My Essay

This is a draft essay for English class that we are writing for an assessment coupled with our current novel study, we were instructed to post it on our blog.

A good text moves the reader though a variety of emotions. Discuss the variety of emotions you felt when reading the text you studied in class.

Chinese Cinderella, written by Adeline Yen Mah, is a text that will lead the reader through a range of emotions. I will attest this by depicting loneliness, fear, and joy. These were all emotions implicit in the story.

The novel, Chinese Cinderella, evokes the emotion of loneliness. Albeit this emotion permeates through the entirety of this story, there is a particular point of the book where this feeling in most acute. 'All the rooms were empty. Rows and rows of desks and chairs but nobody anywhere...The place had become a ghost town.' The main character was abandoned and helpless, stranded in an institution meant for thousands. As Adeline, the primary character, walked through the halls, alone with just her thoughts, I could hear her footsteps echoing to the corners of the vast ceilings. The description of her situation was such that it was undemanding to imagine it, to picture it clearly, and feel the emotion that was being detailed. Chinese Cinderella will expose the reader to Adeline’s loneliness, to some of her desolate solitude, and this helps to prove that this novel is one that will compel emotion.

Fear is a major emotion portrayed in the story of Chinese Cinderella. Similar to loneliness, fear is shown throughout the story. In one particular situation, the build-up to the confrontation, coupled with the author’s descriptive language, transported me into the autobiographer’s recall. The reader will feel anxious and fear for her. ‘My heart was pounding and blood was rushing into my temples and ears, beating over me in waves.’ In this circumstance, she had been paralyzed with fear; her reverent trepidation had over-powered her mind. As the chapter drew to a close, I was left with a fervent hope that I would never have to experience, firsthand, the feeling that had just been described, further proving that the language explicit in this story was conveying emotion to the reader.

In contrast to the two preceding emotions, joy is experienced, and therefore evoked, very few times during the story. At the end of the book, when she finally gets some of what she truly deserves, the feeling is genuinely catching. ‘My heart gave a giant lurch as it dawned on me…how marvelous it was simply to be alive!’ Adeline had, throughout her entire childhood, got nothing but unquestionable discrimination and abuse. So when she gets what she needs and wants, something she had virtually been working her whole life for, the reader is left not only with some of her overwhelming joy, but a sense of contentment; reassured that there is justice in this world.

This text is indeed one that moves the reader through a variety of emotions.
Throughout the body of this essay I have proven this to you by outlining three emotions that I felt whilst reading the text. I chose loneliness, fear, and joy because they were not only predominant impressions of the text, but because they all contributed to some of the themes of the book. Emotion is not only what you will get out of this book, though, Chinese Cinderella shows that language, like the will to survive, is powerful, and except the person using them, has no boundaries.

Keep in mind that this is just a draft.

Update

Hello, hello, and welcome to a short update on the life of yours truly.

Firstly, I got a call back from the teachers running the production so I get to audition again. Our school production is Alice in Wonderland and I auditioned for the Queen of Hearts. Year twelves are going for it as well though, and they are just so good, so they'll probably get a lot of the main parts. To begin with I had decided only to do the play if I got a main part, but I'll probably do it now, whatever part I get, if in the end, I do get a part.

I really, really want to go to the National Model United Nations but I asked my mum and she just scoffed, and said, 'yeah right'. It probably wasn't my best move to mention it on the way back from the event on Saturday, though.
I am going to enter a scholarship-essay competition to get aid with the cost, so, wish me luck!
It is picked on the merits of a thousand word essay on Malta's contribution to the UN since it joined.

I go to the three-night-four-day netball tournament this Thursday. According to the draw, we are going to play nine games. If we win them, then we will play more. Imagine: four games in a day!
We had our first training last Thursday and it all went pretty well. After this tournament we are going to be playing as a unit, we are going to be really tight. This trip is going to be such a team building exercise.

