I Want To Go To...

Australia!!!

To visit Uluru...

This rock is a sandstone formation in central Austrailia. It is called Uluru by the aboriginal people the Pitjantatjara. It is a sacred place of Aboriginal creation mythology and walking on top of it is offensive to the aboriginal people. Ayer's Rock is unique because it appears to change color during different times of the day and year as the light hits it differently, especially at sunset when it glows red.

... to experience the best snorekeling in the world at the Great Barier Reef... is the largest reef in the world.

It is made up of 2,900 smaller reefs and 900 islands. It runs for 1,600 miles in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland Australia. It is the largest structure made by living organisms and can be seen from outer space. The snorkeling is world class. It has 30 species of dolphin/whales/and porpoises, 6 species of sea turtles, 15 species of seagrass, 125 species of sharks/stingrays/chimeara, 5000 species of mollusc, 400 coral species, and 1,500 species of fish.

... the see Australia's marsupials the Koalas and Kangaroos...

They are on protected habitats, but you can see them on Koala refuges and in parks which are wilderness preserves of their natural habitat.

...to see a choral performance in the Sydney Opera House...

The Sydney Opera house is a perfoming arts center designed by Danish designer Jorn Utzon. Presentations include operas, ochestral and choral concerts, meetings, lectures, ballets, and other performances. It house 1,500 performances a year attended by 1.2 million people.

I'M READY TO GO!!!

reflection 5/8

School's wrapping up and it's only getting crazier! It's easy to stress and it's hard not to. There are so many projects and final assignments to finish up before exams. I auditioned for next year's choirs yesterday. I was verrrry nervous (as was everyone else), but overall I am very content with what I did. I did very well on the cut (especially considering the toll allergies have taken on my voice. Two days before I couldn't even sing). I completely bombed sight-reading. I sang three of twelve notes correctly D: but spoke the rhythms on all the rest. Each note is worth two points, one point for pitch and one point for rhythym so hopefully I got some credit. Despite my horrible sight-reading run through I am very satisfied with how I did and now I'm anxiously waiting for finals week when we get the results back.

Word of the day... I lost my main homework binder which really sucks. I'm hoping it turns up because as the name implies I have some kinda important stuff in there ;) Me and my mommy are leaving for Waco tonight to go up to Waco. We're celebrating mother's day as well as my grandma's birthday. I'm ready for an amazing weekend. I plan on renting Julia & Julia to watch with my mommy and make her day kinda special :]

Reflection 4/24

I'm happy to write that I have had quite a lovely weekend so far! Life has been so crazy and so hectic. Because of this I have greatly enjoyed my slow paced day. I got to sleep in until eleven and then I ate lunch with my grandmother. After that my mom and I went shopping and got some insanely delicious limeade. We came back home and I did my toes. I don't know how to describe the color besides charcoal with a shimmer. Lets just say it looks nice. I've watched a couple episodes of Reba and now its time to hit some homework and clean the house. We have family coming in from out of town so the house needs to be in ship-shape. It's quite a task let me tell you. Areas of our house deserve avalanche warning signs, but after my day of relaxation I am ready to rise to the occasion :]

There's TOO Many Of Them!!

What is overpopulation? It is a condition. A habitat is considered overpopulated when an organism's number exceed the carrying capacity of the area. Often the term is used in reference to the human population and its environment- the Earth. But more than population density, overpopulation is directly related to the country's ability to feed its inhabitants as well as meet their other basic needs. The first picture below is a pie chart of the percantages of the Earth's surface covered by water, used for agriculture, under conservation, "intact", and used for human habitation. Note how little of Earth's land is dedicated to providing a place for humans to live. The map below that shows the population density of the Earth by country. Darker colors are areas with a higher density of people. Notice that three of the most heavily populated countries are China, India, and Japan.

