Hey guys! How are all of you guys doing? I have a quick question for you...

What do you think being a "witness" means?

   For me, "witness" is a word with many definitions. Most people associate the word "witness" with the act of being present when something happens; either watching or glancing or stumbling upon accidentally, etc. However, I feel like there is more depth to the word than just that. 
   You see, witnesses can range from just people who saw or experienced the event directly, to people who have seen, heard, watched, or learned of the event through the direct witness(s), social media, the news, or anything like that. Just because someone wasn't there at the moment doesn't mean they aren't a "witness". However, they could have heard twisted stories or untrue facts, thus compromising their role as "witness". Therefore, it is difficult to fully sift out a true definition of "witness". 
   Personally, I think that both of these scenarios apply to witnesses. However, I do think that people who are directly involved with the event are more direct witnesses, rather than a secondary witness like someone who learned about the event through a different outlet. 

   During our trip to LA, many things changed about my look on the Holocaust and the Japanese internment. First of all, I had barely known about the Japanese internment at all, so I was very thankful I was able to learn about that. Second, I had learned about the holocaust in the past, but never in such depth as the museums tour explained. The unbelievable events of the holocaust were actually very interesting to learn about, despite the fact that they were one of the lowest points for mankind and truly inhuman and devastating to the Jewish religion. So I do feel like I transformed, at least, a bit, from not knowing much about either event, to knowing more than I ever expected and hoping that we can prevent anything like those events from happing ever again. 

“60 Acres” by Raymond Carver

     The protagonist, Lee Waite, in the short story “60 Acres” by Raymond Carver is faced with making two important decisions that change his way of thinking quite drastically. Waite, during the story, finds two boys trespassing and hunting on his land, but rather than punishing them severely, he decides to let them go with just a harsh warning. The other decision Waite makes is to lease his land, thus allowing the trespassing hunters to hunt without fear of being caught and punished. 
     These decisions reflect two traits in Waite that he might not have known about himself. In the beginning of the story, he is alarmed and enraged that others are constantly trespassing on his land, willing to bring violence upon the trespassers without a blink. However, once he finds out the trespassers were and could have been for a while, young boys, he realizes that he doesn’t want to punish the boys too severely. This shows that he is rational enough to let the boys off with a warning, but it also shows his sense of fatherhood. Waite himself had two young sons, and it appears that his sense of fatherhood broke through his inner barriers and kept him from punishing the young boys. When Waite decides to lease his land, it shows how he is finally able to let go of an old bug causing him too much stress to bear. He loves his land, yes, but he knows that by just protecting it from outsiders and not actually using his land will be useless and untimely. Therefore, he shows that he is able to manage and let go of his past fears, opening up new opportunities for many others. 

     In my life, there is one clear decision that I have made that has shaped my life forever; starting Hapkido. When I was 7,  my mother had joined a kickboxing school which offered Hapkido classes for all ages. She immediately wanted me to join, but I was unwilling to. However, after finally giving in to her wishes, I started up classes and ever since then, my life has been constantly changing. Now, I have been training for almost 7 years, already having earned my Black Belt and my Second Degree Black Belt. But, even though with every class I improve, I know that if I hadn’t decided that day to sign up for my Hapkido classes. Hapkido has changed my mindset; I think more of self-control, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, and having an indomitable spirit. Every day after class we repeat those five tenants, and every day they morph my mind into a more mature way of thinking. 

Hey guys! How are you doing?

I have a quick question... 

If you had to pick four items to put in a time capsule, four items that represented your family/childhood, heritage/culture, accomplishments/achievements, and legacy, what would you choose? What container would you put them in?

For me personally, I would definitely store all of my items in a leather backpack, but as far as the items themselves, I don't exactly what I would choose. As for the family/childhood item, I think I would choose a set of old Crayola markers. When I was younger, I always drew and colored with markers, and ever since, I have considered art as one of my higher skills. For heritage/culture, I think I would pick a small model of the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty to represent my four years in New York City when I was younger. I was born in Utah like I mentioned in an earlier post, but I consider New York more of my culture, just because my memories of Utah are scarce. For my accomplishments/achievements, I guess I would choose a sketch book full of fashion designs as I have always wanted to become a fashion designer. For my final item, the legacy item, I suppose I would choose a book, hopefully one that I write. Besides being a fashion designer, I have always wanted to write my own book, hopefully one that tells my personal story in different ways. 

Anyways, that's just me. What about you guys?

Hey guys! How are all of you? 

I have a question for you... Are you a child of the West?

There are more than one ways to interpret this. Some may think that it just means 'were you born in the west' but there is also the potential meaning of 'are your ancestors from the west or somehow associated with it'? The way I interpret it is as both. Unfortunately, I don't have a set answer for either. I wasn't really born in the west, and my ancestors didn't come from the west. I was born in Utah, but I guess that could be considered west. But I also lived most of my childhood in New York city, so I have more of a city-girl mindset. But, to counter that, I am living in California currently. However, the way I personally interpret the question leans a bit more towards where my roots are, and even though I love where I live now, I don't consider myself a child of the west. 

