felt that I would be better at UC Davis, especially when I do plan to become a podiatrist in the future. I'm more of the relaxed, laid back person who loves nature. However, I work hard and find myself doing a lot of academic work in my free time, mainly because I cannot relax unless I'm convinced there is nothing for me to do. After I made my decision, I felt that my friends were looking at me with sad eyes while a few looked at me with genuine joy. I can still remembered how a friend of mine reacted when I told him I decided to go to UC Davis at school. Even though he rejected UC Berkeley to go to University of Washington, he was not happy that I was potentially doing the same thing he was doing, since he believed that I deserved to go to Berkeley. After I visited the UC Berkeley's campus and paid my SIR, I was wondering if I had made the right decision. On the day of prom, he coincidentally ran past my house, and I called him out. After he used my laptop for AP World History group work (since his little sister and her friend were using all the computers in his home), I told him my decision. He immediately told me, "Really? That's great!" and I felt that his reassurance is all I needed to hear.






 Maybe that is what life is about? Taking risks and having faith that in the end, and everything will be fine. Keep trusting in God because you never know what will happen in life, and it's an encouraging feeling to know that He is there for you even if it feels everything in life is shooting you down. You'll be surprise of how much things in life can change, and it's up to your discretion to whether or not the change is good, bad, or eh.

Moreover, I wanna share you guys my stories as a reminder that you have to look things at the long term and keep believing. I'm afraid that there are others who were in a similar positions as me would take drastic measures to get away from them. I almost did, and it was a close call. What stopped me was when I remembered that my family, friends, teachers, neighbors, etc do not want me to be a position where I think it's better for me to just poof away. They care about me and I care about them, and that's should be enough of a reason for me to endure a little longer until things calm down. After moving away from it, I looked back and realized how many fun, positive things I have experienced since then. Yes, there is the occasional crisis every now and then, but I believe the positive experiences and attitude we carry makes the difference.

So....................here's a positive message!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

Graduation--June 8, 2016

Excerpt from my red tiny notebook, which serves as my journal at school. I also will not include real people's names because that's not respectful to them, and I'm too lazy to write them out. :D Also I'm cutting out info from the notebook, since I am still infected by senioritis. :D

            "My last day at high school.

And I still have a lingering thought from what happened yesterday.

During 3rd period, I was visiting my friend's AP Chem class. Surprisingly, one of my friends was there and playing Exploding Kittens, a card game. He was mainly focused on learning the game, and I thought it was best to let him play without me distracting him. Once I returned to my classroom, I worked on my Berkeley and Ohlone transfer situation, since I'm figuring out which major I want to declare in: Molecular Environmental Biology, Integrated Biology, and Molecular and Cell Biology. The same friend who was playing the card game came in and I was surprised he was standing to me.

"Hey"-Friend

"Hi, how come you're here?"-me

"I want to say I'm sorry for not paying attention to you when I was playing the game."-Friend

"Oh, it's okay dude."-me

Even thought I did not expect him to say that to me, I was glad he came to see me and reach out to me. That made me really happy. 

Anyway, back to the last day of high school. I was in my 6th period class, and my AP English teacher was retiring. During the party, I had a private conversation with her, and she told me...

     "You're a deeply good person, you know? You're hardworking, you always gave everything your best, you're sincere, sweet and environmentally conscience. Don't forget that. I shall keep this together (referring to the gift I gave her) and will write you a thank you note. Uh, I'm trying not to cry."

Later on, she addressed the class with a kind, heartfelt message:

         As Michelangelo once said cue on par one, "I'm still learning." Never stop learning. It's not for grades. It's not for degrees. As Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." So keep questioning, That is my best hope for you, and I love you guys.

After I reflected on my years I have spent in this high school, I later wrote in my journal...

       "I miss Mission. The people really made it a place that I love. Even though I have felt a bit out of place at a few times, it has been a remarkable ride here. Yeah, I'm graduating with no regrets. This has been a fun ending for senior year, especially today. Especially the final day, since there is no final. I got pretty well grades, but who cares about that? All the memories here are what matters, and God let us have them and enjoy them. 

