*New Years Rules

I typically don't participate in New Years Resolutions because it implies that things can only be resolved in the new year (which is false); however, this year I am doing some *New Years Rules. *New Years Rules are things that I must do throughout the incoming year.

2016 New Years Resolutions Rules

Be happy.

Laugh everyday.

Maintain a balanced life.

Stay busy.

Stay motivated.

Make new friends and appreciate the old ones.

Exercise.

Write.

Love everyone<3

Be happy :)

Happy New Year! 新年快乐！

Merry Christmas ^_^

12 (or so) Days of Christmas :Christmas Eve

Day 10:

I spent Christmas Eve spending time with another one of my families. We didn't do anything amazing. We just sat, talked, and watched 3 hours worth of Chopped episodes. Best Christmas Eve ever!!  Merry Christmas Eve :)

12(or so) Days of Christmas: Christmas Eve Eve

Day 9:

Our very fancy gingerbread homes.

Christmas Eve Eve is one of my favorite holidays. Every Christmas Eve Eve , I get together with one of my families and we all decorate gingerbread houses together. It is a small and easy activity that really promotes family bonding.  This tradition has expanded to the point that everyone is invited. Family, friends, neighbors, kids-everyone comes over. It is really great to see people I don't get to see very often. We make fun of each others (lack of) decorating skills, we laugh together, and we give each other quality advice.

I am clearly very gifted in ugly sweater design.

I highly suggest inputting a cool Christmas Eve Eve activity into your annual schedule. Use the activity to get closer to your *family.

*family: any person/people who love(s) you. Your squad (group of friends) is your family.  Families are not always biological-sometimes its more fun that way :D



12 (or so) Days of Christmas: Homeless

Day 8:

My friends and I were talking outside one night. All of a sudden, this homeless man rises from where he lay and starts bee lining for all of us. Keep in mind, I'm mid-conversation and I do not feel like being disturbed. I am not afraid of the man who is quickly approaching, but his forthcoming presence is beginning to cause anxiety. In the blink of an eye, he was right behind us and had ambushed us with the classic "times are hard" line. My entire group naturally stopped everything and dispersed to our respective vehicles. On the way home, I was wondering why the homeless man seemed to possess such a power to break up a social group using only his presence. Maybe it was the setting-night time in front of a closing museum. Maybe his story wasn't convincing enough -coming over to beg for money while wearing some brand new Timberland boots and a semi clean polo. For some reason, not only did I not want to help him, but I also felt the need to get away from him as quickly as possible.

I want to emphasize that homeless people are people before anything. I also want to emphasize that giving is important. With that being said, its important to be able to differentiate between a con artist and someone actually in need.

Most International Viewers in a Week

This week Camy's Corner has had the most international viewers in its history. Besides the majority of my viewers from the United States,  this week I've had viewers from Russia, Germany,  Argentina, Japan, the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Poland, and Malaysia. Thank you for all the love and support. Please continue to read, like, and share my posts. I'm all about that international love 💞

12 (or so) Days of Christmas: Making New Friends

Day 7:

Due to my mildly socially awkward past and my brief middle school depression, I have transformed into a reasonably attractive confident person. If I have learned anything from my trials and tribulations, I have learned how to love myself and have (somewhat) mastered the art of making friends. So here's what happened:

    Friends + ice cream = 💕

I went to an ice cream shop on the beach with my mom and my best friend. I walked down the long isle of flavors contemplating what I was in the mood to eat. The guy working as the ice cream server said the magic words "Let me know when you ready to sample." At that very moment, I realized that this was going to be the best night ever. He asked me what I was mood for and I told him that I was not really sure, but I knew I wanted chocolate to be involved. The sweet ice cream server let me taste everything with chocolate. For this, I am forever indebted to him (LOL). With every sample he gave me, we bonded a little bit more. By the time I was ready to purchase, my new friend gave me two free cups of ice cream ( for mom and bestie), and a discount on my cup of ice cream. And then we took our first official selfie as friends.

Tips for making new friends

• Be yourself!
• There is no one better qualified.
• Confidence is attractive.
• A person that is comfortable in his or her own skin emits stable and positive energy. Those are also two key things to look for in any potential relationship. 
• Be friendly.
• Friendliness brings new friends. Enough said.
• Choose quality people
• It is very important to remember that the quantity of friends and the quality of friends is not the same thing. The quality of a person is really what matters.  I would much rather have one  or two really good friends, rather than 100 "new" friends. The best friendships occur when all parties involved are quality people.

12 (or so) Days of Christmas: Kind Strangers

Day 6:

I am a member of the Acts of Random Kindness Club (A.R.K) and as a devoted member, I am usually the one giving to others. Today was the first time that I happened to be on the receiving end of an act of random kindness.  So here's what happened:

I planned a surprise for my best friend who just so happens to work at IMAX. The surprise was bringing along some mutual friends that she hadn't seen in a while. She was extremely grateful for her surprise, but we had to wait until she got off of work to hang out. As a result, my friends and I went outside to chat in front of the box office. Suddenly, this man runs up to us and hands us two free tickets to tonight's sold out showing of Star Wars; just as quickly as he came, he ran away. We didn't even have the chance to say thank you. So one of my friends goes to stand in line with the tickets, and quickly calls me. He then tells me that another kind stranger gave him a free ticket to see tonight's sold out showing of Star Wars. To summarize the unbelievable events, just by going to surprise my best friend, my friends and I managed to get 3 free tickets to see a sold out showing of Star Wars.

Thank you so much to our unidentified random kindness activists. We really appreciated it.

