an excuse for FUN

So my sister has a Swiss exchange student named Jessica. I love exchange students. When they come, it gives my parents an excuse to have the most fun packed weeks. For example: when the buddies were picked up from the upper campus last Friday, we all went to the mall and my mother had to pay for all the Forever 21 clothes I wanted! Also, on Saturday, we drove out near Santa Cruz and rode a train (which was quite boring actually), then afterward spent the day at the Beach Boardwalk and beach! I had so much fun with my friend Margaux and all the other Swiss buddies (in my new orange pants!) On Sunday, Margaux's family and mine decided to spend most of the day at San Francisco walking through Pier 39 and the Giradelli area (we had too much ice cream for our health!) Today was Monday and I went over to Margaux's house for dinner. We played Rockband and had lasagna! Margaux's buddy is named Fanny, so I became best friends with her! Exchange students are fun! I'm enjoying the moment:)

My friend Cynthia and I can be quite a disturbance, but that is just who we are. On the last night at Disneyland, Avni made us come and endure the most torchurous an horrendous ride on the park--It's a Small World! We were so bored as we watched the lame children made out of card board and electrical wire dance and sing one of the most hated songs. There were not even any seat belts on the benches of the boat! I began to text and Cynthia came up with an idea to escape the maddness. Cynthia and I decided (as we sat together in one row) to try and make the boat topple back and forth or just lopside! We failed to be able to rock the giant blue boat, so we decided to squeeze together on one side of the bench.
The poor couple in the bench behind us glared as we made fools of ourselves for entertainment. The boat indeed became lopsided and Avni was displeased! I guess I did not really pay attention to the ride's surroundings after the little children sang the first verse, but it was too repetitive and plain. Maybe when I am older I would appreciate the ride and drap my poor children to experience it. Muhaha

stalkerness!

(Once again in Disneyland)--When my friends and I were eating breakfast, Avni of course sighted a handsome waiter. That is where my blog should end, but no! My friends discovered his name shortly afterward--Mathew. Soon afterward, Avni started to ask for more "butter" and "syrup". Anyway of him to acknowledge Avni and my friends was success. It came to a point where we noticed his waiter shift to be in the mornings, so whenever we had breakfast, we had to map him out! My blog unfortunately doesn't stop here either.
On the last morning of our trip, we made sure to make an appearance, if not... we did. Avni's memories and daydreams of this poor man was not enough. She needed a picture! Of course John and Cynthia jumped right up to complete the task! "Stand here John!" Cynthia would say, as John placed himself right next to Mathew. The camera obviously turned from John to capture Mathew. We laughed at the foolishness of my friend from a far away table--embarrassing! It came to a point where John captured a picture of him through a mirror and the scary part is, he was looking at the camera. We left that part of the restaurant with all the other waiters and waitresses laughing at the physico Cynthia and John's photo shoot! Avni agrees it was quite unacceptable, but it got the task done...

sparkling night

During my friends and my trip at Disneyland, I was able to re ride all those roller coasters I only daydreamed about years after my first visit. I believe the most amazing experience is riding roller coasters when the sun is down and all the lights of Disneyland and California Adventures are lit! During one of the nights we were roaming around Disneyland, we were able to time our roller coaster ride on the Matterhorn (the roller coaster near the middle of the park made into an icy mountain) during the 9:30pm fireworks show. As our cart was inching upward within the mountain for our first drop, we were able to hear the enormous booms of the first fireworks. As we zoomed down the drops and turns in the mountain ride, we were able to see glimpses of Disneyland from up above as well as the fireworks sparking overhead. Though the ride kept us screaming, I believe all my friends and I truly appreciated the experience, just in case it could never happen again.

just scream...

