2010-2011 Junior Schedule

Period 1: Spanish III Honors - Fidel
Period 2: Journalism - Jepsen
Period 3: AP Chemistry - Centeno
Period 4: AP Calculus BC - Carlson
Period 5: AP US History/MUN - Mustard
Period 6: AP English Language - Stevens

That is my 2010-2011 junior year schedule as posted on ABI. The final one will come out at registration next week Originally, I had AP Calc BC 6th period but I emailed my counselor and requested a schedule change and got it. Having a math 6th period would have sucked since I play sports and would miss a lot of 6th period. And missing math means missing openers, which are hard to make up. My schedule will be tough with four APs and a honors class. But I think I'm up to the challenge. Isn't junior year suppose to be the toughest year?

Camping Trip

This past weekend, I went down to San Clemente State Beach with my family for a 3-day 2-night camping trip. It was a good gathering as there was 9 of us in total camping. I had a lot of fun, especially spending time with my wonderful cousins. It was a perfect weekend to be down by the beach with the hot weather. Even the two dogs, Rusty and Mimi, tagged along. For the past two years, we have gone family camping, but I felt this one was the best for many reasons.

We had a campsite that was close to the beach unlike last years. Five minutes of walking around a campsite and down the hill and we were at the beach. San Clemente State Beach is quite unique. There isn't a lot of sand area. Very little beach area. But the waves are huge, surfing type waves. Friday evening, we were standing on the edge of where the sand meets the rocks and high tide struck, washing out the entire beach. It was a pretty cool view. Playing in the ocean water on Saturday afternoon was a blast. As the big waves came in, we battled one wave after another. The best part about San Clemente State Beach is the sunset view. It is just absolutely gorgeous and beautiful. From the cliffs before the trail that goes down to the beach, we saw the sun set into the ocean both nights. This beach was nice in all aspects.

In our camp, we ate plenty of rich, tasty food. One night we had Korean-style noodles to go along with dumplings. Another night, we had Korean BBQ with sopa noodles with corn and vegetable stick. Our breakfast was nice too with waffles, sausages, eggs, and French toast. Cucumber salad for Saturday lunch was also tasty too. And smores both nights during the campfire summed it up. Honey-maid crackers with melted marsh mellows with Hershey chocolate; it was delicious. And roasting popcorn over the campfire was pretty tight too. Food food food; I ate so much this weekend.

My dog Rusty is so funny. Saturday night, we all headed to our tents. Rusty came in and went to my cousin's sleeping bag and just knocked out flat. We made noises but his eyes stayed closed. It wasn't until we carried him up and relocated him that he woke up. Rusty, you are so cute and funny!

This camping trip was all about spending family time together out camping. Everyone had a great time bonding. We all worked as a team building up our campsite, setting up the tents, the canopy, cooking,  etc. The weekend was fun-filled and exhilarating.

The Summer Fun Continues

The summer fun continues on for me this weekend. Starting this afternoon, for 3 days and 2 nights, my family and I will be camping at a state beach down South. A lot of my extended family will be there and even the dogs will accompany us. It will be a great way to beat the heat and sun. It finally felt like summer this week with the heat and humidity.

Family camping trips have often been fun. The last two years, we have gone up to the Oxnard area to camp. Everyone has always enjoyed this event. Can't wait for the camping trip to arrive. I am excited!

Mammoth Camp

Mammoth Camp was FUN!!! I had a great time at my first ever Mammoth Camp. We not only ran and trained at high altitude (7,000 feet), but also did a lot of team bonding activities that showed the true spirit of OHANA. I got a lot out of this week as  pushed myself to the limit on the run and got to know my fellow teammates, coaches, parents, and alumnis much better as I talked with a lot more new people. Everyone was encouraging on the tough runs and gave each other positive remarks.

The runs were CHALLENGING. Most of our runs were out a certain amount of time and then back in. Some were out uphill all the way and then back downhill, others were rolling hills with turns. What a good place to train for running! High altitude elevation with clean air and beautiful scenery surrounding you. In Cerritios, there are no legit hills to train on. The two-a-day run on Monday wasn't that bad. I survived through it. Convict Lake was a cool run. One of my greatest accomplishments of the week was the ridge run on Wednesday. I had planned to go out to the Mammoth Rock and then back, but once I reached there, I somehow got the inspiration to keep going and I did; ending up at the road. That was where A group ended. On Thursday, I did the same, doing 6 fartlecks, again the maximum amount that A group did. I feel proud of myself for ascending to new heights in running with A group.

My favorite run was the Ascent on Friday. The view was absolutely gorgeous of the Eastern Sierra Mountains and the Village of Mammoth. All along going up, I ran/walked as it was tough on my knees. I think it was at least a 1,000 feet elevation gain. Took lots of pictures along the ascent (6.4 miles in total), especially coming back down. I should've went with the earlier group which went all the way to the lake. Next year, my goal is to go to the lake!

Cliff jumping on Tuesday was some great experience. I was scared at first as it seemed dangerous. But as more people did it, I wanted to do it. I compared the height of the rock to the water like the CPE diving boards but just a bit higher. I hesitated on my jump and jumped too close to the rock. That was a bit dangerous. I flopped into the cold water weirdly and then swam ashore to the rocks. It was a great experience rock jumping into Arrowhead Lake.

The team-building activities and competitions were a blast and competitive. My condo, White Condo, did just well enough to maintain our place in the Camp Olympics. As of last night, we were in the lead, 980 points, by 100 over Gray Condo. Building up our music video was also great team-bonding experience. We used "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey and filmed each scene. Everyone participated and got involved in it. Great job to my condo mates, Mike, Brandon, Andrew, Kelvin, Tim, Vincent, Ganesh, Zach, Mark, Brian, Ben, and Raymond. White Condo 13 strong!

I will sure be back to Mammoth Camp next year, 2011. Thank you to all the counselors for prepping the food and feeding us so well. Most importantly, thank you Coach Wat for running such a wonderful and successful camp!

Mammoth Camp Tomorrow!

Tomorrow, I'm leaving for Mammoth Camp with the cross country team. I am super excited. Looking at the calendar of events, there are a lot of them. We'll be running at 7,000 feet elevation everyday, and there are three two-a-day runs. It's going to be tough but I'm ready for the challenge. In addition, we'll be having team condo activities such as a skit, making a music video, competitions, etc. I'm done packing and managed to fit all of my gear into my 3 feet in length duffel bag. It all begins tomorrow for a week!

Let the Medieval Crusades Challenge begin!

A New Era Begins

A new era began for me yesterday as I officially was able to drive by myself in my car since I was added onto the insurance. So it kicks off the driving era of my life. With more freedom, it means I have to be more independent and I will now be responsible for most of my transportation, getting to school, practices, places. I felt so grown-up driving to morning practice. I am greatly excited for being able to drive by myself now. One positive note: It will make my parent’s lives easier…

Driving now!!!