12 (or so) Days of Christmas: Santa's Enchanted Forest

Day 5:

       I went to the famous Santa's Enchanted Forest. I had only been one time previously, when I was around 8 years-old,  and it was awesome. There were lights, trees, rides, and food everywhere. As a particularly chubby child, I was mainly interested in that last detail. Today, returning so many years later felt different. I would describe the experience as comparably subpar.
      In the Christmas spirit of fairness, I must consider that I returned with some pretty high expectations. I expected it to be just as fun, just as amazing, and just as clean as when I first entered. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The park itself is beautiful and full of fun activities, however, it is also a black hole for money. Everything (as far as food is concerned) costs at least $5. All the walking makes one very tired, hungry, and thirsty. Regarding essential beverages such as water, it costs about $3 a bottle. Also, due to the popularity of the park within the surrounding areas, the park is heavily populated. People are fun, but also very messy at times. By the end of the night, there were trash trails of absentminded people who left a tissue here or forgot a box of donuts there.
       The park felt less enchanting and more reality imposing. I left feeling exhausted and a little disappointed. Once again, the park was fun, but a little disappointing.

Look at all of those lights!!

12 （or so) Days of Christmas : Small Gifts

Day 4:

The other day I went to a vintage movie theater and I felt really appreciative to be able to take a step into the past. As a member the technologyy generation of iPhones, Androids and Nokias, there are very few things that don’t change. It’s almost like my generation doesn’t have anything timeless. It was nice to step back into what I assume was an 80’s theater and see the faded pink walls, popcorn ceilings, and the elaborate flower wallpaper. The experience itself was the gift. Regardless of how small it is in the scheme of life, that small gift probably made a huge impact on my life.

This vintage wallpaper<3

Instagram: @camy3799

12 (or so) days of Christmas: Surprise

Day 3:

I decided to go find the people of my past. First, I went back to my previous high school. I said hello to all my teachers and received so much love. While I was just wandering around, I ran into some of my best friends. Everybody seemed to do a double take anytime I would enter a space. Not because I'm so attractive, but because I'm a missed familiar face. Seeing the surprised look  on all of my friends faces was wonderful. I would say absence really does make the heart grow fonder. After my rounds of hellos, I went to my lunch with my friend. Then, my friend drove me to a local middle school where would visit my old middle school teacher. My teacher was happy to see me as well.

I think it's important to go back to my roots and check in. It was great to see the school improvement projects that I started in the past are currently very successful and improving every minute. Most importantly, it was amazing to renew my old (but never forgotten) relationships with my friends, classmates, and educators.

12 (or so) Days of Christmas: Jimmy Johns

Day 2:

As I walked to approach the looming Ethics final, two amazing people ask if I want a free sandwich. Not  just any free sandwich, a free sandwich from Jimmy Johns<3 The man who offered me the sandwich dropped something, in which I instinctively picked up and returned to him.  Guess what? He awarded me a 2nd sandwich for being kind. #ARK Acts of Random Kindness occasionally get you free or reduced food. Free food is the best kind of food (when you're hungry). Thank you Jimmy Johns for giving me a quick snack before a big test.  It really brightened my day :D

2,500 Views!!!!

This is awesome. Thank you so much for reading my posts and sharing my stories. Thank you to my long time viewers from the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Japan, India, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Barbados, Brazil, France, Italy, Turkey, Poland, Mexico, Romania, Singapore, Spain, and Ukraine. Also, thank you to my newer viewers from Germany, the Netherlands, and Venezuela.  Thank you soooo much <3


P.S. Stay tuned for some new posts :)

12 (or so) Days of Christmas: My 1st Live Interview

In honor of my blog's first holiday season, I will be doing a small series of post entitled the 12 (or so) Days of Christmas.


Day 1:

My family and I went to see the Chocolate Nutcracker in local theater. After the show, a woman from the Sun-Sentinel requested to interview me for a story that she would release soon. I agreed because, honestly, I enjoy attention and it important for me to be able tot articulately express myself to the public. She put a mic on me and had me test the audio a couple times. Once she picked the perfect camera angle, she started asking questions. Fortunately, after years of debate, I have been trained in quickly answering questions intelligently. The first question being easy like "What was your favorite part?" Then she moved into more controversial questions like "How does a production like this affect the community?" and "How does it feel seeing a 'chocolate' version of the traditionally white story?"


Here's a clip of my answers:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/video/originals/sun-sentinel-shorts/sfl-ss-originals-chocolate-nutcracker-story-20151211-story.html

Midterms/Finals

These last two weeks have been the weeks of finals and midterms. I just wanted to do a quick shoutout to the other students struggling to study for all of these obnoxiously weighted tests. I want to commend you for staying strong regardless of how much sleep you have lost. I understand the stress of these examinations and I really want to encourage all the students to persevere. The struggle is almost over; in the long run, (hopefully) it will be worth it (*insert Hunger Games whistle*).

May the curve be ever in your favor :)

Starting finals like...

My 1st Hanukkah

Today is the first night of Hanukkah. Today is also the first time I've participated in Hanukkah, and let me just tell you-Hanukkah is awesome.

This is a dreidel.

I went to my friend's house and met her family. Grandma was already cooking and the house smelled delicious. While we waited for everything to cook, my friend, her brother, and I played some games. We played the Game of Life and I won, retiring with 3.35 million dollars. We spun the dreidel  which was really cool because I won almost all the candy. My friend and I watched some very interesting panda and unicorn videos. Soon after, the sun was setting and the food was ready to eat. I sat down to a bowl of Matzo ball soup (which was so good).  The sun had completely set so it was time to light the menorah and say a prayer. After which, the food was served which included potato latkas (fried potatoes) and brisket. The food was scrumptious and quickly devoured. Then, the family collaborated to clear the table for the much anticipated desert-chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and various other pastries.

The awesomeness of Hanukkah does not just derive from the food or the candles, or the games. The togetherness and bonding of  family and friends is really what makes Hanukkah (or any holiday) special. I'm just really glad I took the opportunity to be a part of it.

The Joy in Giving

This holiday season I have so many new friends due to the change in schools, clubs, life experiences etc. So instead of purchasing a bunch of items to absent mindedly give away, I decided to indulge in the joy of giving.

I gave one of my friends a wrapped box of peanut butter and a card. It was not expensive and it was exactly what I wanted to give him. When I brought him the gift earlier his week, he was so surprised and appreciative. He actually gave me hug after reading the card; reason being, the card had more than just "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas" in it. Inside I expressed my genuine appreciation for the friendship I have with him. If you give the right person a card, sometimes, the card seems to write itself.

