The End and the Beginning

Well, the year is coming to a close. It is an end as well as a beginning. A time to start afresh, and let things go. Looking back on 2008, I realized that I grew a lot this year. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. This year we performed the play "The Mouse that Roared." That really felt like the beginning of things to come in high school. It was a challenge and also extremely fun. I learned to golf in one of my favorite classes of the semester. I survived Spirit Week without many scratches and even earned myself a bow from the teacher I impersonated. My acting grew at Theatricum this year. My scene and monologue were big challenges and I am so proud of how hard I worked and that I was able to pull through. I got a great part in Taming of the Shrew and had a wonderful time. I learned a lot about acting, Shakespeare and what helps me with a scene. Being in a repratory Theatricum play has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. It was one of the highlights of my summer I really hope I can be a part of it again next year! I took some great photos this year. I'm not a master or anything, but it's nice to improve. I audtioned for Pippin and sung in front of people on my own. That has been a big fear for a while. Even though I didn't get the part I wanted I made my new part really fun and I'm so happy with what happened. I've taken chances with the role and wasn't afraid to look odd in front of everyone. The Native American trip will always linger in my mind for 2008. It was an amazing experience and I am so lucky to have been there. I will never forget the memories I have from there, the beautiful canyon, the friends I made and the laughs I had. I fulfilled another childhood dream by performing in the Halloween skits. I played in the winter concert loudly and didn't mess up more then twice. In all I think this past year really helped me begin to conquer some of my fears and well as accomplish some of my dreams. I had a wonderful time and I made so many good memories. I remember 2007 as a rather strange year, but I know I'll remember 2008 as one where I had hard times as well as fun ones. Goodbye 2008, hello 2009. What do you have in store for me I wonder. What goals will I accomplish and fears will I conquer? Happy old year and happy new year.
May 2009 bring joy and good fortune.

Winter Concert 08

On December 11 we had our Winter Concert at school. There were three groups that performed. First was hand bells. They played several songs which were pretty, but they could have done half of the pieces. Next was choir. There was a new choir teacher this year and it was interesting to see what the choir sounded like with her. I thought they did good, a bit off at times, but overall good. We, the orchestra, played last. My friend Claudia is an amazing violinist and the first piece, Violin Concerto, was her "solo" piece. She sounded wonderful and I think we backed her up nicely. Next the quartet played the Pachelbel's Canon. It was the first time I had heard them play it and I thought it sounded great! Next we played Chameleon by Herbie Hancock. That was my least favorite piece to play. It's hard for flute and we're supposed to play it really fast. We ended with my favorite piece Get Happy. The piece begins with a tom tom like drum beat, followed by the trombone and keyboard. The piece sounded great! I had a really good time! I was nervous but it felt nice playing with everyone in orchestra. I think we have a good group and I'll be sad when the seniors aren't there next year.
All in all, the night went really well. I hope everyone watching enjoyed it as much as I did.

Photographs taken by Andrew Neuhart

The Fall

We see many movies in our life. Some we like others we don't, and then there are those that are different and seem to hit a chord inside of us. I recently saw the film the Fall with my mom and Greg. I saw the trailer this summer and thought that it looked interesting so I was glad when it arrived in the mail via Netflix. I absolutely adored the film. It was so wonderful and inspiring. In a hospital in the 1940's, I young girl with a broken arm befriends a man who was injured by a fall. He tells her a fantastical story about 5 heroes. But are there darker motives behind this charming story? The film is a stunning treat for the eyes. Every shot is like a vivid work of art. It's colorful, simple and rich. The film was shot on 18 countries over the world which only adds to the films stunning appearance. The costumes were also brilliant. They were more dull for real life and when in the story they were vibrant and unusual. The acted was wonderful. The little girl had a lovely presence and you really feel for her. As for Roy (Lee Pace), the man who tells the story, he did a great job as well. He showed the pain that the character was feeling and even if his choices were not good, I couldn't force myself to dislike him. In all it was an amazing film which I highly recommend. It was really inspiring and I cannot wait to see it again! I hope it gets recognized when the Oscars come around it really deserves a nod for best costumes or cinematography.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite times. I love eating good food and being with family. This year I didn't have a huge extravagant dinner, but a small one with my mom, dad and Greg. We spent most of the day cooking and then ate. There was the usual turkey mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce as well as a green bean salad that was amazing, fig and chestnut stuffing, a relish salad and homemade vanilla ice cream. We planned on seeing a movie afterwards, but it didn't quite work out. Instead we played Scrabble which was extremely fun. I don't think I had ever played before and I came in second place! We had a good deal of laughs and invented several new words, Balorclain and Downatoupe, thanks to dad and Greg.In all it was a really fun night and I had a great time eating yummy food and being with family.