    

         Thank you God for a wonderful year! I know that I should finishing writing about the Ashland field trip, Prom, and extra things, but I admit it has been a wonderful ending. I enjoyed the memories and the visits from friends and teachers. I look forward to the future, and I hope everything will be alright. I know you'll keep me in my journey of life. I hope to continue to grow into the godly woman you want me to be. I know I'm afraid of the future and the loss of opportunities and the things I took for granted. But I enjoyed high school. Now I end with a song called "See you again." 

"It's been a long day without you, my friend.

And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again.

We've come a long way from where we began.

Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again.

When I see you again.

After I left the school, I was talking with my kouhais (people who are an year or more younger than me). I can remember one of my Physics friends driving past the school. She rolled down her window and shouted out, " I love you Deborah!", and I shouted back, "I love you (name)!" It really made me smile a lot, even though I was rushing back home to get my gown on for my graduation ceremony. The moment I got home, it took me 10 minutes to get all my preparations, and I was out the door in my mom's car. When I arrived at another high school where the ceremony was held, I waited for my friends who were already wearing their caps, gowns and cords. We chilled around and goofed around as we waited to be seated at the ceremony. It was a bit boring to sit in a chair in the hot sun for two hours, listening to inspirational speeches and the names of my classmates being called out. Good thing I had two great friends who kept poking my sides to keep me awake. (Can you sense my sarcasm here?) The best part of the ceremony was when I got to hug my teachers and see their joy for each and every one of us. After the ceremony, I took a lot of selfies with my friends and classmates and ate at Sweet Tomatoes with my family. It was a tiring day, and it did not hit me that I graduated high school. Hahahahaha. 

Now pictures while I still believe I'm going back to high school in the fall. Old habits die hard.

yeah, I wrote that on my friend's white board. Well he's a teacher, but I never had him as a teacher. Ehhhh....

Go class of 2016.

Okay, I should be resting my brain from remembering the past few months. Goodnight!

One Month Left

Wow... I am going to graduate in a month along with thousands of students as the Class of 2016.

Honestly, I never imagined the moment that I will walk on the stage and see my classmates draped in their capes and gowns. I have pushed aside that thought for many years, but it is creeping it on me and everyone else.

Ironically at this point, I still don't know which college I'm going to in the end because I am still waiting for my wait listed universities. I would say that for now, I got into UC Davis last Friday. Once I learned the news, I was screaming over all the place because I was so happy. However, my parents want me to wait to see if I have other offers. We'll see.

By the way, did I ever mention Gracie gave birth to six kittens on April 15, 2016 (well we had to bury the firstborn Thomas, but the five are doing well. Their names from left to right are Sophie, Benjamin, Rebecca, Jeremiah, and Sarah)

I then realized that this my last time in high school.
This may be my last time I get to see my classmates.
This may be the last time I get to have six periods per day with required attendance.
This may be the last time I get to walk in the corridors among the crowd of students.
This may be the last time I get to hang out with my teachers and friends on campus, knowing that I would not have to worry about time conflicts (especially if I have them in my class next to me).

Maybe because I have such little time, I started to hang out with my friends more and really get to know them well. In fact, today I spent two hours at a friend's home and another walking and talking with another friend of mine for an hour.
Maybe because I know I'm not always going to see my family everyday, I'm spending more time with them, such as going on long leisure walks with them and listening to their life stories (and complaints).
Maybe because I am sick of schoolwork, I am not focusing on my homework (which is getting easier by the day except for those Physics labs). Hey, I have been taking double math, double literature, double science classes this year while four of them are AP classes. I'm almost done with AP exams. I only have AP Statistics left, which is today!

But let me be serious here. I feel at this point of time, I need to focus on enjoying the time I have right now instead of regretting my mistakes or worrying about the future.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own. "-Matthew 6:3

Yes, it's from the Bible, and yes, I'm going to say something optimistic here. There is so much uncertainty lying ahead in the future that it's unnerving. I believe that at some points in our lives that most of us believe that things will get worse, and it's difficult to see the hope in amidst of the darkness that suffocates us. However, we tenacious humans still cling on to the lingering hope that life will get better if we just keeping holding on. Just never let go of that hope. If you do desperately want to, know that your family, friends, God, strangers, cats, anyone will help you. Never feel hopeless.