Later on, he unwraps the peanut butter and his face lights up. Now I'm sure that peanut butter was not at the top of his wish list, but the gift acknowledges that I listen to him. I remember him saying that his favorite food was peanut butter which is where I got the idea from. Long story short, he enjoyed his gift, and I (the giver), really enjoyed giving it to him.

   

Little Kids # -_-

I volunteer at a local school and tutor little kids. I love the face they make when they finally get an answer right. I love how their faces light up when I come in the room. That is the best part of my job.

Little kids got me like...

HOWEVER, little kids are mean. They are mean to strangers and each other. They are adorable, but overly blunt.
Don't get me wrong, I love them;but, those kids... 怎么办(what to do)？

Dress to Impress

Work the hallway like a runway ^_^

Always dress to impress, even when there really isn't anyone to impress. I have noticed that when I put more effort into my wardrobe, I tend to feel better and more confident. Always work the hallway like a runway :)

How I Lost 40+ Pounds

I have never been a skinny person nor have I ever qualified for one that is anything below overweight. This past summer, I lost over 40 pounds and I continue to lose more every week. The first step in the weight loss process was not exercise or eating less. The first step was actually accepting myself for all that makes up my awesomeness. Because I loved myself so much, I began to do things that made me happy like traveling and hanging out with my friends. The weight began to slowly fall off at this point. Then, I actually put more effort in increasing my exercise and eating meals that I actually want. This was also very encouraging for weight loss. Conveniently, I started university which is much larger than my previous institution;the walk I had to take to get to my institution increased as well. Thus, smoothly transitioning me into this required daily three mile walk. At this point, I had already lost about 30 pounds, but after about three weeks of this new exercise regimen, I lost an additional 10 pounds. Notice how I never really had to alter my the amount of calories I consumed because the increase in  my daily activity outnumbered the amount of calories I ate.

Tips:

• Get Busy
• The mind won't have time to think about food when you have so many other projects to complete.

• Avoid "100 Calorie Snacks"
• People tend to eat multiple of these snacks assuming that they are only eating 100 calories.  It's easier if the person were to just eat what he or she wants, as to quickly nullify the urge to eat food.
• Listen to  Your Body
• The body sends signals to the mind to tell it to stop eating. If one eats to fast or ignores these signals,  he or she is over eating and essentially abusing his or her body.  
• Don't Set Goal Weights, Just Set Goals
•  I set a goal to be happy and pursuing that goal made the weight loss soooo much easier. Setting a weight goal can cause unnecessary anxiety on the body and make it harder to lose weight.

A.R.K

A.R.K is an acronym from Acts of Random  Kindness. It's important to reflect on the blessings we have in our lives and to spread the happiness, if at all possible. So for toay's random act of kindness, I would like to thank all my viewers and express my love for all of you. 
Have a great day ^_^

A New Blog?!

I'm making a new blog for an organization, so now I'll be managing two blogs. No worries, I'll still update this one as often as I can. Again, thanks for all the support <3

2,000 Views!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have finally reached 2,000 views!

I would like to thank all of my viewers for making this happen (Thanks mom lol).  In 8 months, Camy's Corner has accumulated over 2,000 views from 21 countries. Thank you to my viewers from the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Japan, India, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Barbados, Brazil, France, Italy, Turkey, Poland, Mexico, Romania, Singapore, Spain,and Ukraine. I really do appreciate all the support and all the international love ❤ ♡ ❤

Coding ^_^

I can code!! I really wanted to add social media icons to my main page so I turned to everyone's friendly tool (Google) and inquired information regarding coding social media icons to a blog. After reading four different articles, attempting for three hours, and consulting one coding professor, I finally got it. I finally achieved my goal of being able to add customized icons to my blog. I'm so proud of myself. With that being said, respect must be paid to the people who do this on a regular basis. Coding is difficult and requires special attention to detail. It also requires special people who are patient and intelligent.

Don't forget to check out my social media icons ^_^

Teaching to Think

I have had a lot of professors in the past, but only one has has actually succeeded in teaching a student how to think. That is, until today. Today, my English professor assigned us a task of writing an illustrative essay meditating on a single letter and how it relates to life. The point of the essay is to fulfill a more general thesis. In other words, we're supposed to have a focused mildly rambling essay centered on a letter and make sure that it all ties into the thesis. The entire class decides to protest to this new concept, but frankly, I really like it. It's rare that I am able to share a deep piece in this type of format and be academically praised for it. It's important not to just rely on school to educate, but to also rely on real world experiences, because with all the standardization of traditional schooling, no one will ever learn to think. I take this moment to recognize the professors who challenge their students to actually think.

College Advice From a 16 Year-Old

College provides the space for a lot of personal independence and freedom. With that being said, it really forces one to be mature very quickly. One has to be able to handle everything alone. No one asks if your homework is completed or if you have started that project that's due tomorrow. It's all about self reliance and self motivation. There is much more free time for investment, but it's important to not take it for grant it. The key is to be a wise investor. Invest appropriate amounts of time towards important things like passing classes, making friends, participating in clubs, and leisure activities.  Most importantly, never lose the thing that motivates you to succeed.

Tip of the Day: Don't wait to make yourself known. Be outgoing and friendly. Introduce yourself to at least 3 people, if not more. To "break the ice", ask the person to tell you something unusual/weird about himself/herself. That way you have at least 3 people to have lunch with, talk to, or just wave at when passing by.

Diary of a 16 Year-Old College Freshman

College is just a much less restricted high school. Less classes, but the work is just as intense. However, the immense amount of free time allows everything to balance out. It's very surprising that my a few of  my adult classmates act like high school freshmen. Arriving late, talking while the teacher is talking, showing up to class high. -_-# It's not as life changing and maturity nurturing as movies make it out to be.