Halloween

The idea of Halloween has always been more fun then the actual day itself. I used to have a ton of fun on Halloween night. I'd go to the schools Halloween night which was a series of skits at the end of each we would receive a little treat. I always enjoyed it. Lately though I haven't been having the best Halloween. At school some of the high schoolers were putting together the skits for the Halloween night and they needed volunteers. I played Sleeping Beauty in one skit and My and Ventana were in skits as well. It was extremely fun except for the fact that the dress I was wearing was extremely tight and it was a little hard to breath. I got to lie down on this bed they made for me, and let my mind drift. It was really relaxing. Then when I felt someone sit down next to me I ran over my lines. I awoke when someone kissed my forehead then handed out chocolate kisses to the little kids. I only had a couple lines so it wasn't hard to remember them. I think the hardest part was trying not to laugh while I was asleep. Dusty, who played the prince, is the funniest person I know and more then once I had to restrain myself from laughing. In all, it was really fun and I wouldn't mind doing it again next year.
Next Ventana, My and I went trick or treating. We were dressed as Little Bo Peep and her sheep. The only problem was by the time we left school it was around 9:30 and no one was out. We went back to her house and talked and played games.
I had a great night, I wonder what next year has in store for me.

Superman Returns

I remember someone telling me I would like the film Superman Returns so I put it on my Netflix. Months, maybe even a year later I received it. I watched it, not quite knowing what to expect. I had always been rather critical of Superman just because of his suit I guess. Something about a man in a spandex blue and red suit flying around is just a little strange to me. Anyways, I found myself engrossed in the movie not wanting it to end. I think the actors were cast just right for they played their parts quite well, especially Brandon Routh, Superman. He did a great job acting one way when he was Superman and another when he was Clark. The film had some really beautiful shots and the colors were wonderful. I also like the costumes. They were 1920's/1930's like but then again they were different and unique. In the end, it was a magnificent masterpiece, but a movie that I enjoyed. I think people tend to criticise to easily. Yes, that might not be realistic, or that character wouldn't have done that,but the truth is, it is a story. And in the world of stories, anything is possible. Many people have said this film was bad, but I liked it, and recommend it. 

Bowling Day

Since it has been so long since I last posted, I'm going to do many short entries about what has been happening!

On October 15 we had our PSAT's at school. I was surprisingly not nervous when I sat down at my desk. About an hour or two later, my test sat closed upon my desk, ready to be collected. I think I did pretty well considering. Since I'm still learning Geometry, I couldn't complete all of the math questions, but other than that there it wasn't super hard.

Next we piled into school buses and headed for the bowling alley. This is somewhat of a high school tradition to go bowling after the big test. I like to bowl, but I'm not the greatest at it. I actually made a strike, but it was when I was playing for someone else. I can in last or second to last in every game we played. In all it was very fun and I had a great time.

Perfume

A week or so ago mom Greg and I watched the film called "Perfume: the story of a murderer."

My mom had read the book and fell in love and once the film came out she had to see it. She said that it was well done for a film, but nowhere near as good as the book. I was curious to see what this film had in store for me.

Perfume tells the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a man born with superior olfactory senses. Everything in the world has it's smell, but when he comes to a smell that can not be taken with him he begins a quest to capture it, at any cost.