So my friends and I celebrated Margaux Nielsen's 16th birthday at Disneyland! Yes, we endured the 6 hour car ride and walked two LONG hallways to get to our wonderfully ready-made suite. We were so excited we ran out of the hotel and rushed to California Adventures for he late afternoon. One of the first rides we enjoyed was the Tower of Terror. The ride is similar to Great America's Drop Zone, but has a scary and haunted twist to it.
We were unable to get fast passes to speed us through the line, so we eagerly waited for around 40 minutes. It was getting later and later and the sun was setting. My friends John, Cynthia, Margaux, Avni, and I had finally assembled ourselves into the giant room of many people to prepare us of the ride's theme.
When we finally came outside the door to the elevator ride, a staff person we encountered freaked us out. He was bald and quiet, but would come and stand behind me as if a statue. When I would turn around, I would meet his expressionless gaze. As we filed into the elevator, Cynthia tripped on the (totally) visible step up, which held up the whole line. I believe she is the reason many of the staff soon knew us.
The creeper man explained, "Please refrain from flash photography or video taking," as the doors were closing, "if you need anything....just scream." And the doors closed abruptly and the ride started. I wonder if staff like him enjoy their job of scary and freaking out tourists and other people on the ride. I believe it could be very fun! We remembered this man for the rest of the trip, searching for him every time we went on the Tower of Terror. He sure gave us an experience.

"i want to play a game"

Horror films are usually quite frustrating. When people think of scary movies, they imagine a foolish woman stupidly walk into the dark room that is obviously marked dangerous! Then it is expected a scary creeper comes out of the shadows and kills her quickly or in some cases gorily. It gets quite old after a while. The movies I find interesting are the ones where the victims are more intelligent that they challenge the "bad guy"'s expectations. Or I love those movies where there is a purpose to every kill or action.
I would recommend watching Saw II and Saw III (which I just saw for the first time weeks ago). Saw II has a group of random people trapped in a house, but they are not exactly random; they all have something in common. This movie has a theme, a plan, and a luring ending to the next movie: Saw III. In the next movie, the old man behind the plans is sick, yet manages to test every person around him. In the end, a valuable lesson is learned by all the characters.
Today, my friends and I endured watching Vacancy. Not as epic as the two Saw movies I've seen, but the victims were surprisingly intelligent in their escapes from the creepers haunting their motel room. The ending was quite frustrating and anticlimactic, but the rising action was suspenseful and enjoyable. The movie could have been scarier, but my friend John explains how the prequel now out on DVD is more frightening...hoping not figure that out.

our lovely list

So every day in Mr. Page's Digital World class, Anisha and I amuse ourselves by annoying the two poor souls sitting in front of us: Kevin and Greg. Usually, Anisha and I don't understand the material Mr. Page writes on the board and have Kevin or Greg explain it to us. Everyday, the same events take place: Kevin scoots towards our table and starts helping us and Mr. Page yells, "turn around Kevin!", so Greg finishes explaining the information. Sometimes Greg gives Anisha and I the silent treatment when we become very annoying (like today!).
Today Anisha and I bothered Greg to talk about how things are doing between him and his girlfriend. He never discusses her and we have to bring it up all the time; all he replies is, "fine,"! So Anisha and I decided to try and convert Greg into a more romantic person! When we finished our worksheet (classwork), I decorated a page in my notebook of all the things Greg can do or be in order to make him a more romantic boyfriend. It was beautiful and full of color and pictures; we were certainly proud of our commendments, but when we handed it to Greg, he simply placed it under this binder! How rude! We continued to bagger him until he read it. The horrid face he made as he saw the drawings and flowers on the paper was hilarious, yet he kept it (I hope!) Anisha and I will certainly remind him tomorrow and make sure he still has it! If not, we would be glad to create another lovely list!

Armond is done with band this year! No more of him running across campus lugging his four pound trumpet (he is a little weak). So when we drove home today, he was quite sad that this was the end of his musical career this year. My grandpa tried to cheer him up with an inappropriate joke: unacceptable...
grandpa: do you know what the difference is between a golfer and a skydiver?
armond: is skydiving a sport?
grandpa: in golfing, the ball goes splat, then you say "s**t", and in skydiving, you say "s**t", and you go splat...
shivani: noooooooooooooooo
Armond and his imature giggling refrased the clean version of the joke for the rest of the car ride and Shivani was unamused. This is quite inacceptable, but he is my grandpa! lol

sleepover!