Bittersweet Mail

I am one of those people who love to receive mail. My favorite mail ranges from holiday letters and birthday cards to college information mail. Today I received some semi-sad mail. My bus card arrived in the mail today. The card itself is not the cause of said sadness, but more of the reminder it brings. It reminds me that this awesome summer of 2015 is almost over. It reminds me that inevitable change is coming and that it may be harder to keep such close relations with all my friends when I start school, sports, and various other extra curricular activities. The sweet part is that it reminds me of the new adventures that await me at my new school as well as new friends. I'm ready for the new year and all it has in store.
 

Last Minute Gifts

Today is my friend's birthday party. I may or may not have forgotten to purchase a birthday gift. Have no fear because I am the queen of last minute gifts. I used the art skills I learned from camp to draw a nice picture as the base of the card. I then place money/a gift card inside my customized card. I personally think my homemade cards are better than store bought cards because I add personal things that represent my relationship with the person who will be receiving the gift. A little extra time preparing a homemade card trumps the quick store bought card and a little extra money is always helpful.

When giving a gift I like to think that it's the thought that counts, however, at the same time, I give a gifts that I would like to receive.

Some other possible gifts (that I like) :

• USBs
• Headphones
• Clothes
• Jewelry
• Shoes
• Gift Basket
• Netflix username and password
• Acceptable art

Not so Secret Security

I'm generally unperturbed by security officers because they typically patrol a large area and I only really see them in the event that there are too many people in one space/not enough people in a space. I went to an art museum today and I must say that they had enough (not-so)secret service men (and women) standing around that it actually caused me discomfort. A stressful discomfort which is not unlike that of the anxiety I get every time I go shopping and the salesperson insists on "helping" me by persistently questioning me and following me around. The difference is that this exhibit had all of their security dressed in black suits and they would stand obnoxiously in the middle of an open space. Saying nothing, simply disturbing you with their presence. There were 7 guards per one visitor. I assume one got bored of supervising no one, as a result,  she moved so that she also could stare at me. I understand safety and protecting  art that's already encased in glass, but that was security overkill. If the security causes customers discomfort, the exhibit owner is actually hurting his/her own potential profits.

Ankle Art

Ever since my 1st Chinese program this summer, I have been really into art and the different techniques involved in drawing. I always simply draw on paper and do my best with a pencil. Recently, a friend of mine showed me that anything can be a canvas for art. The long days of complete Chinese immersion were wearing on us so he took an Expo marker and drew a beautiful flower on my ankle. This really taught me that anything can become a canvas for something beautiful whether it's an old abandoned wall or some ankle skin. Just needs the right artist(s).


@imfanb Thanks for the awesome ankle art ^_^

1,500 VIEWS!!!! (☆_☆) \(^-^)/ (☆_☆) \(^-^)/

I am proud to announce that Camy's Corner has had over 1, 500 views!!  Thank you to all my viewers. It's so amazing that I have viewers  from USA, Barbados, France, U.K., Peru, Cyprus, Japan, Poland, Canada, and Italy. I really appreciate all the support. Thank you all for continuing to read my post, even for the month that I didn't post. Most of all, I'd like to thank everyone for providing me with the material for funny stories and popular posts :) <3  谢谢大家！



Being a Month Behind

Participating in such amazing language immersion programs required all participants to release contact with the outside world. This means no social media, music, news,  or television. It's amazing how much information we constantly subconciously intake through media. As I return home from my 6 week hiatus , my mind is overwhelmed with "new" political news,  new songs that have been released, and new movies that had already hit theaters. This experience has really showed me that the world went on before I got here and will more than likely continue to go on after I leave. With that being said, I'm definately going to continue to make the most of the time that I have here.

Thor and I be like...

Living in a Hotel

I've been living an hotel for the last 2 weeks and I must say that this is no where near as fabulous as it seems. You would think that sleeping in the world's most comfortable beds, having linens replaced daily, and having a clean room every time you return to it is a dream. The thing is even in all the convince living in a hotel provides, there is still this part of you that knows for certain that this "house is not a home". From the moment you walk in, the room just feels temporary. There's an unconscious vulnerability in all this comfort that causes an underlying fear that at any point in time, everything can be taken away. All of a sudden a hotel becomes your single source to fulfill all your desires such as functioning  utensils, extra pillows, microwaves, and refrigerators.As if I foolishly built my house on a carpet and I'm just waiting for someone to run up and snatch it out from underneath me. Don't misunderstand me, I enjoy all the accommodations. I just know I could never permanently live in a hotel because of the constant feelings of instability and dependence. 


Maybe if this was outside my hotel, I'd have different feelings.  LOL just kidding, probably not.

A Sky Full of Stars

The really awesome thing about Vermont is the lack of people. It's almost like a separate world. It's not covered in Wal-Marts and McDonalds. It's covered in cute mom and pop stores.

One night on my way back to my Vermont residence, I looked up to the sky and it was FULL of stars. It almost didn't look real. Where I come from, it's unusual to see more than 3 real stars. The sky is usually pitch black and covered in dark clouds with a very bright moon coming through. This night sky was full stars. Absolutely beautiful;bright enough to astound, but mild enough not to distract from the pure white moon.

I don't know, I think sometimes it's important to recognize the natural beauty in life.

 

I Get Summer Camp

As a child, I really hated summer camps because I haated the kids and I felt like I was wasting my time. Lack of brain stimulation really irritates me. However, this year I finally understood why so many people actually want to go to camp. Summer camps can be a lot of fun when you are open to experiecing new things. When you find the perfect summer camp for you, there will be other people that you can connect with, forming lifelong friendships. This year at camp I learned to knit (I made 2 scarves), I improved my Chinese language skills, I learned new techniques in drawing, and I made a lot of really cool friends. Finally, I get summer camp.

