First month

September has finished.

Somehow, we all survived through the first month of Junior Year. (＞＜;)

Actually, it is not as terrifying as I imagined...of course the teachers expect much more, and it's difficult to meet up to everyone's expectations.

But if you change your perspective of school, then it isn't as bad as it seems to be.

This is one of my goals for this year--instead of believing school and the teachers are out to get us, just think that it is for our benefit and we will reap good results for our hard work.

I hope this school year will be profitable and full of new experiences! ﾟ･:,｡ﾟ･:,｡★ﾟ･:,｡ﾟ･:,｡☆

A Trip to Remember

ﾟ:,｡ﾟ:,｡★ It is now August 11...a few days after we, the Saipan Southern High School Manta Band, returned from London. This trip has been full of memories---very fun times, tiring moments, serious and tense situations...but it was all worth it. I believe we all learned something from this trip---it was not only to perform and sight see around London. No, it was much more than that. We became closer as a band and grew to appreciate one another more. Now that this life-changing two weeks have passed, I long for more days like those to come. Being together, sharing and enjoying moments together...it just gives you a feeling of happiness and longing. *:..｡o○☆ﾟ･:,｡*:..｡o○☆

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Here are some of the places we went to in London :)

- First off: Heathrow Airport!
- Windsor Castle & its surrounding areas
- Max Rayne House (our dormitory) in University College London in Camden
- Islington: where the Olympic torch ceremony occurred!
- Camden Town - Shopping street~!
- Westminster Central Hall: our judged performance :O
- Big Ben
- Trafalgar Square
- Stonehenge! Oooooh, mysterious stones...
- Salisbury & its wonderful cathedral
- Olympic Park!!
- Buckingham Palace (we saw the royal guards!!)
- The National Gallery...a HUGE museum full of paintings
- Oxford! Whoooooo! The inspiration of Harry Potter!
- The British Museum: a huge museum with sculptures and various artifacts
- Oxford Street (Different from Oxford - the inspiration of Harry Potter)
- Lyceum Theater - Lion King Musical!
- Royal Albert Hall - the PROMS...wonderful band :)

So many great places! I bet we haven't even gone to half of the best things in London. I hope to visit there again someday :)

Car Wash!!!

Today was an extremely tiring, but profitable Sunday x)
I woke up at 6:00 AM to get ready for a fundraising event for the Manta Band!
Unfortunately, it was a blistering hot day, and by the time we finished, I was a few shades darker than when I started off.
My cheeks are quite pink now (*⌒∇⌒*)
Well, it was a good experience!!
I finally did something that required so much time and energy (OUTDOORS!) (・ω・)/

Tedious...

It has only been three weeks since school has ended...and already it is a tedious summer.
If only there were more exciting things to do here...more interesting things to discover and ponder upon.

I have been doing the same things nearly every day for the past few weeks which include the following: Tutoring a little girl in math (which, when I think about it, is not bad at all---it's actually quite nice to help someone this way (^-^)/ ), completing assignments for my English and Japanese online courses on time, reading the Odyssey for my AP Literature class, practicing the piano and flute, going to piano lessons once a week, and massive band rehearsals every single day excluding the weekends.

Don't get me wrong---I enjoy these rehearsals. It's feels nice to get together as a band and improve the way we sound as an ensemble. Even though being with about fifty people in the same classroom is not much to my liking...it's worth it. I do like seeing and talking to some people, and it feels good to share a laugh with them. Having these daily rehearsals (sometimes from 3:00PM - 9:00PM, other times from 6:00PM - 9:00PM) gives me a sense of accomplishment. I do wish I had more time to study or work on more school-related things however. I feel as if I have so much to catch up on.

So all I have to say now is...just do your best no matter what :)

SUMMER!!! :D

Finally, my Sophomore year of high school has ended.
Now that school is over, I realize that I will miss my Sophomore year...even though there were many unpleasant encounters and stressful situations.
I want to thank everyone who helped me along the way this year...without them, things would have been much more difficult to handle ><

Anyway, summer is here!
My summer will be focused on band rehearsals and studying >_<
Nevertheless, I hope it will be an enjoyable one :D

Nearly the End

It's nearly the end of May...
Where did the time go?
Before I even knew it, my second year of high school has almost ended.
It's as if time has cheated us.
However, I have a lot of thoughts and memories to reflect upon from this year. A lot has happened---some are pleasant, others...not so much.

But that's how life goes.

Only two more weeks until summer vacation starts.
Before that...I must strive to do my best at school before it all ends.
A number of projects, assignments, and exams await me in the next two weeks.
After that, it will feel as if a huge burden has been lifted from my shoulders...but the summer holds just as much tasks and responsibilities as well.

Let us face our challenges and overcome them.

がんばります！(^_-)☆

Happy Easter!

Tonight I visited the Korean Catholic Church of Saipan to watch their performance.
Of course, I could not understand most of it...
But by watching the actors/actresses and listening to how they spoke, I could get the general idea of what was going on.
It was very interesting; I've never watched one like this before.
I like the fact that there is a hidden meaning that goes along with everything they did tonight.

This celebration for the Resurrection of Christ means something; it's something we should be thankful for and not take for granted.
So...I appreciate everyone's efforts to make this fact known to the world.

Happy Easter :)

>>-The Hunger Games-<<

"Let the games begin..."

Tonight, I watched The Hunger Games! :D
Most exhilarating, intriguing movie ever!
I thought the book was extremely interesting and a page-turner...
but the movie was just as exciting.

"May the odds be ever in your favor..."

An Early Start

Tomorrow morning, I have to wake up at 4:30 AM and be at school by 5:30 AM to help load the percussion instruments into the van that will go to where our band concert will be held.
The concert starts at 7:30 AM...it will be my first concert playing the vibes...I hope it will go well! (＝⌒▽⌒＝)

And thus beings my four day weekend :)

Life and Its Lesson

It has been quite a while since I have updated my blog... :(
School has been keeping me very occupied, but I suppose it will all pay of soon!
I'm trying very very hard not to slack off!!!
We just need about three and a half months left of school...
and then SUMMER! :D 夏休み！
Haha, thinking about summer already... (;

Lots have happened since the last time I wrote...
I suppose one of them includes what has happened on February 14th~! 二月十四日!
You try and guess what happened ;)

Now to more serious matters...
I realized that people judge too much without understanding the situation properly
Yes, people can say or think cruel things...and influence others to do the same,
but the people who truly care for you will always be there for you.
Those who turned their back...well, I guess they weren't who I thought they were..
I also realized, that some friends are really understanding.
We may not completely agree, but...they'll support you all the way :)
Your friends will actually understand you more than you think.
So don't be afraid, and don't hold yourself back because of judgment.

:) <3