After going to bed at 3am this morning because of different reasons from Caitlin being her normal denying self, to saying goodbye to Carolyn, to the brilliant smoke alarm in my room. I woke up at 6 because I ignored the alarm clock, which was set for 5:30, until it annoyed me and it turned it off. Megan, thank god came over and got me up and going. Once in the airport I got in to the bus. It was a nice ride I had a whole row to my self so I got to sleep a bit and listen to some music. The immigration was really nice which was great as I am used to it being long and conflicting the lady even told me to where eat great Italian food in San Diego.
Seattle airport was a little daunting as I am still not used to the whole self check in it took me a little more time to check in as I had to do two lines instead of one. But in the end I got a human to do my check in instead of a machine and all went perfectly fine. The plane ride was nice I slept through all of it basically. There was a newly wed couple sitting next to me who were all cute and in love. I woke up just in time to see the plane enter San Francisco it was sunny and so beautiful. I took some pictures from the plane.
I had better expectations of the San Francisco Airport but maybe it was just the gate section I was at. What really sucked was that I could not get online so I could not speak to my family who where all in my house gathered for a Christmas Party. So that was a bummer and I also wanted to chat with my friends. So I just watched the rest of Arrested Development. What an amazing show. I am right now in the plane to Sunny San Diego, and it is kinda of turbulent.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Cooking for over 50 people can be a challenge.
Two month ago, when 
Elyse, Megan, and I thought about cooking a thanksgiving dinner for the whole Sherwood Lett (population 109 people) we thought it was a great idea. I mean how hard can it be to cook for say 70 people? We started planning two months in advanced and it was going to be easy. We were going to buy already made turkeys, get everyone to R.S.V.P. two weeks before the event reserve the kitchen way in advance and it would run smoothly.
Yes I know what you are thinking, “THEY ARE CRAZY” and we were/are. Nothing went as planned except that the meal was a huge success. No one would cook the turkeys for us so we had to cook them our selves which included de-gibliting them which non of us knew how to do. But with lots of luck and many friends we manage to pull it of. It was amazing I made Mashed potatoes from scratch and learned how to cook turckey and that you need much more time than 20 minutes per pound. All in all it was an amazizing evening, Tom made a very moving speech and I can now say that I cooked for more than 54 people.
Oh!!! And it SNOWED!!! REAL WHITE, FLUFFY, COLD, SNOW!!!!
Elyse, Megan, and I thought about cooking a thanksgiving dinner for the whole Sherwood Lett (population 109 people) we thought it was a great idea. I mean how hard can it be to cook for say 70 people? We started planning two months in advanced and it was going to be easy. We were going to buy already made turkeys, get everyone to R.S.V.P. two weeks before the event reserve the kitchen way in advance and it would run smoothly.Yes I know what you are thinking, “THEY ARE CRAZY” and we were/are. Nothing went as planned except that the meal was a huge success. No one would cook the turkeys for us so we had to cook them our selves which included de-gibliting them which non of us knew how to do. But with lots of luck and many friends we manage to pull it of. It was amazing I made Mashed potatoes from scratch and learned how to cook turckey and that you need much more time than 20 minutes per pound. All in all it was an amazizing evening, Tom made a very moving speech and I can now say that I cooked for more than 54 people.
Oh!!! And it SNOWED!!! REAL WHITE, FLUFFY, COLD, SNOW!!!!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Why you should have your mother with you at all times in all places
I’m sick and as if being sick is not bad enough I am tired. Which I guess is one of the reasons I am sick. When you get sick it is when you realize that mothers are amazing. All I want rights now is for my mom to give me an “aguaromatica de sauco” and for her to hug me and tell me it is going to be alright. My mom as most of the moms of the people that live in my house live a distance away, for some it is only 30 minutes, for other it is a continents away, and for other it is a continent and an ocean away. My point is that we all have to deal and learn from these new experiences. Not having a mom is one of the ones that has hit me the hardest. ESPECIALLY WHEN SICK!
Friday, November 10, 2006
Lessons I have gotten out of University life.