Creative Punishment

During my residence in Vermont, I participated with this Chinese Language Academy. So this year, unlike in previous years, many participants chose to speak English. This was very irritating to the staff because it really ruined the pure Chinese environment. So on the 4th of July, we have a outdoor picnic. As lovely as this is, our place of residence is extremely close to Lake Champlain. Seagulls really enjoy to fly around and search for food. As one can infer, our outdoor picnic attracted A LOT of birds. So one teacher heard two kids blatantly speaking English and she told them to stand in the middle of the quad. The students walked into the trap unaware of the psychological damage that would await them. The teacher started slowly walking around collecting people's plates that had food left on them. She walks near the quad and starts calling the birds. "过来！ 鸟过来! " ( "Come! Come birds, come!“） The birds start to calmly flock towards the quad. The two students in the middle of the quad watch her with mild concern. All of a sudden, the teacher throws al the food she collected towards the two students. Those mild mannered birds transformed into savaged beasts and all of the attacked the food surround the students in one large flock. Over the students screams of terror, the teachers yells "不说英文!"( Don't speak English").  As terrifying as this punishment is, it is still extremely effective. Those students didn't speak English for the rest of the program.

It looked shockingly similar to this scene from Divergent.

Adult(ing) for a Day

So I had to adult for a day. I am using adult as a verb because there are so much that goes with being an adult. You have to provide everything for yourself. You must find your own transportation, if you're sick, you have to take yourself to the doctor. It's really quite tiring.

STORY TIME: So my mom had errands to run and she needed me to drive. I'm not a big fan of driving, but I do it for her because I love her. I drive her to the doctor, various pharmacies, the grocery store, and a Chinese takeout restaurant (that was more for me). I bought her medicine and I realize that people are REALLY expensive. Driving us everywhere and  purchasing things was just so tiring and stressful that it really made me realize that I don't want to be an adult yet. I like the independence that comes with it, but I don't want all the responsibility and stress that comes with it. I really appreciate the "small things" like having someone drive me around and purchase my groceries for me. I don't want to think amount the other responsibilities that I haven't had to experience yet such as paying rent, taxes, purchasing gas, and taking care of yourself when you're sick. I know eventually I will welcome this independence with open arms, but as of right now I really don't want to adult.

14 Girls 1 Bathroom -_-#

Yes , that is just as horrific as it sounds.  During my stay at the college in Vermont, they told us that we would have "community restrooms". I didn't know exactly what that meant, but I found out very quickly that "community restrooms" was just code for 14 girls, 1 bathroom. There are only 3 stalls and 3 showers.  As a person who values personal hygiene, this was not exactly ideal. However, everything worked out pretty well. I actually never had to wait to use the restrooms. The only thing I didn't like was when girls didn't clean up behind themselves and left hair everywhere.  

The use of 1 bathroom by 14 roommates only works well when the people using the single facility have a common definition of respect and cleanliness.

Surviving Without a Phone

 Believe it or not, there was a time when people didn't have personalized hand held computers called cellphones. During my excursion in Vermont, the administration of the program immediately took our electronics. The idea is to isolate the Chinese immersion participants from anything that could distract us from constantly practicing speaking, reading, listening, or writing outside of our language. You'd be surprised at all the things that can be accomplished without a smartphone. Here are some tips and examples.

 

Tip #1: Be Friendly & Socialize (with everyone)
People tend to gravitate towards others that appear to be fun and friendly. I also suggest expansive socialization because you never know what cool people you're not talking to because you're shy or because they are introverted.

 

Tip #2: Participation
The most socializing and binding seems to occur over common activities such as sports and eating. Even if you know that you aren't an expert at a specific activity, you should still attempt to participate. A lot of times it's not the quality of a person's ability, but it's the presence of the person that really fosters bonding friendships.

 

Tip #3 : MAKE SOME NOISE
When you have no access to the outside world, you are also cut off from basic necessities like music.
Simple solution: make some noise. It's a little rowdy, a lot of fun, and time consuming. Everyone gets into a rhythm and starts making unknown sounds, noises, mating calls, etc. It's also a great way for all the musicians to get that much closer. 

Vermont Prep

Since I know that I will be away from home for a while, I have taken some measures of preparation. First, I have spent time with my friends and family. For they are my biggest supporters and it's good to spend the little free time I do have with them. Next, I have been practicing using less social media because I know I won't have access to it for a month (I'm so sorry lol). Finally, I have increased my exercise and freshened up my wardrobe. You never know who you'll meet and I like to leave positive lasting impressions on everyone. With body, mind, and clothes in check, I'm ready to go.

The Most Beautiful Smile

Today, my family and I participated in community service project. We all go to a nursing home and delivered small "get well" packages that contain little trinkets and toiletries. Upon entering the home, we see several wilted old people sitting in wheelchairs with solemn faces. As we begin to shake their hands and give them hugs, their frowns transform into toothy (and in some cases, toothless) smiles. The first lady I approach is quietly observing all the child visitors as I shake her hand. I tell her that she is beautiful and I can see the youthful spirit come through her eyes. The next lady I approach gets out of her seat to give me a hug and tells me how she knows me. She goes on to say how she has missed me and she tells me that she loves me. I move onto a table of elderly people. I love this table because they tell me how beautiful I am (^_^). That table was so sweet that I try another one. I smile at everyone and they return the favor by smiling back. Finally, this old man who is wearing a  hood turns his head and looks at me with kind eyes. He sticks out his shaky hand and when I shake it, happiness starts radiating from his face. This is the most beautiful smile that I have ever seen. This smile did not belong to a young Cologate model, but it belonged to someone who is elderly and sick. It's amazing what a little kindness can do. Effects can be as simple as brightening someone's day or as powerful as turning an old man with dementia into smiling gentleman.

National Best Friends Day

Today is National Best Friends Day and it is only right for me to do a post dedicated to my best friend. My best friend is amazing. We have maintained a solid relationship since kindergarten. I can tell her everything and anything. Her company always makes my day.  I really hope everyone has just as awesome of a best friend as I do. Happy National Best Friends Day!