California beaches- another one of my favorite places to hang out

What about you guys?

NYC- One of my favorite places in the world

What's Behind My Mask?

At first glance, I might seem quiet, thoughtful, and considerate. However, if you were to look closer into my personality, you may find more layers than a cake. On my mask, the front side shows my love of art, my 2nd-degree black belt, a piano, books, a snowboard, no chocolate, and a stack of papers with an apple. I know that my peers are aware of my love of art and books, my tastes in music and my enjoyment of playing the piano. I find myself basing my own personalities on those of characters in the fictional worlds in which I read. My traits range from my hatred of too much chocolate to a very fierce drive to protect others. I love to involve myself in extremes things like Karate and snowboarding. Another layer of myself I reveal to others is my love of learning. I am not the type of person to hate school and despise the academic environment, and I actually find myself calmer when faced with problems I know I can overcome. However, there are even more layers than just those few that I listed. 

On the inside-the side I don't often reveal to others- I feel like I am more creative and optimistic. My mask reflects the inside of me. On the back side, you can see a baseball, the matching haircuts of some of my favorite idols, the Tumblr Logo with the word "Fandoms" written above it, the movie reel and DVD, the existential crisis bubble, and the symbol for my zodiac sign. These things directly represent my personality on the inside. My secret love for baseball, my obsession over YouTubers, my yearnings for weekends of binge watching movies, my desire to write and construct my own stories. The existential crisis shows that I often ponder large questions like "why do we exist" which ultimately results in me sitting on my bed looking out a window for 4 hours. The Tumblr logo and "Fandoms" represent the idea that I like to spend time creating and admiring things about topics I enjoy conversations about, and the Wattpad app logo signifies the writing world I submerged myself in. 

The one thing I would choose to sum up my personality in one icon would be the symbol for Capricorn, my zodiac sign. I know that most zodiac posts and research articles are just based off myth, but I characterize with other Capricorns. We are smart, kind, but quiet and not totally open. We hide behind other triumphs to conceal past mistakes, but we learn from them. I love the descriptions of Capricorn traits and I find that almost my entire personality is summed up with that one word. 

And that's about it for what's behind my mask. 

What about you?

Hey, guys! I have another quick question that I was asked that got me thinking...

In you imagination, transport yourself 75 years into the future. What are 2 things you would like your great grandchildren to know and/or remember about you?

If I had to transport myself 75 years into the future and be interviewed by my grandchildren, I actually don't know what I would want my grandchildren to know. I would definitely want them to remember me as a fun grandma, I guess. 

I would definitely want them to remember me as artistic and creative. I love to be able to call myself and others creative because it shows that we have the creative capacity for things other than just art. People who have that capacity can think their way out of tricky situations, and that to me, it a very important skill. I would like to tell my grandchildren how to create that creative capacity, and be able to teach others how to think creatively as well.

I would also want them to remember me as a teacher. I would love to be able to teach my grandchildren how to live life fully and enjoy it. I would feel very accomplished to know that my learnings and lessons were being passed down through generations.

"Say cheese grandma!" 

Sydney Soufflé - A Meal Made of Me 

If one desires a delicious treat full of uniqueness, emotion, and a zesty taste for adventure, then follow this recipe for the creation that will delight your tastebuds. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of artistic extract 
• 1 1/2 cups of musical love 
• 3 cups of academic 
• 3 tablespoons mood swings 
• 2 teaspoons Tumblr 
• 2 1/2 cups book nerd 
• 1 cup kindness 
• 1/2 teaspoon jealousy
• 3 teaspoons of adventure seeker 
• and if one desires a little bit of a spiced up flavor when the treat is heated, add 1 cup of hidden sass. 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Make sure oven can heat inside of treat and keep the hidden sass warm 

2. Mix together artistic extract and musical love as well as Tumblr and book nerd in a large bowl, and stir well. 

3. In a smaller, separate bowl, mix together academic, and kindness, and make sure it is fully liquidated before moving on.

4. Pour the academic and kindness mixture into the larger bowl, and stir together until fluffy. 

5. In a final, tiny bowl, mix together mood swings and jealousy, but be careful of pouring too much of either. 

6. Mix in mood swings and jealousy into the larger, fluffy mixture and stir until the mixture becomes a light brown color. Now would be a great time to taste test. 

7. After one has deemed the mixture tasty, pour into small round cups and bake for 35 minutes to ensure the center of the mixture is still molten and sassy. 

8. When complete, pull soufflés out of the cups and set them in a nicer bowl. Pour a little more artistic extract and Tumblr over the top, and sprinkle a little more sass to get the best results. *

* Note best consumed while warm 

Tips : 

The best occasions for Sydney Soufflé are rainy days at home, while reading, at fancy restaurants, and while exercising artistic abilities. Other occasions that would be complete with a Sydney Soufflé is a pre-testing treat or an after-presentation desert. 

Bon Appetit!