Dorm life has taught me several very important things, which include:
Sleep is overrated: In Dorm life there is no one that goes to bed before 9pm. I don’t care what time you had class in the morning…the reality is that if you went to bed early, you went to bed at half past eleven. Why? Because there is always something that needs to be done (or something that would be fun to do) or you get caught up talking to people until 5 am. This brings me to my second point,
Naps are awesome at any time: sleepy at 11am? Take a nap. Since you didn’t go to bed until 3am last night, and woke up at 7 to get to your 8:00 class it is completely reasonable and not at all uncommon to take a nap at 11am, before your noon class. This concept also applies to afternoon naps at, say, 6pm. If you are going out partying at 8pm but are tired, take a nap from 6-7 and you still have an hour to get ready! My best nap, by the way, took place between 7:30 and 8:30 am.
Free things are always superior: It doesn’t matter that if you had to pay for that coffee, you would never drink it. If it’s free, it’s the best coffee you have ever drunk. In your life. The reason behind this is… IT IS FREE!!! Students are short in cash. This is a fact. And as a wise Oliver once said, “I have pocket money. It is the money I have in my pocket.”
Home cooked meals at their worst are better than caf food: Even when you were given toast, cheese and chips at home, that was better than this. Even on good days at the cafeteria, students will find a way to have problems with it. The food is too greasy, there are way too many people, the music selection is horrible, and the food is always the same. And so on and so forth.
Clothes are not dirty until the third time used: Doing laundry is hell. When you get to your dorm you acquire a new sense to what is clean and what isn’t. Suddenly clothes that you would have considered dirty when you were home are now wearable for at least two more outings. (On a tangent, a serious one… You also learn to look in your pockets before you wash your clothes.) Some people actually think it is acceptable to wear the same shirt two times in a row.
Sleep is overrated: In Dorm life there is no one that goes to bed before 9pm. I don’t care what time you had class in the morning…the reality is that if you went to bed early, you went to bed at half past eleven. Why? Because there is always something that needs to be done (or something that would be fun to do) or you get caught up talking to people until 5 am. This brings me to my second point,
Naps are awesome at any time: sleepy at 11am? Take a nap. Since you didn’t go to bed until 3am last night, and woke up at 7 to get to your 8:00 class it is completely reasonable and not at all uncommon to take a nap at 11am, before your noon class. This concept also applies to afternoon naps at, say, 6pm. If you are going out partying at 8pm but are tired, take a nap from 6-7 and you still have an hour to get ready! My best nap, by the way, took place between 7:30 and 8:30 am.
Free things are always superior: It doesn’t matter that if you had to pay for that coffee, you would never drink it. If it’s free, it’s the best coffee you have ever drunk. In your life. The reason behind this is… IT IS FREE!!! Students are short in cash. This is a fact. And as a wise Oliver once said, “I have pocket money. It is the money I have in my pocket.”
Home cooked meals at their worst are better than caf food: Even when you were given toast, cheese and chips at home, that was better than this. Even on good days at the cafeteria, students will find a way to have problems with it. The food is too greasy, there are way too many people, the music selection is horrible, and the food is always the same. And so on and so forth.
Clothes are not dirty until the third time used: Doing laundry is hell. When you get to your dorm you acquire a new sense to what is clean and what isn’t. Suddenly clothes that you would have considered dirty when you were home are now wearable for at least two more outings. (On a tangent, a serious one… You also learn to look in your pockets before you wash your clothes.) Some people actually think it is acceptable to wear the same shirt two times in a row.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Idiots guide to UBC's Grading System
UBC's grading system makes absolutely no sense what so ever. I don’t believe any one in this place actually understands it. They might tell you they do, but they don’t. A few weeks ago I got my Microeconomics midterm back and I got a 62. Any half normal person who is at least not Canadian will tell you that that is a D-. Well in UBC it is in fact higher much highr than that, actually it is a C. Yes I got a C with a 62.
Today was a double heart attack day in the sense that got back not only a midterm but also a paper. Oh the joys of university life! NOT!! (So fourth grade but still great) Anyway to continue on, I got a 35 out of 60 in my Poli Sci midterm. Any people can se that that is not that good. I did the math and found out I had a 58. A 58 to me screams F! F! You got an F! F for FAILURE!!!! However according to the UBC grading scale I got a C-, yeah that’s right not an F not even a D a C. This story gets even better. I got a B- for my sociology paper with a 70. Still can’t believe it my self.