End of the Year Reflection

Today was my last day of school and I cannot be more happy. This is the 1st summer that I will have that includes no extra summer classes since the 7th grade. As I look onto new adventures, I want to take a moment to reflect on this past school year. This past school year I made new unlikely friends and met new people. I developed relationships with people I already knew. As fantastic as that was, it made the decision to transfer schools that much harder. This year I took an online class in addition to my 7 daily classes. This made my learning curriculum that much more rigorous and intense, yet had I not taken the extra class, I would have never started my blog. During this same time period, I had a personal renaissance. I began to focus more on my poetic writing and entered every poem category in my school literary fair. My work placed 7 times spanning the places of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.  One of these pieces actually placed 3rd at the District Literary Fair. This year I also  placed 1st in BPA State competition and went on to compete at Nationals in California. I had a Beyoncé moment, where I was so busy getting on a plane to LA, that I had to send one of my people to accept my literary award at the District Literary Fair. Of course, digitally documenting all of my experiences along the way while entering my first business venture. I opened up an online store called 37 Styles (www.skreened.com/camy37) and became more active on all of my social media ( Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook) while maintaining straight A's all throughout the year, being an avid volleyball player, and surpassing my duties as a debate team officer. As this last week of school comes to a close, I am very pleased with all the opportunities my school provided and all the hard work I put in to accomplish so much in just 9 months. Needless to say, I'm ready for a break.

My Chinese Class (我的中文课)

I was talking to one of my friends from Chinese class a couple months ago. I told him that since I'm leaving the school this year, it would be awesome if he drew something for me. I suggested he draw a dragon exploding with hearts around it with the phrase "Camille is amazing" on it. We laughed about it and continued on with our day. Yesterday was my last day of school and Chinese is my last class of the day. My 老师 （teacher) had the students who were leaving go up and say our goodbyes. I didn't know what to say so I did my best to advocate to everyone how much I love them, even though when I first met them , I thought they were all crazy. After the last person finishes speaking, a student who isn't leaving goes up to speak with a piece of paper. He says " I have been holding this for a month so I can give it to Camille." He brings me this piece of paper and it's the picture I asked for. The awesome thing is he had all of my friends sign it;even the people who aren't in my Chinese class. Everbody left me personal messages and it was just so heartfelt and genuine. The most awesome people at my school truely love me. This is the best suprise I have ever had.

To my Chinese classmates:
I love all of you sooooo much. Even though you all are crazy, you have grown on me. I'll miss all of you and don't you forget about me <3 我爱你！
-陆可梦

1000 VIEWS!!!! (☆_☆) \(^-^)/ (☆_☆) \(^-^)/

I have finally reached 1,000 views!! That's so amazing!! In 4 months, I have opened a blog, posted on said blog, developed an audience through social media, and have reached viewers that span over 5 countries. That is so awesome. Globalization is fantastic. Thank you so much for supporting me by reading my posts. I love all my viewers <3 (Thank you to my mom for clicking my blog 1,000 times lol)

(Good) Discomfort

I really don't like discomfort. By discomfort, I mean anything that has potential to upset me. I don't like scary movies, over aggression, or getting upset. All of those things cause me to have great discomfort. My class requires us to study the Holocaust. The Holocaust is an awful event that took place and its horrific to think about the evils that humans are willing to commit against other humans. I understand that we have to learn about it yearly to prevent this type of repetition in history. However, I still don't enjoy it. The word alone has the ability to glaze a room full of rowdy teenagers in wave of discomfort and sadness. It was suggested that the class watch Schindler's List. I know personally that I wouldn't be able to handle that. There's a huge difference between reading about the horrors and having to sit back and watch them take place. Fortunately, we were allowed to watch Life is Beautiful . This movie is also very sad from midpoint on. What I like is that the film creators didn't feel the need to show you the gory horrors, rather, they allowed the intelligence of the human mind to fill in the gaps of the unseen violence. This movie centers in on the love an innocent man has for his family and how much effort he puts into preserving his son's innocence. It really shows that life is beautiful and the love that this one man has is almost enough to help remove all the hate seen in his environment. So even though the topic of the movie made me feel uncomfortable and sad, it was necessary. Not a necessary evil, but a good discomfort.

Supression

I was having an excellent day. My hug quota was filled, I completed an interactive lab, and I was wearing  my awesome Los Angeles, California sweatshirt. I'm in the middle of a test and I feel something hard hit me in my ribs. I look to see an obnoxious baseball player and some of his groupies trying to suppress their laughter. He immediately says "Oh, it flew out of my hand" and laughs some more. I'm thinking, Sure it did. Something can accidentally fly 5 feet in my direction. Speechless, my face starts to burn. I assume this must be because I am embarrassed. I hear the white noise of one of his groupies try to defend his immature actions, but I can't focus on anything she is saying because I can feel my blood pressure and body temperature rising. It continues to escalate as I think of how compassionate I've been the whole year allowing this junior to act like an immature buffoon. It's suddenly getting higher and hotter as I realize that this guy is a thief who has stolen my education time by being so distracting with his inconsiderate behavior (not just today, every single day). I feel the pressure fill the room like helium fills a balloon. Ready to pop at any moment. I'm in a pot of water that's boiling on the fire. This boy has foolishly lit a fire in a field of straw and little does he know, I am ready to light him up. That causes me to realize that this burning in my face wasn't embarrassment, this was the burning of my red hot furry. I don't know what I want to say so I just blurt out the first thing that comes to my mind when think of a guy like him. I yell out "Are you being racist?!" The confusion in his face defused the bomb that almost killed him. I almost feel bad about my comment until he starts getting mad and trying to discretely talk about me. I don't really care about the talking about me because I personally get nervous when people aren't talking about me,but for some reason when this boy does it, it just makes me angrier. I am not a violent person so I removed myself from the space and sat in a different seat. I took one breath and I felt like someone had ripped my heart out of my chest. I felt so tired from the anger, while still being angry. My anger started to express itself in the form of acidic tears. I stand up and walk to get tissues from my teacher's desk. I can tell she thinks I am upset about the test, however the minute I look up and align my watery eyes with hers, I feel her heart sink into her stomach. I know that she knows that something happened to upset me and her eyes tell me that she wishes she could help, but knows that there's no way she could help me in the way that I require. I tell her why I'm upset, but don't ask her to do anything about it;why ask for something that I know she doesn't have.
Had I expressed my feeling of irritation with this person earlier in the year, I wouldn't have to had all this suppressed anger for him to uncap.  The thing is I don't want this kid to be punished for immaturity. I want him to understand that his behavior is inappropriate and that I shouldn't have to tolerate it. However, just like everything in my life, there is a brightside. At least, I have another story to add to the book of my life.