So my siblings and I are staying at my grandpa's house for two nights because my parents are going to New York for business. The thing is... his house is creepy! It is quite large and the front door is on the 2nd floor, so you must take the curved stairs down to the guest rooms, but that is not why it is creepy.
Years ago (when I was probably around 9-12 years old), my two cousins from West Virginia came to live in California, so my sister and I had a sleepover with them at my grandpa's house. Under the curved stairs is a small door that we have never noticed. Us four opened it to find a huge, dusty room with almost no light under basically half of the house! My grandpa explained how this mysterious room was used for storage and we should not venture in because we would come out wearing dust and cobwebs.
Of course we walked in... but only until the porch ended and looked around using flashlights. He was right, it was gross and eerie. Shivani and Elizabeth (one of the two cousins) went out first but closed the door on Teresa (the other) and I! It was so scary being a child in the darkest room ever!! We were both screaming in there with our flashlights being our only light source. Shivani and Elizabeth finally opened it laughing, closing it behind us. With the fact that we weren't killed, we laughed along too. Within our relief, the door slowly opened by itself beside Teresa and I, and we looked at each other with horrified faces and darted in different directions at once!
Shivani and Elizabeth dashed upstairs and Teresa and I ran down the hall to Geneva's room (my older cousin who was living there at the time). We found comfort in her room and babbled the whole story to her! She just laughed at us and kept working with some papers until we heard yet another scream upstairs.
How anticlimactic when we found the scream came from my sister and cousin under a table having seen a spider! However the night ended, it was one of the scariest for me when I was younger and I will never forget it.
Yay to me staying at grandpa's house yet again this weekend...
http://www.softpicks.net/screenshots/Haunted-House-2-The-Extended-Version.gif

My cousin Rohan was over tonight. I had to babysit him and his little brother for a couple of hours. He has reached that age where "ew I don't like girls" is a common phrase out of his mouth. Oh six graders... I remember when he first met my obnoxious friends.
It was either last year or two years ago when my three friends and a bunch of family members attended a get-together at my house for the Academy Awards. It was the first time Rohan was able to meet Avni, Margaux, and Cynthia. Of course we and other children took over the television upstairs. My friends and I were attentively watching the actors and actresses walk down the carpets with beautiful dresses and ties. Of course Rohan and my brother can't help themselves from standing right in front of the television set and blocking the view from every vantage point! Avni yelled "MOVE"as well as all of us. Every since, Rohan would never be excited if he had to encounter my friends at any time, though I keep reminding him that his lameness was at fault.

poor apple tree

There were deer in my back yard today. My mother despises them due to their grazing (of her flowers) and droppings. Our lovely, baby apple tree lost four leaves this morning! One of the rarest times I was able to witness my mother in the most happiest mood ever was two years ago when my father finally built the fence on the other side of our house (keeping the deer out of that area). Now she is back to usual demanding my father to build a more guarded fence around our backyard. Quite pathetic.
Armond is usually sent outside to frighten away the deer whenever we see them present. One time my mother commanded him to chase away these two deer into the creek. He ran out the back door and my mother went upstairs. Armond was slowly walking back to the porch and back door. I was flipping through the television channels and Shivani was cooking... He turned the knob of the door, but it refused to open. He started violently trying to open it. I noticed, and so did Shivani, but of course she did not mind his faint noise making. She acted as though nothing had changed and continued cooking, never eyeing him. He yelled and screamed at her for about (I think) seven minutes until my mother came down to settle the noise making.
Shivani was sent to her room and Armond joined my television watching... what a failure.

niva house mac and cheese

Everyone knows Mac and Cheese is one of the most delicious meals on earth! Somehow, my way of cooking seems to beat the techniques of others (according to Avni). Here's the deal... I just perform the directions on the box! It's amazing! I don't know how my mac and cheese is any better than anyone's, but I just follow the directions: 1/4 milk, 4 teaspoons of butter... Maybe it is the amount of time it boils in the lovely plan, but I follow those directions also! Shivani had another interesting way of making mac and cheese, but using spaghetti noodles! It was a failure and I was furious because it was my day to wash dishes. She decided to apply cheese in the pan after draining the water. Not powder cheese, graded cheese! Of course after a while the cheese melted to the pan or burned! The mac and cheese flavor was lost and the pan was a mess. Never again am I letting her experiment on my day to wash dishes!
Either way, I really love mac and cheese as long as it looks similar to the picture on the card board box and the brand is Craft! Never add regular cheese into a hot pan from the stove... unwise!