By the way the System is as follows:
90-100 A+
85-89 A
80-84 A-
76-79 B+
72-75 B
68-71 B-
64-67 C+
60-63 C
55-59 C-
50-54 D
0-49 F (fail)
I love my university!!!
Today was a double heart attack day in the sense that got back not only a midterm but also a paper. Oh the joys of university life! NOT!! (So fourth grade but still great) Anyway to continue on, I got a 35 out of 60 in my Poli Sci midterm. Any people can se that that is not that good. I did the math and found out I had a 58. A 58 to me screams F! F! You got an F! F for FAILURE!!!! However according to the UBC grading scale I got a C-, yeah that’s right not an F not even a D a C. This story gets even better. I got a B- for my sociology paper with a 70. Still can’t believe it my self.
By the way the System is as follows:
90-100 A+
85-89 A
80-84 A-
76-79 B+
72-75 B
68-71 B-
64-67 C+
60-63 C
55-59 C-
50-54 D
0-49 F (fail)
I love my university!!!
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
In the beginning
So for the past year or so I have wanted to write. After my year leaving with Silvio and Erinn (wow that was weird even writing it is weird) I saw how a real author worked and I must say it is very inspiring. Silvio writes in his blog http://silviosirias.com/blog.html every week on Wednesdays. So now I am giving it a try. I will try to write on a regular basis but as in my diary that wont happen. Maybe if Oliver or anyone actually reads this and makes me write more I will. So I know I am cheating but my first blog is going to be my essay for colleges, why? Because it discribes me and my family so i figure it is a good way to start.
Through the years, I have tried to find a family that at least reassembles mine. I have failed miserably. My family is like no other, and because of them I am what I am. We came to live to Panama five years ago. In June, my parents decided, for various reasons, to go back to Colombia. To me, this was a great blow because I definitely did not want to change my school during my senior year, especially for one that was triple the size of mine. So, my parents looked for ways for me to stay in Panama. My teacher, Mrs. Magee, agreed to take me in for a year. This year, Im living in Panama while the rest of my family is in Colombia. This has made me see them in a new light, and I now truly appreciate everything theyve given me.
Pablo is my 12-year old, soccer crazed, early-rising, energetic (maybe too energetic), and sometimes-pesky brother. Hes always doing something. I dont get bored when Im with him. He always makes me laugh, especially during our Tickle-me-Tuesdays, when my brother and I have tickle fights all afternoon. My mom once asked me what our ideal house needed to be in order to accommodate the needs of our family. The first thing that came to my head was a spacious living room where my brother could play soccer and watch TV at the same time. Also, with Pablo I can talk about everything: cars, cartoons, soccer, Formula One Racing, school . . . well, almost everything. I cant talk to him about books because he refuses to read. My goal is to get him to like reading. At least I can dream.
My 14-year old sister, Patricia, Ive been told, looks 16: because shes two inches taller than me, has an amazing figure. and sometimes acts more mature than I. Shes calm and soft-spoken. Shes the real big sisterwithout the privileges of getting to college first. Shes the one that sends Pablo and me to bed when it is getting too late. We are not exactly opposites, but we are quite different. When we were little, I would say that we were like oil and water. But its not quite like that anymore. She is more social, while I am a bookworm. But she loves books almost as much as I do, and I love going out almost as much as she does. Patricia also loves shopping and keeping up with fashions. I would be lying if I told you I wasnt interested in fashions, but I hate shopping. What I admired most about my sister is her determination and strength. Pato, as I call her, is an incredible person with great potential.
My Mom and I have a complicated relationship: we cant live together, but we cant live without each other. When we lived in Panama, my dad would often travel to Colombia. On some of those nights he was gone, my mother and I would talk and laugh about everything, and nothing. Shes the person that pushes me to be my best, and I, in turn, sometimes resent that. But I wouldnt be the person I am now with out her. I like to think of her as my pillar, and perhaps I sound arrogant but I think that she thinks of me as her pillar. My mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. This has shown me how important she is in my life, and what a hardworking, brave, and unselfish woman she is.
My dad is, to me, larger than life. If my mom is the one pushing me, my dads the one pulling me. Hes a sociologist, an agriculturist, a triathlon athlete, a carpenter, a canoe-maker, a cayuco paddler, a cartographer, a consultant, a terrific father, and a caring son. I stumble when Im asked what my dad means to me. The greatest thing about him is that he hasnt done it all yet, but he says that one day, when he grows up, hell do itand I believe him. The best part of my fathers plans for when he grows up is that my mom will be right next to him every step of the way. They seldom argue, and if they do, it never lasts long.