I enjoyed the film very much. It was beautifully shot, and the locations and color were gorgeous. Most people seem to have a problem with some of the ideas in the film, but I found them very interesting. It is not often that you find a story that it utterly unique. When you come upon those films people often say "that was one of the strangest films I've ever seen." as if it is a bad thing. I think it is a good thing to be strange. It is for more captivating and inspiring. 

The actors were also very good. Grenouille was amazing for even though he might be considered the bad guy, I never truly disliked him. I still felt compassion for his character. It was very neat to see the actress Rachel Hurd-Wood for the last time I saw her was as Wendy in Peter Pan. 

All in all it was a very good film with some extraordinary ideas. I enjoyed it and I recommend it to anyone who is willing to open their mind and except strange concepts. It is not for everyone and not all will understand what the film has to offer. But for those who do, it is a treat. 

The Native American Trip

On Saturday, the 27th of September, my class and I met at Union Station to go on our Native American trip. Since the beginning of school we have been in the Native American block and this trip finishes it off. It is the trip that classes always talk about, at 12th grade graduation there are many that say this was their favorite trip.
At a quarter to five pm my dad and I arrived at Union Station. I was very excited for this trip and I was looking forward to bonding with our class. We boarded the train and headed off for Gaullp New Mexico. At first I was excited to take a twelve hour train ride with my class, for I thought it sounded like fun, and in the beginning, it was fun. I sat next to My, we laughed, drew, I played cards with Armand and Ventana and overall had a good time. But when everyone besides My and I began to fall asleep, my happiness began to fade. Trains are uncomfortable to sleep on, at least to me. I could never seem to find a good place to rest my head with out hurting my neck. In the end, I got about three hours sleep, but that was all. Others didn't get much either, but when morning came, I was feeling pretty bad. The train pulled into Gaullp at about 8:15. We got all and waited for our bus to pick us up, then we got on the bus for another five hours. Buses are another story I feel asleep easily and slept for another hour.
After a couple hours of hangman and taking pictures we arrived at the Baptist Christian camp in Hespurus Colorado. This was where we would be staying that night and the last night of the trip as well. It was very beautiful there. The trees were turning bright yellow, orange and deep red. In fact, it was one of the most beautiful places I have been to. After unloading all our luggage into the house I decided to take a walk around with My and Claudia. Even though I was feeling sick, I couldn't help but enjoy my surroundings. Dinner was another matter. The food was, well, not great. My chicken was raw on one side and over cooked on the other. It was not my best meal on the trip. After a good nights sleep we packed up and loaded back onto the bus. We drove a beautiful drive for an hour and arrived at the canyon tribal park.
Our camp was a mile or so in so some of us walked and the others rode horses. Upon There was also Josh and Copper who were there to help us on the trails. Since it was such a hot dayarriving at our camp we meet our "hosts" the cooks, Perry and Lynn the typical cowboy and cowgirl. we headed down to the river which was cold and clear. The cold water did good for everyone and even though Alison got attacked by bees while we were there, I think we all had a great time. On returning to camp we played cards and ate our first meal outdoors. The food was much better than at the Baptist camp and I found myself feeling like a real live cowgirl. I decided to sleep under the stars with the rest of the class that night. It was cold, but the stars were so amazing that I couldn't help but want to stair at them all night long. Halfway through the night I was woken by a cold and shivering Ventana who wanted to know if I would sleep in the tent with her. I was went with her, my body freezing as the cold winds whipped past us. The only problem with the tent was the fact that it didn't zip closed so the whole night the wind whipped the door flaps making a huge amount of noise. Morning dawned bringing intense cold. I wore two hats, a shirt, a sweater, a jacket and gloves and I was still cold. We ate breakfast, biscuits and gravy, which was actually quite good, if not a little rich.
Then we loaded into cars which drove us to the foot of the mountain we were to climb. The climb began hard, and got worse. My legs hurt in the first few minutes and I couldn't help but wonder if I would make it to the top. We reached an ancient dwelling called two story which was amazing to see. We got to climb up and look through the windows and see into what was once a home. It took at least two hours to make it to the top of the mesa. It was worth it when we did for it felt as though we were on top of the entire world. We could see everything. There was a small pile of rocks on the ground and our teachers told us that every student from our school who had been here before placed a stone in that pile. I wonder what that pile will look like in years to come. Will people wonder who my rock belonged to?