I ran the beach run for cross country last Friday. Our coach had always kept some people back and let what I thought of as the 'real' runners go, but we all went and I didn't stop running the whole time. Now, I can just keep working on my speed.

Oh, if you were wondering, C.V. stands for Curriculum Vitae, which means, basically, the biographical course of one's training or career. Vitae is Latin for the course of one's life or career

Also, I had always wondered what i.e. stood for, and it means id est, which is Latin for that is, and we use it in the context of 'that is to say'.
E.g. is also an acronym for Latin, as well; exempli gratia, which means 'for example'.

By the way, many people from the class have commented on the length of my entries.
For example: 'your blog entries are so long!' and, when I asked someone what they thought of one of my entries they told me, 'oh, I didn't read it all, it was too long'. What I have to say to this is not totally literate, but along the lines of 'people, come on!'. I admit, I do have a lot to say, but short entries that have not real content and/or don't explain or elaborate on what you have said , are pointless and therefore, in my opinion, a waste of time.

So, yeah, this entry did not flow in the slightest. So, to continue in the same respect, I'll leave you with a completely random quote that doesn't fit in at all.

Everything in moderation,
including moderation.

Model United Nations

Very sorry dedicated readers. I have indeed neglected my super-fantastic blog in the past week.
I have been rather busy, as you may very well know.
This weekend I attended my first Model United Nations (you can read about what one actually is in the blog entry entitled M.U.N.) and it was really fun. It wasn't nearly as formal as I had envisioned and we actually did have lots of laughs and jokes (I could pretend they were highly intelligent , but I understood them).
The first day was from 8.45 to 4, and I had to drive to get there so my Saturday started at 6.30 in the morning. Nope, no sleep-ins for me this weekend. Big thanks to my parents for driving me to and from the event twice, two days in a row.
We listened to a guest speaker first up on Saturday. The man's name was Tim Groser, he was until very recently the New Zealand ambassador for the World Trade Organisation, and if that doesn't speak for itself, he is very prestigious and experienced. He gave a wonderful speech that I truly enjoyed. The conference was held at a university and, yes, I did very very smart sitting in the lecture theater a taking notes.
Our first topic of debate in the UNEP (Environment Programme) was:
'The Question of Sustainable Fishing Practices'.
I made one short speech opposing an ammendment, it didn't go to well, but in the end I don't think it was passed, so all was well.
I think I did pretty good for a newbie, even if I do say so myself.
In the two breaks and lobbying lunch I talked to a lot of people, and everyone was really nice.
I talked to one guy who was a veteran in my opinion, this was his twelfth conference and he had done nationals three times!
Out of everyone I asked, probably around ten or so, everyone was year 12 and one was year 13.
So, by the time I'm year 12, I think I'll be doing okay. Oh yeah, I plan to attend lots more of these conferences!
The last twenty minutes of debate on Saturday was a bit crazy, and an ammendment was passed stating the immediate annihilation of Portugal and remaining land to be salted then turned in to a theme park.
Also, an ammendment I wrote was passed without debate on the same topic ('The Question of Corporate Environmental Responsibility'), which was a good feeling.

I changed the clause: request that all stares require their central savings schemes to invest only in organisations with proven adherence to the standards
to:
declares accordingly that member states invest not only in organisations with proven adherence to the standards but to organisations needing financial aid to become economically sound; the method with which to determine organisations that need aid will be determined at a later date.

Today was also a good day, too. I made a speech supporting the resolution on the military use of outer space to the entire General Assembly (at least 120 people). And in the end, the resolution was passed.

We all had placard with which we used to vote, and I have to admit, rising it for points of information was fun.

Now I have to start campaigning to my parents so I can go to the National. (And they can come with me and pay accommodation and travel money...one's gotta try, right?).