The truth is that my family is unique. Living without them has been the hardest thing Ive ever done. I am what I am thanks to them; to each of them. Weve done everything together: paddling in the Panama Canal, cooking, camping, reading, singing, and just enjoying a moment together. My cousin once described us as the family that always does everything together.
For 18 years I have done only a few things that didnt include my family, but living without them is the biggest by far. I am happy that I get to practice the whole not-living-with-my-family routine before college, and in a way, I have my parents to thank for this year of practice I am getting
Through the years, I have tried to find a family that at least reassembles mine. I have failed miserably. My family is like no other, and because of them I am what I am. We came to live to Panama five years ago. In June, my parents decided, for various reasons, to go back to Colombia. To me, this was a great blow because I definitely did not want to change my school during my senior year, especially for one that was triple the size of mine. So, my parents looked for ways for me to stay in Panama. My teacher, Mrs. Magee, agreed to take me in for a year. This year, Im living in Panama while the rest of my family is in Colombia. This has made me see them in a new light, and I now truly appreciate everything theyve given me.
Pablo is my 12-year old, soccer crazed, early-rising, energetic (maybe too energetic), and sometimes-pesky brother. Hes always doing something. I dont get bored when Im with him. He always makes me laugh, especially during our Tickle-me-Tuesdays, when my brother and I have tickle fights all afternoon. My mom once asked me what our ideal house needed to be in order to accommodate the needs of our family. The first thing that came to my head was a spacious living room where my brother could play soccer and watch TV at the same time. Also, with Pablo I can talk about everything: cars, cartoons, soccer, Formula One Racing, school . . . well, almost everything. I cant talk to him about books because he refuses to read. My goal is to get him to like reading. At least I can dream.
My 14-year old sister, Patricia, Ive been told, looks 16: because shes two inches taller than me, has an amazing figure. and sometimes acts more mature than I. Shes calm and soft-spoken. Shes the real big sisterwithout the privileges of getting to college first. Shes the one that sends Pablo and me to bed when it is getting too late. We are not exactly opposites, but we are quite different. When we were little, I would say that we were like oil and water. But its not quite like that anymore. She is more social, while I am a bookworm. But she loves books almost as much as I do, and I love going out almost as much as she does. Patricia also loves shopping and keeping up with fashions. I would be lying if I told you I wasnt interested in fashions, but I hate shopping. What I admired most about my sister is her determination and strength. Pato, as I call her, is an incredible person with great potential.
My Mom and I have a complicated relationship: we cant live together, but we cant live without each other. When we lived in Panama, my dad would often travel to Colombia. On some of those nights he was gone, my mother and I would talk and laugh about everything, and nothing. Shes the person that pushes me to be my best, and I, in turn, sometimes resent that. But I wouldnt be the person I am now with out her. I like to think of her as my pillar, and perhaps I sound arrogant but I think that she thinks of me as her pillar. My mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. This has shown me how important she is in my life, and what a hardworking, brave, and unselfish woman she is.
My dad is, to me, larger than life. If my mom is the one pushing me, my dads the one pulling me. Hes a sociologist, an agriculturist, a triathlon athlete, a carpenter, a canoe-maker, a cayuco paddler, a cartographer, a consultant, a terrific father, and a caring son. I stumble when Im asked what my dad means to me. The greatest thing about him is that he hasnt done it all yet, but he says that one day, when he grows up, hell do itand I believe him. The best part of my fathers plans for when he grows up is that my mom will be right next to him every step of the way. They seldom argue, and if they do, it never lasts long.
The truth is that my family is unique. Living without them has been the hardest thing Ive ever done. I am what I am thanks to them; to each of them. Weve done everything together: paddling in the Panama Canal, cooking, camping, reading, singing, and just enjoying a moment together. My cousin once described us as the family that always does everything together.
For 18 years I have done only a few things that didnt include my family, but living without them is the biggest by far. I am happy that I get to practice the whole not-living-with-my-family routine before college, and in a way, I have my parents to thank for this year of practice I am getting
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)