Okay, enough pep talk from me (I think this is pep talk, right?) I should be going to sleep no later than 1:00am. Hehehehehe.

As for what the school year has in stored, this is what I can say...(the dates are tentative, but you don't really need to know unless you're stalking me for some troll reason...)

One Tea Milk Tea MSJ Garden outing: May 14
Movies: May 15
Ashland, Oregon Field Trip for the Shakespeare Festival: May 18-20
Senior Prom: May 28
Fanime (hopefully I'll go): May 28-30
Graduation Ceremony: June 8
Drivers Test: June 9
Disneyland Field Trip: June 10-12

As for those who read this far, thank you and go to bed with a snugly blanket.
You should listen to this song from Anohana: The Flower that We Saw that Day
Secret Base-10 years After

Two Months and Then I Graduate

Wow, I graduate in less than two months and will be leaving my high school.
And I did not edited the following pictures. :P

Echeveria Peacockii

I have to admit my brain is still in the "Why am I stuck at school?" phrase while another part of it is in" I just wanna hang out with my friends and family with no work. Summer. Come to me. NOW!" For all you graduating senioristis -infected students, you know what I am talking about.

Dew covered Canlendula

However, we know there will be the goodbye approaching. Sometimes I had felt the goodbye as a bit melodramatic or understated because when I have visited my alumni friends, they seemed a-okay. Seemed.

Why did I emphasized that word? Because I felt that even when two months are going to slip past by, we all are holding secrets and unspoken feelings from each other, and sometimes a few of those secrets need to be said aloud in order to have closure. But since we are procrastinators ( I recommend reading Why Procrastinators Procrastinate or watching the TED talk Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator), we often delay it by saying, "Next time. "

But when is next time? No one knows because there is much uncertainty up ahead. And most of the times, it is the uncertainty that drives us insane. Yes, we can ask our parents, teachers, older friends and more for advice, but their advice can only go so far if we haven't experienced it yet.

For instance, recently I have been getting out advice on how to approach a girl to a good friend of mine. Even though I was questioning why in the world guys at this young age would panic on talking another fellow human being, I do understand that it is scary to talk to someone who you want to leave a good impression on. After a long Facebook chat with my friend, I realized how the key of having a close relationship with any person whether it be family, friend or boyfriend/girlfriend, starts by showing how you care for each other.

I shall repeat those words in case you didn't catch that.

STARTING RIGHT NOW, SHOW HOW YOU CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER!!!!

It's so important, yet most people underestimate it because it seemed so simple. (Just like procrastinating. Muahahaha). Not only you make the person feel special, but also you strengthen your relationship with them. And even when there is uncertainty up ahead, you be confident that the memories and the feelings you two have would continue on.

My shadow after a hail storm. :D
"Here comes the song"-the Beatles

Okay, I shall continue editing my UC San Diego wait listed essay. Wish me luck!

Day before yesterday I saw a rabbit, and yesterday a deer, and today, you.

I shall do a little tribute for something that deserves special attention.

       Today, while I merely watching episode 14 in Clannad, an anime I had started during Spring Break, Ichinose Kotomi (一ノ瀬 ことみ), one of the characters, repeated the enigmatic phrase to  Okazaki Tomoya (岡崎 朋也), the protagonist.

Day before yesterday I saw a rabbit, and yesterday a deer, and today, you.

         At first, her words struck me as odd yet soothing. I pondered what she had meant until I realized how close her words were to her when she disclosed her hidden memories. After I rewatched the scene in Clannad, I repeated those words and let them rolled off my tongue as if it was a lullaby. The words seemed to fly out of a book, and in fact, it did.

         After I quickly researched the phrase in InfiniteZenith's article, CLANNAD- Day before yesterday I saw a rabbit, and yesterday a deer, and today, you, it reappeared along with the title, The Dandelion Girl by Robert F. Young. It is a short science-fiction story written about the rediscovery of love found between the 42 year old Mark Randolph and the dandelion girl. As I read the story, I was enthralled by the story as I pictured the two, feeling anxious and longing for each other, despite the seemingly impenetrable time gap. (Read the story to know what I actually meant). 