My Best Material

I don't know if this will count as a substantial blog entry, but I want to write down all my ''best material''. All my lame, I mean, extremely humorous, jokes here on my blog, safe-guarded against memory loss; a record. Maybe one day I'll visit my blog and read through this very entry, laughing at my younger self. If that day comes, I would just like to spare a moment to say hello to my older self.
Hello, future-Eve, it's your younger self here, I sincerely hope that you are a successful and credited career person.

I'm not sure what I want to be as yet, stayed posted for more information on that topic.
Anyway, back to the very serious task of creating a record.

Item number 1. Last year in 2007, I had a ruler. And this ruler's name was Kenneth. One day during math class, a young boy commented on Kenneth.
'He's gay.' He said.
'No, he's not.' I intelligently replied. 'He's straight, he's a ruler.'

Item number 2. I'm not sure of where this particular item derived from, perchance it was just a strike of genius. This is a take-off of the familiar childhood song 'If you're happy and you know it'.
You can play this joke on your friends, but while it is timeless, you usually won't fool someone twice.
Sing, If you're a gherkin and you know it clap your hands
and if anyone claps, you quickly say, Gherkins don't have hands!
Which is a very true statement indeed.

Item number 3. Have you ever wondered about the meaning of life?
Wonder no longer, just search it up on dictionary.com, where all your questions are answered.

Item number 4. This is a more amusing trait of mine. If I find fault in anything, especially text books with grammar mistakes, I will always say, 'I'm going to write a letter.'
I have written two letters to companies with grammar mistakes on their labels, somehow word got out and the general public found it quite strange and a tad hard to believe, and as a result of my own want to write letters and express my opinion, along with a little peer influence, this phrase was born.

Item number 5. Veering off topic like on so many other occasions, I'd like to take note of the following. Through primary school and intermediate and now college, people have congratulated themselves on being supremely funny by adding one extra letter into my last name. This makes my surname sound like a part of the human anatomy. Just last term a rather smart boy said the joke thinking he had made a highly amusing, original discovery. He was wrong. It's not funny, it never was and it never will be. However, counting the times people crack that joke is kind of entertaining.

Item number 6. Carrot-top, that's one of the many names red-head a mercifully teased with. Being a red-head myself, I have never found the discrimination laughable. While I still don't, I'd just like to inform you all that the tops of carrots are actually green.

Item number 7. This is a very funny, practical joke. Say to someone that you can moon-walk, then begin to lift you legs and arms really slowly, making space noises. Moon-walk, like you're on the moon! Geddit?

I would like to dedicate this entry to my fish of late, Bensen. You were a good fish. I'll never forget the way you would head-but the glass of your tank if anyone came in the vicinity of it, and how you would eat fish-food off my finger. Though it was your appetite for life and experience that got you in the end, though it was not your fault. It was a sad, sad day when Jack threw that half of tomato into your tank and you ate nearly every last bit of it. May you swim in peace. You will be missed.

Easter.

This Easter break has been really enjoyable. The weather has been gorgeous and I have further mastered the skill of relaxing.
My family don't celebrate Easter with buying chocolate eggs, but indulgence in sweet things has been tattooed into the holiday as tradition. So, I decided to make fudge. It is actually quite simple to make, but you need to stand and stir it at the stove for half an hour. I had decided to pour it into the bottom of muffin tins so it would be circular. The baking paper creased though, so it resembled a flower, which was fine with me. It set so quickly once it was off the heat, it was surprising.
My little brother and I decorated baking paper with pictures and patterns to wrap it in.
We then wrapped up the fudge and tied to top with string.
On Easter Sunday I hid the packages in the garden and my five-year-old brother went on his very own Easter hunt.
Jack then donned the bunny ears, pink bow- tie and fluffy tail we had purchased from the the $2 Shop for three dollars and handed out fudge to all of us.
It was very rich, so one piece was enough to satisfy a sweet-tooth.
Considering the three and a half cups of sugar that goes into it, as well as condensed milk and golden syrup, I wouldn't want it any other way.