Starting anger

Increased anger

COME AT ME,  BRUH!!

Apprieciation (Goodbye) Cards

I am transitioning a lot at this point in my life. I'm transferring schools and changing volunteer jobs. I'm doing more independent travel. I'm coming into my adult self more and more each day. Due to all the change, I made special people special goodbye cards. All of the cards have different styles in the way they say thank you. I also attached a piece of candy to the card so that the card receiver may have a lasting thought that I am sweet (like candy). I handwrite all of them and make sure that each card is personalized to the individual. I have been fortunate enough to meet and develop relationships with the most amazing people. Since I have benefitted so much from these relationships, I feel that it is my responsibility to make others aware about my feelings of fondness towards them. The only thing uniform among all my cards was the amount of love I put in them and my suggestion that receiver keep in contact with me. Although I stay busy, I never forget those who invested in me whether that investment be financial, an investment of time, or an emotional investment. I could only hope that they wouldn't forget about me. As this chapter of my life comes to a close, I want it to end my style. I want it to end happy and sweet.

A Month Without Electronics - Hypothesis

In about month, I will be entering an immersive Chinese program in which I will not be allowed to use electronic devices because all of my devices are programmed in English. I will have a month of no cellphone, no social media, and no blogging (so depressed). I'm excited to embark on this new adventure, but since my current life is filled with so much technology, I assume the adjustment may be a little harder. I know you can't miss something you don't have, so I predict after the first week without personal electronics, I'll be well adapted to this pre-Apple lifestyle. I think it will also help me make friends faster because all of us will be focused on furthering our Chinese learning and making memories without having the distractions of our phones. The program prefers we write letters back home as an alternative to the use of cell phones. I'm sure our letters will move slower than our texts, but I have a feeling that our letters will be more meaningful than our texts. I also enjoy the idea of writing home because it will allow me to practice my writing skills. This is my basic hypothesis of how lack of electronics will affect me. I'll write up my results after I finish the program.

Survival Guide : Living with 10 Girls Part 4

Tip #11: Appreciation
Develop an appreciation for the small things like getting to eat at the restaurant of your choice or amazing things like being by yourself. When living with 10 people in a small living quarters with no kitchen, you develop the magical ability to hear the exquisite sound in silence. It's so beautiful and subtle; the inaudible sound that fills the air when you're alone in your over populated living quarters. It happens so rarely that when you realize no one else is home, you may just sit and listen to it. It's important to appreciate the small things because it keeps everyone grounded and humbled. Appreciation forces you to recognize that as a person, you are not entitled to anything and that you should be grateful for everything.

Tip #12: Desensitization
I highly suggest developing a desensitization to things that may be typically viewed as vulgar profane, unorthodox, and simply inappropriate. For these things are indeed inappropriate, but they are of common teenage lingo so it's best to be desensitized to some things that you may hear. Teenagers are immature and may make jokes that are stupid. They may also play in a way that is silly, noisy, and inconsiderate. It's best to remember that they do not intend to fend or incontinence anyone, they more don't really recognize the disturbance they've caused until after the fact. As mentioned previously, teenagers are immature so if something is really offensive, just publicly express your offense in a calm tone because it embarrasses them. They will stop.

Tip #13: Share
Sharing encourages others to share with you. That sharing may consist of food or of personal feelings amongst each other. Either way, the sharing promotes bonding and that is extremely important when living with 10 girls. Plus, if you don't share, they won't care, and take some food regardless. Easiest way to remember is sharing is caring. 

Tip #14: SQUAD UP
Everywhere you go, squad up. You must always be with another person, especially in a foreign place. Everyone else will protect you just as you protect them. There is safety in greater numbers. Plus, when you travel in squads, your group selfies are that much better.

Tip #15: Learn To Love Them
In the end of all the sleepless nights, the endless random hairs, and the possessed Blanka orangutan screaming matches, it's important to learn how to love them. They are extremely annoying a lot of times, but they are still biologically people and require to be loved as so. Different individuals need various types and degrees of love and affection. Moving into a room of 10 girls, it's natural to be unaware everyone's individual requirement or limitation of affection. By the time to move out, you have learned how to properly love others as they have learned how to properly love you.

Survival Guide : Living with 10 Girls Part 3

Tip #7: Know Yourself
When living with 10 other sources of peer pressure and stupidity, it's important to know yourself. Having knowledge of who you truely are will allow you to know when you shouldn't be somewhere. It will keep you aware of personal boundaries and limitations. Abide by these feelings to have the best time.

Tip #8: (Gut Feeling)
The term "gut feeling" is put in parentheses because it's not always something obvious. Sometimes it may be a quick pang or it may be a drawn out sense of dread. Either way, it's important to listen to the "gut feeling" because it's usually right. These feelings are natural instincts sending signals of "I'm in danger", "I'm hurting", "I need to help", "I can do this", and "This is it." Ignoring said feelings can and will create great unexpected inconviences. The degree of the inconvience varies with the degree of the situation.

Tip #9: Don't Yell First

Blanka (Street Fighter II) = Angry Females

Refering back to previous tip of maintain patience, an important part of maintaining the peace amoung 10 girls is not to yell, speak with attitude, or cause irriation. Naturally, this is not going to happen and people will get angry, say rude things, and cause serious mass agravation. The key is don't yell first. Just as with fighting on a school premises, the one who swings first is the one who starts the fight.  This same rule applies to yelling or using angry profanity. Whatever you do, don't be the one to drop the F-bomb first. All that does is ignite the already angry etrogen filled crazy oragutans and transforms them into wild screeching monsters like Blanka from Street Fighter II. Take heed to this piece of advice. DO NOT YELL FIRST.