        Throughout The Dandelion Girl, her words murmured again and again, as if her essence was captured in them. Those intimate words that were only reserved for the one person reminded me of Dos Palabras by Isabel Allende. (If you want to read the English version, click here).Throughout this short story, Belisa's words for the Colonel revealed how transforming and everlasting love and words were. Already at the budding age of (nah that I won't disclosed ;), I have already my secret repertoire of dos palabras tucked in my heart from those who I could not possibly forget. And now, I have a new one. Because I want to capture a deeper sense of these words, I closed my eyes and dreamed how I would reacted if I have seen a rabbit, a deer, and then the one. 

         Tears flowed down my cheeks while I opened my eyes. I wiped away my tears, chiding myself how young and inexperienced I was to think that I have honestly encountered what love was really like. Yet, I could not shake off the dear memories I had when I love someone dear to me. I already have them safely stored in my memories, but I was devastated to realize that we had felt towards each other did not last as long as I had hoped.

         Hope. My memory started to tingle as I began to recall the words that leave me feeling calm and a bit sad. Whenever I started to feel overwhelmed, they somehow return to my mind and repeat again and again until I realized what I had been almost forgotten.


加油! (Keep going!) -My grandmother who passed away.

Have Faith, Miss Chen. -My 10th grade math teacher.
Don't worry. In a few hours, the sun will come out. -one of my friends
You're a blessing to me. I'm lucky to have you.

I took a deep breath and smiled at my fond memories. I then reflected on how no matter how drastic things can be, I still have my family, dear friends, loved ones, and, of course, God. As I thought about them, I cannot give up. I have been given the chance a to grow and learn everyday, and I should not be stuck in the past. Even though it is painful to move on, I know that if I keep working and waiting, there will better things to come. Besides, there are still beautiful things in the worlds.

 A quote from Clannad.

            "The world is beautiful. Even when they are filled with sadness and tears, open your eyes. Do what you wish to do. Become what you want to be. Don't rush, and take your time in becoming an adult."

Free free to listen to "Roaring Tides II" song from Clannad. It's really moving.

Mission Peak!

Why, hello there!

Since it is Spring Break, my friends and I decided to start off by hiking Mission Peak, my hometown icon. 

I woke up at 6:30 am and arrived at the entrance of the Ohlone trail with a few of my friends. Because some people in our big friend group, officially called the Kiwi Turtles, woke up late, everyone waited for another hour before we could all start to hike. 

Still waiting near the parking lot

The hike overall was really peaceful and eventful. As we walked uphill, I got to talk with my friends about who we could trust, back problems, what is considered to be childish, and other philosophical concepts we seventeen-years old have. I felt that with each step I took, I was one step closer to my goal and one step away from the academic pressure and college expectations. 

That reminds me, did I mentioned that college acceptance letters came out during last March? Indeed they did. Even though I got rejected from six universities and wait listed from four universities, I got accepted into UC Santa Barbara for Pre-Biology. So excited to go to college soon! 

Anyway, back to hiking. One of our friends did walked back by himself because of personal reasons, which is okay. Once the Kiwi Turtles reached the peak, we simply gazed around the view and enjoyed each other's company. We ate some rice crackers and played Worst Case Scenario cards, which are quite useful in case we want to hot wire a car, drive on a motorcycle in a rainstorm, or get attack by a bear. Hey, you never know what is coming to get you.

Aerial View

Taken by my Friend

Selfy Stick! (lol it's not mine)

Lupines on the Hillside*

The Golden Country*

California Poppies*

Baby cow and the Mommy!

On the way down, my friend and I talked about our high school's garden, in which I am in charge of. He offered a plethora of advice concerning about members, weeds, rock path, and organization. As he criticized what needs to be done at the MSJ Garden, I smiled at him and felt grateful that he's willing to help me out. 

When we return to the parking lot, we decided to visit Starbucks (got a Honey Frappuccino) and T4 ( got a peppermint milk tea). We simply rested and enjoyed our cold drinks until we had to go home. It was still pretty nice, fun day. A few of us did visited one of our friend's cat, Tommy, at her home and rested there.