That said, I thought I would tell you that I really like baking. I don't mind cooking dinners and things, and Mum has been teaching me some of the classic meals, but baking, for me, I just enjoy so much more. I have been cooking cakes and cookies for ages, and now I am going to try and make my skills more eclectic. It really is quite fascinating how you can use rather simple ingredients to produce delicious food.

That it for this entry, I urge you to give baking a go. I have to admit, though, that it can be dangerous, because if you're making all these sweet treats, you want to try them and it's not healthy to be eating cake all the time!

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Yes, the time has come to learn how to make a very nice desert. This time it is the delectable classic, the sticky toffee pudding.

You will need:
190g unsalted butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar (raw or soft)
One quarter cup golden syrup (you can use maple syrup)
2 large eggs
1 cup of self-raising flower

What you need to do:
Firstly, turn your oven on to 180'C. Then grease a pudding basin, around 1.25 litres in capacity.
Put the golden syrup in a heavy-based saucepan, along with 70g of the sugar and 70g butter.
Heat the ingredients gently until the sugar dissolves, and the butter melts. Stir on the heat until the mixture becomes smooth.
Pour half of this mixture into the greased pudding basin. The left-over toffee sauce will be used for serving.
Now put the remaining sugar and butter in the saucepan and heat until the mixture is smooth (sugar melted, sugar dissolved). Then remove from the heat and leave to cool and stand for ten minutes.
Once the ten minutes has passed, crack the two eggs into a cup and beat well with a fork, for about a minute or so.
Then add this to the mixture in the saucepan, and beat until well combined.
Get out a clean, dry mixing bowl and pour the cup of flour into it. Shake to remove any clumps. Push the flour to the sides of the bowl to make a well in the centre, then pour in the liquid mixture. Thoroughly stir the batter until all ingredients are evenly combined.
Spoon into the pudding basin.

Bake for about forty minutes, and the outside of the pudding is springy to the touch. When I made mine, the outside wasn't springy like muffins, but quite hard. The outside was like a crispy crust, and actually quite nice, so don't be deterred if it's not ''spongy''.
Run a round-bladed knife around the edge of the pudding and gently turn onto a plate.
Re-heat the sauce and pour over the top. Serve immediately.
I found that there wasn't quite enough sauce when I made mine, so just make another lot of sauce then combine the two mixtures together.

Note that if you use maple syrup it changes it into a 'maple pudding', because maple syrup is a strong and distinctive flavour.

This desert is reasonably simple, and very nice. It's a treat for the whole family and great for dinner parties or just an indulgence on a cold winter's night.

[This entry is based on the recipe from Successful Baking, but I have altered it after my experiences making the pudding, and have re-written all the instructions. ]

My Brothers

I thought it would be a cool comparison to interview my two brothers with the same questions and see the differences between their answers. My big brother is 16, turning 17 in a few weeks, and my little brother is just on 6.