two peas(one nut) in a pod

Today I tied my sister's shoe laces together while my friends and I were relaxing on the grass. My sister follows me sometimes, and people confuse themselves in thinking we look exactly the same. I would have to bluntly disagree!
My sister and I grew up recieveing the same presents and the same outfits (maybe different color), but just because we are a year (a month and 20 days) apart doesn't settle for me being treated like twins. We both have independent minds and posess different gifts, yet every day I must hear, "are you twins?" It amazes me how little observant most people are. Looking between my sister and I, you can plainly see that all of our features in fact are nothing alike-- yes our noses, eye color, hair type, eyebrows! Even her eyesight (she has twent, twenty vision, lucky!) Our habits are entirely different and are likes are in usually different categories. She enjoys sports and staying healthy as ever while I chose to cave every day on brownies (that they were selling after school today btw!) She eats lima beans... ew! She can stay up until midnight studying for History, while I could only last until 10:30pm. I can watch movies non-stop, yet she doesn't understand half of their plots.
She is a very funny and spontaneous person (which is why I can live with her), though I hate when anyone compares us (not that she isn't a successful woman and all); people can just be so unobservant in understanding the giant contrast between the two of us.
(Armond is a different matter...)

when fun and baseball meat

You have to understand that my sister and I can be very weird when we think up fun activities. Shivani decided to make Hamburger Helper today and my father just bought the meat for it. While taking out the supplies, she felt how cold the meat was (having been in the refrigerator over night). Of course Shivani finds a way to connect Physics into heating the little packaged meat. While tossing it up and catching it, she exerted force in which makes the meat grow warmer (wow! unacceptable!) She tossed it to me, and my cat ran towards me (he is very dim sighted...) We laughed at our cat's stupidity and kept tossing the packaged meat, watching him run and gaze back and forth. Of course our tossing soon became continuous throwing (attempting to hit each other in the gut) with meat. The little package burst with the impact against the wall from my throw and little bits of the food scattered among the floor. My father rolled his eyes, witnessing the whole activity and my mother came into the room after hearing my shriek. Of course Shivani was on the floor laughing and my mother scolded all of us for "throwing the meat? Who in the world does that!!"
What started out as preparing a meal turned into a throwing and catching competition. When adults claim "don't play with your food", I can say I understand why.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_x4dAWg8xF4Q/RWI7DM2TABI/AAAAAAAAIPY/uq6DZRSQWhM/gross+dinner.jpg

i didn't fall!

I went ice skating yesterday! It was actually nothing like ice skating... The "ice" was synthetic and oily and the temperature outside around 78 degrees. I have not been skating in years so I was not very confident when I went on the greasy, hard substance. To my delight, I didn't fall once! Not once! I was so proud of myself in the end that I was able to skate in fast circles with my friends. We ran into each other (and the gate that surround the rink) many times, but they just make the experience more enjoyable.
I guess I can say that while I am still in high school, I will go to as many events with my friends at possible so I can have no regrets to dwell on in the future. Students who do not appear at activities because they believe their lives are better worth at home (reading or watching television) are self conscious or boring. People should have as much fun as they can at times where homework can drop down some numbers on the priority list-- a Friday night. Hey, my friends asked me to go, I don't have plans, so I have fun (without falling once HA). You should try it sometime.
(Though I am not promoting fun above academics... do your homework on Saturday or Sunday!)

Woops...

Armond forgot his trumpet today! When my sister and I get out of the car in the mornings and open the trunk for our gigantic backpacks, we are practically sleep walking! It was 7:30am in the morning; people who do the same actions every morning soon enough perform them while day dreaming. Armond is a 7 year old and has a short attention span; getting out of the car and running to the bus with his (I believe less than) 1 pound backpack is on his daily routine.
Mother got mad at Shivani and I tonight for not paying attention to his school activities. It is true we knew he had band today, but the real discussion here is... band? Really? My mother has signed up my rough, "I got my shirt dirty again mom" brother for band. To add to that, his after school activities consist of Dance, Chess, and Mystery History! Armond would seem like the type of child who doesn't belong anywhere near those classes, but he actually enjoys them! He was devastated tonight because he was unable to perform his skill in the trumpet today. It bewilders me that this obnoxious boy would enjoy a quiet game of chess. What is it my say to determine the working mind of a 7 year old, though I am always right when I catch him lying to me after running away from his candy bag? Children are usually predictable, but some may astound you.

how do lovers meet?