The neighborhood cat outside of Starbucks

The entrance of T4, a milk tea shop

A few of the Kiwi Turtles chilling

Yeah...it was a nice day.

Sorry, my brain is a little tired from hiking. 

Hope you enjoy the pictures. Some of them were not edited unless indicated by *.

A Lot Can Happened in Three Days

"Hey guys!"-Ryan Higa

If you don't understand the reference, I suggested checking out his Youtube channel called nigahiga.

I honestly thought of that because he noticed that most of his vlogs started with him greeting everyone, "Hey guys!"

Anyway...

If you looked back to my previous blog post on Valentine's Day, I mentioned about my physics project, which took my friend and I three consecutive days.

        Before we presented our project in class, I walked to my friend's home at 7 am to help prepare the project and do a small test run. However, we did not because we did not have enough lemon juice for the test run, and we both were tired beyond belief and took an half  a hour nap before we arrived at school around 8 am. Since our high school has a Wednesday 9 am start day, we hung out in the library where we stored our project and set up an essential component of our project nervously.

We agreed to come back as soon as first period was over, since our physic class was second period. Before our physics class started, we can carried our project outside the classroom and set it up as students passed by. There were a few kinks we ran into: the motor did not move and the tissue full of baking soda was dangling precariously in the wind.

Eventually within the next five minutes, everything was set up the way we wanted it to be (Thank you so much God!). My friend and I displayed our project as my teacher went over the inspections. I flicked the lighter and lit the string hanging the baking soda.
In less than a minute, our project completed its job with flying colors (and lemon juice foam). My friend and I were a bit dazed to realize what happened but felt relieved to see our hard work had paid off. We watched our classmates' energy machines, and we were amazed that only two groups out of thirteen done very well.

Hmmm. I want to include a picture of it, but the picture quality is not what I hope for.
So I include a picture of the prototype. (we removed the oranges and replaced them with a battery pack. :p)

So why did I wrote about it? Because it is nice to celebrate the little accomplishments along the way. Senior year is not going to last long, so I better enjoy my time here.

Happy Valentines Day!

"It should be called 'Singles' Awareness Day'."-my Government Economics teacher.

Today is Valentines' Day. To me, it's a day when I get free candy, someone's birthday, and my dad buys my mom roses and take us all out to dinner. It is also a holiday where I hope the Valentine cards I made are given away! I made around fifteen cards and sold most of them. Yippee!

Butterflies

Pusheen 

Winnie the Pooh

But this year, it is a day when I spend time alone with my friend as we race to the end of finishing our Physics project!

Yes...Physics. A wonderful subject that explains the incredible phenomena this universe has and a subject in which my friend and I look to each other with apprehension and a sigh. However the class is pretty fun when we both work together even though it does drive us crazy.

For the past three days, we have been working nonstop on our energy machine. Our original plan set a fire to a string holding a tissue with baking soda. The string would break and the baking soda would fall into a cup of lemon juice that would soon bubbled out into a straw. The straw would then direct the liquid to a turbine that would rotate and power a motor to hit a tiny box.

Our plan in theory would worked, but in reality it was greatly modified as we experimented numerous methods of generating and utilizing electricity using a water turbine, a motor/generator and lemon juice. We tested the idea last Friday, and that idea quickly fizzled out when we realized the water turbine could not produce enough electricity. The next day, we then switched to test how much electricity lemons produce. Enough to power a LED light bulb but not a motor. After five hours of experimentation, we took a break and a quick ice cream break with a side nap.After our break, my friend suggested to use a battery to give a boost of energy and lemon juice to complete the circuit. Not a bad idea.

Today we used copper, galvanized steel, lemon juice, baking soda and batteries to power the motor. Our current plan was that the as the baking soda-lemon juice foam flow out of the cup, the liquid would flow down the cup into a bowl and fill it up. When the bowl is full, the copper and steel would have a connection and be able to complete the circuit. The circuit has two batteries and a motor with a stick attached. Once the circuit is complete, the motor would move and complete its job. Again, our plan would work in theory but not somehow not in reality.

