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

Thanksgiving Break indeed

As a quick snappy recap, Senior year is still tiring but enjoyable. Well it honestly depends on your perspective. Since the UC and other colleges' deadlines are mainly November 30 or December 1, many of my friends are acting one of these two ways:

1. Freaking out and working on them as if there's no tomorrow. ( cough cough procrastinating cough)

2. Chilling out with friends and enjoy Thanksgiving break.

3. Both 1 and 2

Ding ,ding, ding I'm number 3 especially the last three days when I have working everyday on my UC application.

And now all I have left is my first UC prompt and the Optional information section that I did not know it existed after I entered my perfected second U prompt. Way to go Deborah...( face palm). But I had been visiting my friends and helping them with their applications. Well, if you count stuffing yourself with food and then talk with one another for hours as their applications. I would confidently say that Sundays are my weirdest days. Should I talk about my day or just post pictures so you can go "Oooh, Ahhh."? How about both? When I have the time... (Now go "Oohhh, Ahhh, Pwetty."

Sunday November 22, 2015

I biked over to my friend's house for her birthday party, carrying her birthday present, which is puppy-shaped necklace, and Othello to annotate. Ten minutes, I'm at her door a little out of breath, since I had not biked in a while. Her little sister who I previously met at Link Crew opened the door and let me inside. The birthday girl Asta came down stairs to hug me and I gave her present, which was wrapped up and neatly tucked in a bag. She then showed me the trays of food placed all around the room, and I was amazed that she baked them herself. And the food was definitely amazing. How could she baked them?
As I was grabbing some lasagna sprinkled with bread crumbs, one of my friends Clarence came downstairs and chatted with a bit. I told him that one of our best friends, Rafael was not able to come ( we soon found out why.) and thus established Clarence being the guy at the party. He later helped me prepare for my MIT interview, asking me questions about myself and listening me ramble on and getting caught up in details and such. I often do that when I was, as shown here. But the practice really did help me prepare and discover what I should research more on.

Since I'm running out of time, long story short.

I went to a birthday party and stuff myself with food. Clarence and I visited Rafael to work on his UC essays. After Clarence walked home, I later persistently ask Rafael questions on his life until he had a breakthrough. Then I biked to Clarence's house to return him his jacket that he left at Rafael's house. His family let me stay inside and I played Cantan with his little sister and him. Later I worked on my UC app and biked home around 9:00pm. Thank God I live three minutes away from his house.

Art Supplement

Hey guys! I'm back after a long hiatus from September up to the day before Halloween.

Well even though I do enjoy being a senior, I must embark on the daunting journal of COLLEGE APPLICATIONS!
And I decided to submit an art supplement to showcase my photography ( up to 10 pics) and give the admission officers a little taste of who is Deborah Chen. Plus I guess I want to see if I should submit my photographs and make sure they are the best I have so far.

Because I have not yet edit my newly taken pictures on Camera Raw, there would be some pictures I already posted in this blog shown in this post.
Please comment below which pictures should i considered?  I know I definitely put in the GPA state one after I retouched it a bit.

The picture my teacher talked about a lot throughout the year. In fact, he mentioned it during my Student of the Year Reward Ceremony.

New Pictures ( not edited yet)

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Nature Pictures

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These were from the ATPI contest post

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Back to School-SENIOR YEAR!

Hi guys!

I know I have not posted on my blog for a while, since the demands of schoolwork along with college prep (ugh those essays) piled on top of each other. And I have not been taking and editing my pictures lately. But this is an update and heads-up. So I am hoping to at least have a post up by the end of September.

And whoever is looking at my photography blog. 

Thank you. I genuinely appreciate your guys' time to look at my stuff.

As for now enjoy this picture of this Echeveria Peacockii  

Senior year in a nutshell is crazy. Who can imagine the hectic things we people must do. This calls for a nap.............

(shush, I'm sleeping in my dreams of secret agents performing physics-defying stunts on a quest to save the world!!! [Slams head into my textbooks..must annotate the Iliad...100 pages by next Monday...])

Flowers and a Cat

A little nature taste for you guys if you are in need of some.

Amaryllis belladonna

Gracie my kitty

Up the hill

Mexican Sunflower

曇花

Epiphyllum  Tánhuā

This flower opens at night time only. It is the first time I got to a white version of it. It smells so good and it's so beautiful.

Phalaenopsis

Fred Weibel Elementary School

Hey guys!

           Biking for Two hours in 80 degrees ( obviously Fahrenheit or I be a melted Deborah). Why did I do that?

          A little fun fact about me: I went to Weibel Elementary school for kindergarden and first grade. Then I switched schools. On my last day at Weibel, my first grade teacher Mr. Kilby said to come back and visit. That was June 2005. So it took me 10 years and 2 months to come back and visit. Imagine of seeing one's old elementary school only 4 times since one left. Yeah.

          So what got me the idea to come back? Well I wanted to for such a long time. And the last time I seen Weibel was last Monday when I was driving home (with a permit and a driving instructor though I didn't know I was actually driving since I was so nervous). When I saw the school's sign, I kinda took my foot off the throttle when I was turning and just pointed at it, smiling. Tip: Never focus on one point when you're driving. That's what the instructor told me. Anyway, since my Thursday afternoon was free I just decide to bike there since school starts in 13 days. That's too close. And I made it a goal of mine to visit Weibel this summer so why not?

         When I bike over there ( took me half an hour or so), I felt nostalgic and happy there. I actually remember some of the fun times I have with my friends, where my classrooms were, the multipurpose room, the look of the school (well everything seems smaller until I bent down my knees)...I miss it a lot. I admit it's the first time I miss and enjoy a school, since my other schools are an everyday view and not always full of great memories. And my times at Weibel were not all great, but being there made me happy. A lot has changed and a lot stayed the same when I left. I got lost there in my feelings as I roam around the school ( and attracting the attention of the janitor there. Hi!) Hmm, sometimes I wished I could stayed at Weibel and not move schools and houses...but I did switched schools and houses. I can't change that. But I can enjoy the experience and memories. And there are definitely some great memories I cherish. And I was luckily ( Thank you God!!) reunite with one of my Weibel friends. Soooo....

Happy Birthday Alexander Lee! (Whether early or belated, still happy birthday) Maybe you and I can come back here, visit and make new memories.

The Blacktop area

View of the school portable 

(next to room 32, my first grade classroom)

View of the school

The Multipurpose room inside

The Multipurpose room outside

Beautiful Mural
(Why that not there when I attended the school? Pretty)

The Office
(Great places to wait for my parents on those days)

The Parking lot

Me in my biking helmet reflecting off a classroom window
( I look weird. L.o.l)

View of the School
(It's like a maze. Amazing♪)

Great view to remember

Race ya!

Me feeling euphoric

One of the most fun summer I had. YAY!