In 1979 China's Communist Party implemented a "one-child policy" which is still in place today. It states that families in urban areas are allowed to have one child, while families in rural areas (which is about 80% of the population) are allowed to have two. Families that violate the rule could be forced to have an abortion as well as being financially penalized. On the other hand, families with only one child are given better child care and housing as well as cash bonuses. In the 1950's fertility rates averaged about five children per woman compared to the two children per woman today. Implications include favoritism of boys. This is a traditional preference, which under the "one-child policy" has led to the murder of many baby girls and a continuously growing gender imbalance in the country's continuously growing population.

India's family planning policy went into affect in the 1950's. India was the first country to create such a policy. Since then, the population of India has more than doubled, but the fertility rated has dropped by about 40%. This campaign is based on a change in attitude. It encourages the advancement of women economically, academically, and socially. The idea is that independent women are more likely to have smaller families. The nation tried to focus on sterilization, only to hinder woman's acceptance of family planning.

Japan's solution is unlike the two previous. Rather than the focus being on reducing its population, Japan has solved its problem through a high economic growth rate which they have sustained over the past several decades.

Lowering the population of a country is a difficult task. Obviously you can't become cannibalistic and start eating people. Also, you can't tell people that they can't have children simply because that is unfair and not right. So if I had to develop my own solution to overpopulation I would do so through education. The people need to understand the problem and they have to have a want to change it. Informing people about birth control as well as the benefits of smaller families coupled with individuals' motivation to do their part in helping their country is ultimately the best way to limit population growth. I would not impose a rule on the number of children a family can have. I feel that that would cause the people to be angry at their government when really the best thing to do is to give the population the right mindset. It's almost a matter of persuasion in that the task is convincing the people of your country that their efforts are in the best interest of themselves and their nation. Ultimately that's the most efficient way of handling overpopulation in my opinion.

Time Capsule

The concept of time capsules are the craziest thing ever. Whoever thought up the idea was genius. You always see them in movies and you always dream of what you would put in it. If i had to put one generational thing in a time capsule i would choose to do

CONVERSE SNEAKERS!!!

You may be asking how is this from my generation? I understand that Converse has been around since the 1940's. Even though converse have been around for such a long time a new aspect is the increasing (and continual increasing) of variety in design and color. This is something which came about in my generation. This new change, i feel, has become one of the defining characteristics of my generation. Almost everyone has a pair of converse sneakers whether low top or high top. Those who don't SHOULD!

You can buy crazy patterns. I own a pair that are made from a zebra striped fabric. Someone I know has hot pink with black zig zag stripes. another friend has neon blue and green double lace ups and yet another friend has knee high converse. The kid next to me in Teen Lead has bright red converse and my friends little sister has black to satisfy the black shoes required for the dress code at her private school. Personally, I think it's safe to say that converse sneakers are one of many ways individuals of my generation can express themselves.

I would create a custom pair through the converse website (you can follow the link to the website and customize your own!). This is another wonderful reason why it's a generational example. It showcases the technology we have and the ability we have to customize a pair our own shoes while sitting at home on our couch. My custom converse would be blue and gold (Anderson colors) with 2010 written along the side.

This would be my pick for the time capsule because it captures a glance at my school and the style of my generation.

Reflection!

It's been a really rough past month, but I'm hanging in there. I'm actually AHEAD on my homework which is a major first and it feels really good. (with exception of this blog which I'm doing for a late grade... ironic ;]) Yes this was the one thing I forgot to do.

I've been consumed with homework lately. But this weekend I have something fun to look forward too! My youth group is participating in World Vision's 30 hour famine. It's pretty much what it sounds like. We're not going to eat for 30 hours to raise money for starving children (through donation collections). But during those 30 hours (besides sleeping) we're going to serve soup at the soup kitchen and collect canned goods for the Capital Area Food Bank. It's an amazing weekend and there'll be plenty of time to hang with my friends. I'm so looking forward to it... I for sure NEED IT!!! ;D

Favorite Region :]

World Geography is a fun class, mostly because we learn about different cultures. To me at least, learning about something so foreign and unfamiliar is intriguing because for other human beings it is all they know. The food, the clothing, and the music which look so strange or bizarre to us is the normal to other people. It's funny to think that they think the same thing about our culture, in that its just as strange and unfamiliar.