We ate lunch and then walked across the top of the mesa. By this time we were all low on water and dreamed of strawberry lemonade with lots of ice. Quatro, our teacher stopped us and pointed to the edge of the cliff. He said that if we went down there we would come to one of the coolest ruins he had seen. Of course there would be a rope for us to hold, but I was terrified. I finally built up the courage to climb down. We were shone an amazing sight. Under the cliff was a cavern with a stone pillar that stretched to the ceiling. There were little rooms and we ever found a large arrow head.
The walk back down the mountain wasn't as hard. In fact I rather enjoyed it. We came home to camp and flopped down on the ground exhausted.
The next day we took another all day hike, this time up a different mountain. I'd have to say that as hard as the first hike was, this was harder. Our guild took us the wrong way up the mountain because he couldn't find the trail thus we had to climb over rocks that were sometimes far from sturdy. One good thing was I had my friends around me to talk to, if not for them, I would have stopped halfway up the mountain. We finally reached the cliff ruin we had been climbing to. We eat lunch next to ruins, looking out at the beautiful mountains. It was absolutely stunning. For this hike we had two Indian guilds, one told us the story of the bear dance and the other sung us the songs to the dances. It was one of the most amazing parts of the whole trip. Looking out over the canyon and hearing the songs of the natives. I could almost see them crossing the land below me. I will not forget that quickly, that's for sure.
Upon arriving back to camp we played cards skipped rocks on the river and had another American meal. For dessert we were able to make fry bead which was delicious. What you do is you take a round ball of dough stretch it out nice and flat and drop it into a pan of boiling oil. You take it out, sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon, or honey or sugar and you have the most wonderful treat. It was so good!
The next morning we packed our bags and took down the tents. It was very sad for I felt as though this place was my home. I would miss all the people and their dogs I had lived with for the past few days. We said goodbye and began our walk out of the canyon.
Upon arriving at the Baptist Camp the one thing on everyone's mind was "showers!" It felt so nice to wash the dirt off. I put on clean clothes and realized how nice it felt to be clean and dust free. My, Joey G, Armand and I decided to take a walk around the beautiful land. We went to a lovely place on top of a hill with trees and lots of neat plants. We found ourselves racing leaves down the river, and taken many pictures of ourselves using the plants around us. While walking back to the house we decided to scare Ventana while coming out of the bathroom. I went by the window a growled like a bear next thing I knew I saw a flash of golden hair speeding away.
We decided our next victim would be the new boy, Joey Weitz . Over the trip we had grown good friends and I had learned he was terrified of bears. Once he was in the bathroom, Armand growled at the window and when he came out, My, Ventana and I growled and rustled the grass. On the count of three we burst from our hiding place to see Joey yell, through the flashlight into the air and bolt towards the bathroom door. It was hilarious. Luckily Joey laughed about it and wasn't mad at us. It was extremely fun.
The next day we loaded up and drove to the town of Durango for a couple hours of eating, shopping and being tourists. My and I went on a quest for moccasins which we found. We ate and discovered a chocolate place which we visited several times. We also found some very neat hats that we are hoping to make in the future. It was quite fun and nice to have a day to transition back to normal life, cars and buildings.
We got back on the bus and drove to the Gaullp train station where we waited for three hours for our train. Luckily Ventana brought cards so that the wait wasn't to boring. On the train, we talked, listen to music and fell asleep. I awoke and looked outside to see buildings that looked rather like home. It was nice to get off the train at nine that morning and see our parents waiting there for us. Even though I'd had so much fun, I was glad to go home.
In the end, it was an amazing trip and I had a ton of fun. I made some great friends and got closer to a lot of my class. I miss the mountains and the freshness of Colorado. I'll also miss the fun adventures I had with my class. I had such a great time and I'll remember it forever. To my class, I love you all.