Interview with Jack
If you had a baby boy tomorrow, what would you name him? Lucazade.
Do you have your tomato sauce next to your hot chips, or on them? Next to.
What do you do on Sunday morning? I get up and play 'car crash'.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? In New Zealand...make the playgrounds bigger.
What are you favourite song lyrics? We will, we will rock you.
Can you tell me a joke right now? Why didn't the skeleton cross the road? Because he didn't have the guts.
What do you want to be when you grow up? A policeman.
Why? Because I can pull people over, like the road-runner. 'Wee-woo-wee-woo' (he made siren noises).
What's life's greatest mystery? In Scooby-doo, when they have to find out about the monster.
If you could have anything right now what would it be? A Bionicle.
If you got a dog tomorrow, what would you name it? Spot.
If you could be any animal, which one would you choose? A tiger.
Why do you want to be a tiger? Because I can roar. Rarrrh!
What's you favourite food? Noodles.
What flavour? Any.
Why? Because they have flavour, special flavour...mmm.
If you could describe yourself in a few words, what would they be? I like myself.
I don't think you understand the question, what's one word that describes you, like exciting or annoying...?
I'm the coolest person around.
What does 'love' mean? You like somebody, like a boy or a girl.
What is love? Uh, a heart?
But what is 'love'? Uh, kisses?
How about this one? How does someone show someone else that they love them?
By saying 'I love you'. And for dad, I snuggle him.
What's Christmas all about? Christmas.
Yes...? Getting presents. And it's God's birthday.
What's your favourite colour? Green.
What is your typical breakfast? What does typical mean?
Normal. Oh, cereal.
If you could meet anyone right now, alive or dead, famous or not, fictitious of real, who would it be?
The road-runner...alive. I would do the same thing the Coyote does, try and eat him.
But would you say anything to him?
I'd say hi. And ask his favourite food, drink, and thing to do is. He'd probably say that his favourite thing to do is run.
Who's the coolest person to have ever existed? Me.
No, seriously. Yeah, me!
Why is the sky blue? Because it has to be a different colour to the sun.
Well, I think that's about it, thank you for the time.
And, do you know Eve, that if the sky was yellow, it would look like there's no sun in the sky.
Okay, Jack. That's all, thanks.

Interview with Jedd
If you had a baby boy tomorrow, what would you name him? I don't know.
Do you have your tomato sauce next to your hot chips, or on them? Next to.
What do you do on Sunday morning? Sleep in.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? I don't know.
What are you favourite song lyrics? Probably Strutter, or something.
Can you tell me a joke right now? Yeah. [It was an inappropriate joke.]
What do you want to be when you grow up? A mechanic or engineer.
What's life's greatest mystery? Love is pain. -laughs-
If you could have anything right now what would it be?
For my car to be done up performance and everything.
If you got a dog tomorrow, what would you name it? I don't know, like, I dunno.
If you could be any animal, which one would you choose? A wasp.
Why? Because...I don't know.
What's you favourite food? Enchiladas.
If you could describe yourself in a few words, what would they be? I don't know, uh, laid-back.
What does 'love' mean? Um, well, a relationship when two people rely on each other, and don't cheat on each other and what not. Trust.
What's Christmas all about? Um, it's meant to be Jesus Christ, or something isn't it? I don't really know, receiving, and are family stuff. Eating ham.
What's your favourite colour? Green, yellow, and red.
What is your typical breakfast? Muesli bar
If you could meet anyone right now, alive or dead, famous or not, fictitious of real, who would it be?
The KISS Army.
What would you say to them? Sup.
Who's the coolest person to have ever existed? My girlfriend.
Why is the sky blue? Um, it reflects off the water.

I think the differences are pretty clear. Jedd's interview took a lot longer, getting the information out of him was a lot harder. Jack was much more willing. It was fun though, and I've learnt stuff about all the males in my immediate family, so all is well that ends well.

I also asked my dad the questions, but I'll just post the answers that I like the most, as an extra.
What are you favourite song lyrics? Life past him by like a warm summer's day.
Can you tell me a joke right now? Yes.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Young again.
What's life's greatest mystery? Marriage.

One Click from Danger- Review

The other day, after cross country training during morning tea, I rushed into the English room and saw the large smartboard alight with a full-screen, youtube video. As I sat down and caught my breath, a young girl was telling a reporter of a horrible, scary experience she had had.
After creating a myspace account, a stranger began to message her.
Using the information she had ignorantly posted on her profile, the man learnt more and more about the girl, Ellie Budd. She had posted pictures, as well as the name of her school.
Then, when she mentioned a school field trip into town, the man knew exactly where she would be, and when.
He followed her and her friends at the gallery and eventually came up to her.
Ellie then realised that this old man was actually ''popcorn-puppy'', who had said the he was a 26 year old girl on the social network.
This man was actually a paedophile and had befriended the girls with sinister intentions.
He is one of thousands of people who may be on the internet right now, using a pseudonym to get closer to innocent children.
I personally don't belong to any of the social networks that are a major fad at the moment.
This is quite a minority from what I have observed, nearly everyone at my school has an account on Bebo or the like.