I really enjoyed the unit on Latin America and South America because I love the spanish language and consequently the Spanish culture intrigues me greatly. But I'm going to have to say that my all time favorite unit so far has been the one on South-Asia.

When my dad got out of high school he took a trip around the world. All he had with him was himself and his backpack. He traveled by plane, train, and most often bus. These took him everywhere. It sounds like a scary concept to me, but he says that if he could do it again he would leave tomorrow without any thought.

He always tells me stories about all that he's seen and done. His travels have given him such insight into the cultures and the customs of so many different people in the world. Often he would stay with local families that would take him in until he would be ready to move on. He has such an amazing collection of memories and rich experiences that he will always carry with him.

I've heard more stories about Nepal than any other country. He says it's his favorite place out of all the places he's visited. My dad is also a photographer, not professionally, but as a hobby or something that he enjoys. Before we remodeled the house, we had a series of pictures hanging in the living room from his trip. And one of them was from Kathmandu. It was of Nepalese monks dressed in orange robes walking barefoot throught the streets. Ever since I've been a little kid has captivated me and the culture of this region has interested me.

I've always been wowed by the Himalaya Mountains because I've seen majestic photos that capture the range's beauty. I've always wanted to go see them with my own eyes. I've always liked that this little country of Nepal that so many people know so little about has this huge well known geographical feature to claim as their's.

I found it interesting that the culture is so greatly impacted by this feature such as the history of the sherpa people and their lifestyles.

I really enjoyed this unit because I got to learn about the culture I knew so little about. I've always heard about the monks, the temples, the curries, and finally learning about all of that and so much more was very enjoyable for me.

It was fun to learn the similarities and differences between this counrty's culture and the others that are also in South-Asia.

Below is a link to a photo gallery of Nepal so you can appreciate the culture of these people too...

http://www.molon.de/galleries/Nepal/

Reflection

My dad's birthday is this weekend on the 28th. He's going to be fifty so officially over the hill! We are going out to Enchanted Rock for the weekend. We are staying in a friend's summer home out near Fredricksburg. We are leaving today and will spend the night in their summer home and then head out to ER to go climbing. It's one of me and my daddy's favorite things to do. Plus it's something that we enjoy doing together. Last night we went to REI to go gear shopping. We both got new climbing harnesses. Mine is lavender and reaaaaally nice looking. The weather for this weekend up in Fredricksburg should be perfect; sunny with highs in the seventies. It should be so much fun and as long as my daddy has a good birthday weekend I will be happy!!! :]

FREE TOPIC!!! ~ Buffalo Exchange!!!

Funky name huh!? well it's the name of probably one of the coolest stores in the world. (literally) Like it's name suggests, you can buy clothing, sell your gently used apparel, or trade in for other people's gently used clothing. In a sense, it is a cross between a goodwill and a consignment store... except with stuff that you really really want. It's downtown next to Toy Joy and across the street from Milto's, Rudy's, and Taco Shack. It has some pretty interesting (emphasis on interesting) things there... some of which I admit is down right ugly.

No Buffalo Exchange is not the passion I choose to be writing about... but blue jeans is. Blue jeans are your best friend, especially if they fit right. Every American should own at least one pair of blue jeans that fits them perfectly. And the wonderful thing about blue jeans is that if they fit you right, they will look flattering on anybody (any body ;] ). Blue jeans, at least for me fall under that category of "Comfort Clothing". When I wear them it just feels right.

And I know that any real Texan would agree with me. Hey, what's not to love!? It's one concept, but it comes in so many styles. There's flared, skinny, straight, boot cut, and more of the trouser look. On top of that there is every shade of wash you can imagine from so light blue it looks white, to midnight blue which is my personal favorite. It can come in stretch denim or vintage... they are as different as every person is different from everyone else.

There is every brand's own unique style that fits certain body types best. The cool thing about Buffalo exchange is that it has all of it... I shop Buffalo for blue jeans. They have I think eight racks of purely blue jeans. Its sorted by size... every size 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. etc. (whooo odd numbers!!! Size 3 right here!!!)