So my big question is: how do the most opposite people find themselves and fall in love? They are totally different, so aren't they suppose to disagree on everything? Perhaps there are similar qualities here and there, but why do all the long lasting marriages include the most opposite love birds?
"Her first impression of me was apalling because she met me in college where I was the only person in the room who challenged the teacher's effort to change the classtime to 7:00am. I chose a class later in the day for a reason! She thought I was a crazy because she believed it was better not to disrespect the teacher and just deal with an earlier schedule. I fell in love with her because she was very pretty, hard working, and energetic... all the things I am not. As I got to know her, I realized she was extremely smart and principled and would lead a very exciting life as my wife."--anonymous
My theory is that people who usually would never think themselves with a certain man in their life in time grow to like them... then love them. Opposites attract; it is correct in chemistry and is has proven correct in life. People get bored of their own personalities and are intrigued by the opposite of themselves. Maybe it is true that when people hate each other they would never come to like one another, but there are exceptions such as the man's quote above. Lovers for years are usually exceptions to every rule...

cannot resist

So...highlight for the day: Armond was once again scratched by my lovely, tabby orange cat this morning. Every witness to this reoccuring event could have seen it coming, but of course Armond could not refrain himself from the fuzziness and ears. My family has two adorable orange cats, both of which absolutely hate Armond and his obnoxious personality... Frankly, I believe every animal that he has every encountered with hates him; I'm sorry to say. It is quite unfortunate, but that pity passes away as you watch him stomp towards my cats and scoop them up in the most uncomfortable position possible. As they threatenly meow at him, he still believes he has a chance to walk away unharmed. The slightly bleeding scratch on his upper arm is now covered in a Spongebob bandage. Chasing my antisocial cats is a saddening mistake he makes....every day!
So maybe cats seem so adorable to certain people. I suggest you don't cloud your judgement with their deceitful, fluffy, and inviting faces and tails. Some cats are freaks of nature and curl beside you and purr while others taunt you by trotting nearby, then fleeing when you get up to carry them. I am a cat person I'll admit, but I accept the fact cats can be beasts. They can be evil at times, but they give me the fuzz therapy dogs can never get close to. Dogs are quite abnoxious and needy. Usually those who prefer a quiet atmosphere adopt cats. Yes, dogs are loving, but they only love the hand that feeds them; cats treat everyone the same.

flashback to pres week

Oh it was hilarious! I was checking my facebook after three days in cobwebs and found Cynthia's posting of a few videos of Armond when we all went to Idaho over the president's week break. Some might not understand the joke behind one video where Armond was discussing how a girl in a resteraunt we all went to dinner looked "goth" like.... like he knows what that means.
The story goes where my family and Cynthia drove down the highway to a Lodge resteraunt (we go practically every visit), and sat in the table near the window (with a view being able to see into the kitchen everytime the door swings in and out). Behind those doors was a woman, probably a little older than I am, washing dishes with the most boring ("I want to die") face as she was scrubbing scum off each dish. We didn't know if that was the way her face was or her expression at the time, but she looked straight at us with it. I burst out laughing (while daydreaming of another story also) and ran to the bathroom, having choked on my rootbeer (yeah, don't daydream and drink at the same time). I came back to Armond and Cynthia giggling at my embarassing exit. My daydream was the cause of my scene, but they thought it was the hilariously boring face of the woman in the kitchen.
So maybe that wasn't the most hilarious story, but now Armond believes he understands the characteristics of gothic people based on their exprssions. Shivani (HAHAHAHA sorry) and the woman at the resteraunts are his top candidates at the moment. Please don't give him more ideas.
btw: Armond slipped on the snow right afterwards HAHAHA we had to change his soaking jeans.

lucky number 7

[Photo Credit--Avni Wadhwa]

So Armond turned 7 today, horray...Our house enry is crowded with multi-colored presents, mosly wrapped boxes. He enjoyed his party yesterday at Sky High jumping on connected trampolines and bumping into other wild children. Cynthia, John, and I joined the jumping children, but we have a little more fun. Cynthia kept running into the trampolines on the sides and falling, while I attempted to do a handstand...on a trampoline...with children running in my way. I can say Shivani is a more graceful gymnist than I am, but I sprained NOTHING! It's a little unbelievable. I am known to sprain everything possible, but that reputation can now die!
I am guessing our storage space for unnecessary toys will explode soon enough, why not now? Of course, John could not contain himself and added his present among pile. Cynthia and I bought him a present too, but it could have just been from all of us; John shouldn't have gotten him one. lol I believe he has more than 30 presents now, and he hasn't opened one yet.
Watch Shivani and I take over and play with his new toys. I just know it will happen; it's predictable of the weirdos in the house.