Tip #10: Boys
If there are boys involved, that usually means trouble. Not that all guys are trouble, but what accompanies them does bring inconvience. In my case, guys bring simplicity (which is good), immaturity, and alarm to adults. This is an inconvienance to me for having to feel like a mom and controlling their childlike behavior. It's also very inconvient for the adults to be alarmed when males and females are in the same vicnity. The adults become annoying because they tend to display their clear distrust of young minds and their constant hovering ruins the fun of having a diverse group in the first place. Boys may equal trouble.

What I Did To See The Hollywood Sign

It's been said that people do crazy things for love. I think comparing all my efforts to see the Hollywood Sign to the crazy things people do for love, I measure up with the craziest. I had to take 3 taxis, purchase 2 tickets and climb 1 ginormous mountain just to catch a glimpse of the Hollywood Sign. I also had to avoid angering the under informed and non existent supervisors while keeping track of 14 other wild gorillas (aka 14 other teenagers).

STORY TIME
Everyone is up and ready to go to Los Angeles, California at about 8 am. We are delayed long enough for me to get a sandwich and for the adviser to hear about our plan which was already in progress. We all climbed into 3 different taxis and went to the train station. We are purchasing one way tickets and our advisers force everyone to buy a 2nd ticket so they know for sure we have a planned mode of transportation home. One of the people had to go back early so he bought an earlier ticket and I decided to go back with him so he wouldn't travel alone. We also realize that our supervisor is livid due to the lack of information provides as well as the lack of permission requested. We all sit to wait for the train near the tracks and then some creep takes out his phone and starts snapping pictures/taking videos of us. We walk to get on board and he is following us with the camera on his phone. One girl yells at him to stop recording us and he cowers away like the creepy coward he is.  We arrive in LA and attempt to all stick together on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Hollywood Walk of Fame was not fun just because you can't really enjoy the stars on the ground. The excitement of seeing something you've only seen in movies is diminished with all the tourists, hustlers, impersonators who charge you to take a picture, and the creeps. Thus the reason our attempt to remain 15 people united only lasted for all of 3 seconds. The Fab Five (the five loudest roommates) wanted to stopped at every single star, another group wanted to go to the Hollywood Sign, and another group just wanted to eat. We all had to disperse at lunch because half of the group wanted to go to In-N-Out Burger (which we went to yesterday) and everyone else wanted to go to Subway. The Subway group finished eating first so we all ordered taxis to take us to the Hollywood Sign. My taxi made it and the other taxi went to an observatory on the opposite side of town. This is awful because the other person who had an early ticket to the train was in the other car. While waiting for the other taxi of the Subway kids, my group entered a restricted area to get better pictures with the Hollywood Sign. That was great and really cool, until we realized that I should find the other person who was supposed to leave early. They couldn't find us and we couldn't find them. We were also in the mountains and the reception was atrocious. We literally spent an hour trying to find them which included 3 walks up and down the mountain. So the In-N-Out group rolls up in their taxi and they start yelling about how they saw the other Subway group down the mountain. Everyone started yelling so loud that a woman exited her home to ask if there was something going on. So at this point, I'm so pressed for time that if I don't make it down the mountain in the next minute, I'll miss my train. I beg the taxi driver to take me and he refuses. Ignoring the white noise of everyone screaming at each other and using profanity,  every song on the radio as our taxi driver accumulated traffic and speeding violations. An hour and half later, the other person and I ring the doorbell of the lady we disturbed and used my charm to have her give me a ride down the mountain. I reunite with the other person leaving early with 10 minutes to catch a train that I know is going to be at least 20 minutes away. Our taxi driver offers to take us back and we take the offer. I was singing/rapping and I made it back to the hotel.

So yeah, I went through all of that to see the Hollywood Sign.



This selfie was so worth it.

Seeing a Prostitute for the 1st Time

STORY TIME:
So I go down to the market in our hotel which is across the street from Disneyland and I get in line to pay for my food. All of a sudden, someone enters from the door that says "KEEP CLOSED" and yells "I'm cold!" I turn around to see this prostitute. This is not at all how I imagined my 1st prostitue sighting would be and she looked nowhere near what I expected prostitutes to look like. The tracks in her hair were completely exposed and the extensions/ wig she had attached to said tracks almost looked like they were purchase from a dollar store. One side of her hair was orange and the other platinum blonde. She had on extremely short shorts and spaghetti strap crop top in 50 degree weather. She looked dirty as if she hadn't had access to a bath in a year. She was profusely scratching herself and could not stop moving. I noticed she really alarmed the people working in the market. She started to touch everything and walk quickly throughout the store changing direction with every scratch. I wasn't in awe of her nor was I scared of her. I actualy walked away feeling sorry for her because she is clearly not taking care of herself and she's selling her body for money and drugs.

Survival Guide : Living with 10 Girls Part 2

Tip #4: Patience
When living with 10 other people, patience is key. You have to wait for everyone to go out, you have to wait to use the restroom (the worst), and sometimes you have to wait to talk. Everything will require some sort of patience (unless you get there 1st). There will be times when you're not necessarily being patient time wise, but more being patient with others. People are annoying and there have been a lot of times when I've had to be patient and not get frustrated with everyone.

Tip #5: Orangutans

These are orangutans

Living with 10 girls is equivalent to living with 10 orangutans. Everyone has so much hair and they shed so much. There are strands of hair everywhere. These random strands can pop up anywhere such as on clothes, on the bath soap, or in the sink. I had never seen that before because my family doesn't shed like that. They also behave like wild apes pretty often. I suggest developing a love for orangutans.

Tip #6: Stay Chill
10 people means 10 different personalities and 10 variables. Many times, things don't go exactly how originally planned so my group tends to make loose plans and go from there. Every time it has worked out pretty well and we stick together. Every time one person gets irritated, they cause a change reaction to irritate everyone else. The key to having a smooth life with 10 other people is to stay relaxed and be patient.