After out-growing my old jeans I tried on pretty much every pair of blue jeans old Navy has and found one okay fit. I went to Buffalo exchange, tried on ten pairs, and found two perfect fits. And besides just being blue, there is magenta, black and white tie-dye, plaid... every type of jean you can imagine.

So you've heard my recommendation... it's up to you to see for yourself ;]

Reflection

This weekend my mommy is getting me out of school early to drive to Waco. My cousin is a senior at Baylor University and every year the sororities and fraternities put on this performance called Sing!. It's a really big deal that people. They have costumes and they sing and dance. Each group has a theme and judges select nine groups to perform at pigskin. My cousin Caitlin is in Delta Delta Delta. This year Tri Delt is doing a take off on Finding Nemo. The backdrop will be looking out from the aquarium into the dentists office. Caitlin will be dressed up as a clown fish. I've been to Sing! twice before and it is truly phenomenal!!! I cannot wait.

It's something to look forward to after my horrible day. Besides taking a three hour test for GT somebody jacked my backpack today meaning my wallet, student id, money, debit card, house key, graphing calculator, and absolutely all my work for Spanish and Geometry class... needless to say I'm not happy. I've canceled my card and we've changed the locks on our house seeing as my key is in the sam place as all of my information. In the end though I guess it's just stuff.

I'm BAAAaaack! :)

It was nice having a break from blogging... but now I'm back! Winter break was just what I needed. I've only been back in school for a month, but it feels like it's been a year. I've forgotten practically everything from last semester and it's a little rough getting back in the groove. I think i've adjusted back to the homework routine (or at least as much as I ever will). This past week was very overwhelming with school and my social life. I've had my fill of craziness... to add to it, in February me and four friends are participating in solo and ensemble contest. Excited... just lots of work to do. Until next time.... hopefully next I'll come back with a good report. :)

Technology is all around us everyday...

...but just imagine all the everyday items that weren't around 100 years ago. Just today...

1) I woke up to my ihome blaring the radio.

2) I took a shower, dried my hair with a hair dryer and straightened it with a flat iron.

3) I used an iron to get the wrinkles out of my t-shirt.

4) I made toast in the toaster, scrambled eggs on the stove, and pulled the milk out of the refridgerator.

5) My mom drove me to school in her car.

6) I warmed up my leftovers in the mircrowave in the cafeteria.

7) I listened to my itouch and texted my friends on my cellphone as I walked home from school.

8) After school I got on the computer to check grade speed, email my friends, and get on facebook.

9) Transfered clothes from the washing machine to the dryer.

10) Later I wrote papers and created powerpoints on my laptop for school assignments.

11) I played Beatles Rockband with my family on the Wii.

12) We watched American Idol off the DVR on our HD flat screen tv.

13) Bump up the AC, turn on the fan, switch off the lamp, and fall asleep.

Many of these "normal household objects" we often take for granted. Technology is used and created for our convenience. Items such as the car provide transportation, something to get us where we need to go quickly. The washing machine, dryer, iron, refridgerator, and stove aid us in everyday activities such as doing the laundry or making dinner. Washing machines keep our clothes clean, while refridgerators keep our food from spoiling.

On the other hand, many aspects of technology are not necessities, but rather luxuries. We do not need ipods, cell phones, or the latest hand held device to keep us alive, but they do provide us with entertainment as well a way of communicating with friends and family that are not near. Technology is used in the business world as well as in schools.

Technology has become a large part of the foundation of our culture. Most everything either is technology or has been made on such equipment or machinery. It has become such a part of our lives and it is unfortunate that we so often do not appreciate how far technology has come.

First was the discovery of fire and then that of the wheel. We progressed to create contraptions harnessing simple physics. Following this was the invention of electricity. All of the above are milestones in our technological past. Another is the microchip. This is practically in everything that is digital today such as computers, cell phones, and televisions.

Technology has come so far... and has so much yet to come!