I really liked the metaphor they usedin 'One Click from Danger': posting personal information on you profile is like standing in the middle of the street and handing out your details to anyone who walks by.
The Internet is a dangerous place and the wrong choices can get you in a lot of trouble.
The best way to stay safe is chat and comment to people you actually know and look over your profile and see if there is anything a predator could use to find you.
The video is a good idea, because children and parents need to be educated about the dangers of the Internet, which we use everyday.

The lesson to be learned from this video is 'be cautious and sensible', something that applies to all walks of life.

Scars on the Heart

On Friday four year ten classes visited the Auckland War Memorial Museum. We went there because our term topic for social science is Conflict- into history, and we are studying the First World War.
I learnt a lot from this visit, for example, I didn't know that Auckland Museum is primarily a war memorial museum.
I enjoyed the trip, as I said, I learnt quite a bit, but I was a bit effected by the two sections of Scars on the Heart and the Hall of Memories.
We started in the WW1 section and everything was fine but then it just kept going. I was surrounded by war. All the death and violence, all these mistakes that it seems no one is learning from.
I stood in the simulation trenches, it was dark and ominous, and as the recording of howling wind and gun fire repeated the walls seemed to be pressing in.
A lot of the students around me were laughing and shouting; running around.
How could they not get it, my thoughts screamed.
I rounded the corner, heading towards the Hall of Memories and was confronted with a picture of white crosses, stretching forever into the ebony back drop.
Plain, white crosses, each one marking a candle of life, now extinguished, one after another...
Above this picture, was one, gold plated word:
Remember
It was when my eyes passed over this word that a simultaneous wave of sadness and inarticulate emotion passed over me.
For the second time in as many weeks, a girl who vowed never to cry in public, was on the verge of tears again.
My eyes were gazing, swimming in the black back drop when the sharp, intrusive sequel of an alarm broke through my thoughts.
Someone had had the audacity to rattle a case of a gun display.
In was sickened. Didn't anyone else care?
I walked, feeling detached, to sit on a hard bench in the Hall.
The white walls were covered in names, more dead soldiers. And they were from the Auckland area only. My thoughts moved to what the memorials in Europe in America and Europe must be.
I rough voice pulled me back to reality.
A boy had called across the room, and a teacher had told him off:
'This is silent place,' she chastised, 'respect, young man.'
'Whatever,' he grunted as he headed off, towards his friends who were jostling each other, leaning against the names of the men who had died so they could live in freedom.
I raised my head, full of a mixture of disgust and the ever pressing sadness.
A blank wall greeted me.

May these panels never be filled

The room was too hot, the silence to pressing, and everyone's words were shallow and echoed in my mind.

I steeled myself against Hitler's face as he scowled out from a poster in the WW2 section.
I tried my best to just do my work and not think too much.
As I passed the bright blue walls of the UN display, though, I must admit, my spirits lifted a little.

All those men died, fighting for their country, so we could enjoy a free life.
So that war wouldn't shatter the surface of the globe again.
I felt determined to make a difference, I still do.

Eventually, we walked out into the fresh air and I breathed deeply.

So, I hope you see what I mean.
I learnt a lot from our trip to the museum, and not just from the panels on the walls.

''The only mistake is one from which you do not learn'' -Gandhi

M.U.N.

Model United Nations

That's right folks, I am representing Brazil in the Auckland Regional MUN of 2008.
This will be my first MUN and I am very anxious about it, albeit I am excited as well.
It is going to be so cool!

I hope you are aware of what the organisation the United Nations is and a little about what it does. Basically, these conferences simulate what happens at the real UN and gives youth the opportunity to discuss important issues effecting the world.