After a few trial and errors for about two hours, we ran out of ideas and decided to take a little nap break. I could not nap well, so I returned back the project and had an idea. I got some Styrofoam and shaped some pennies and wires into it and then attached it to the circuit. After my friend woke up, I suggested that when the foam flows in the cup, the Styrofoam with the copper attached would float up and be able to connect with the steel hovering about it, thus completing the circuit. We then tested the idea four times, but we had to stop because the fire we initially set burned a bit out of control and I inhaled the smoke as I was frantically blowing it out. Note to self: doing that may trigger a slight asthma reaction. I gradually recovered with a little fresh air and my friend's inhaler, but we need to finish the project quickly since I have to be home within an hour. We set up one more time, and ....it worked fine. We then decided to celebrate with ice cream and a nap!

So why did I share this story with you guys? First take breaks and nap because ideas seem to flow once your head is rested with some ice cream. :D
Okay, the reason is that I want to show that Valentine's Day could be a special or a regular day, depending on you do on that day. And the same message goes with any other day.Yes, Valetine's Day is a day of love and Lent (I recently went to my first mass with my Physics buddy). However to me, today's Valentines Day is day I spent time with my family and friends with the knowledge that spring is right around the corner.

Enjoy the pictures.

I'm not sure what they are called. Almond flowers?

Winter Break memories

Hey guys!

I know I have not written in my blog ever since my senior year came. A lot has happened and I guess I did not have the time to share out my pictures with you guys. Previously, I ended my last blog post with a note I wrote to a friend. Now I want to slowly return to the cycle of regularly writing and posting pictures online. So let's see if I am able to accomplish this little goal of mine. But first, here are some significant memories I want to share from Winter Break 2015.

December 22, 2015 Tuesday

I woke up around 7 am and decided to hike up a hill to touch the 16 on the hill. I am not a morning person, so I knew I must take advantage of this serendipity. I guess after my friend dared me to hike the 16, I have been secretly waiting for the day when I can. I must admit the view of my hometown is breathtaking as my shoes were completely soaked with water from the dew on the grass. But it was worth it.

My hometown

My home from the hill

December 29, 2015 Tuesday

If you remembered my friend Stanley from my previous blog posts, then you should know that he and my other old high school friends came back home during Winter Break. He invited me to go hiking with them to Sunol, and I agreed. Even though I was the only girl there, it was pretty fun to hike five hours with these cool guys and see the fantastic view of Sunol. I even believe the hike is much more better than Mission Peak's. You'll see what I mean. After we were done hiking, we grabbed a few milk teas and mosey our way home.

My hiking buddies

Our shadows

A few trees on the way

Grassy hills and mountains

View from Flagstaff

Into the Woods

Standing on the Verge

Second Semester Senior...almost there

Hey guys!

I know I have not written a blog post since Senior year whacked me hard with work and commitments. But it has been an interesting ride with my family, friends, teachers and my cat Gracie.

Recently, I had going through a lot of interrogations with myself, not just because I have to for college applications but mainly to realize what I have been missing this whole time. And I think I'm gaining a sense of what I had taken for granted.

Life can be short, long, difficult, easy,--in short anything. It honestly depends on one's perspective and attitude towards the situations. The situations can change to whatever extent, but how we react either needs to be change or kept. 

A positive outlook? Keeper! A complaining mood? Tried to realize what you already have is priceless.

I guess what I want to say is tied in this one letter I wrote to a dear friend of mine back in August 23, 2015.

Hello ( I shall never reveal the name! :D )

     I want to write this out before the pressure of senior year hits us hard. Keep in touch...do not forget that you are not alone. I always used to think we have our own emotions that no one has ever felt, but it turns out we all do [share them together]. That is why we need each other, family, friends, and God. Remember to set aside some time for Him (referring to God). And I have been praying for you, so please do not feel discouraged. I believe in you, dude. And I remembered to keep my joy as you have told me. Thank you for helping realize that. Good luck!

Sincerely

Deborah Chen

Now it's time for me to follow my advice and others too.

Enjoy!

My cat Gracie in a Happy Birthday bag!

Hens in Sunol Agpark farm

University of California Berkeley 

Rainy day at home 12-13-15