The mission statement for the United Nation Youth Association is: The United Nations Youth Association is an organisation run by youth, for youth, dedicated to upholding the spirit of the United Nations through raising the awareness, involvement and empowerment of young people in local, national and international spheres

I am going to be in the Environment Program but resolutions and topics haven't been uploaded yet.
It's has, and will continue to, taken lots of preparation. There are pages of vocabulary we have to know, charts of rules and motions, amendments, preambulatory and operative clauses, country research, position papers and speeches in front of the General Assembly...

Okay, so I might have wanted to sound intelligent using all those terms but it's really not as complicated as it sounds.
On the first day we are in committees of around forty people, the EP is one committee, and we will discuss and debate resolutions through formal debate and moderated and unmoderated caucus.
The next day, it's the General Assembly, and what happens is all the delegates get together and speak, making conclusions, and the like, about what had been discussed the previous day.

Just before I bought, well my mum paid for it, my second outfit of western business attire which you have to wear to the conference.

It's in just over two weeks at Auckland University. I am really looking forward to it but I think I'll need all the time I can get so I can memorise my clear file-full of MUN information.
I've got an essay to plan, production auditions to think about, continual homework to keep up with, cross country training and...

NETBALL TRAINING. Guess who got into the top year ten team? Me!

Yeah, so that's about it.
Busy is better than bored.

Ciao.

Paul Pots and Expectations

We were sitting in English class today, most of us chatting idly as our teacher clicked her way through a series of links to find a certain video on youtube.
I wouldn't say I watch that much television, and so had never seen, or more importantly, heard, of Paul Potts.
At the end of the video clip, in which he is auditioning for Britain's Got Talent, and he is building up to his finale, I almost cried.
I had tears in my eyes.
And the thing is, I don't know why, exactly.
He is an incredible singer and, well, the song was moving. I have no ties to the opera world and didn't understand the language he was singing but it did...move me.
I'm struggling to explain this, as you can see, because I don't fully understand it.
I've watched that same video a number of times now it gets me every time.
They way all the people cheer after the first line and the way their eyes are wide and glassy.
He went on to win the competition, I was told.
Paul Potts is a very talented man. Which brings me to my next point.
Talent. Is it something your born with? How is that a skill if it's just because of the make-up of your genes? Is it a skill you aquire over time? That definition does apply to a lot of situations.
But hearing him sing has made me long for a talent. I want to be amazing at something.
There, I said it. I want a talent, I want to stand out, be special.
It is as I write those words that I realise every body, self-admitting or not, wants to be special and stand out. A lot of people are. Maybe everyone is.
But me.
If you know me, you might say, 'but you're soooo smart'.
I would beg to differ.
No, despite what you may be thinking I am not fishing for compliments.
Maybe it comes down to the 'there will always be someone better than you' saying.
Though that can and has been disproved throughout history.
Maybe, I am just too competitive for my own good.
Though, I am concerned that this entry makes little sense.
Paul Potts- please spare some of your time to listen to him, or any other opera you can find.
Really listen.

If I really listen now, I can here the consoling, positive, possibly, logical side of myself saying:
'All you can do in try your best, time spent wishing is time wasted'.
Then, the other side, negative and down-talking, replies: 'You have to be the best. Try, try, do your best, then try harder.'

You can't keep comparing yourself to other people, it will drive one mad.
Your attitude defines you.
Positivity. Acceptance.
Learn.

Okay, positive-side, I think I'll listen to you.

Cross Country

The other day, I think it was Friday, our tutor teacher was reading out the notices and I heard about a cross country training group that was starting up. I decided that I would join, even though I am not the an extremely sporty person. Though I did come seventh in the school cross country last year.
So, I made this decision to do running training and one of my best friends decided to come a get fit with me. Thank you, Brennyn! It was very nice of her, she's willing to run 4kms with me, three times a week! And it looks as though we'll be exposed to hot temperatures in the height of the afternoon sun, too.
We had our first session after school today, and, despite anxieties, it wasn't that bad.
We walked home feeling as though we could have done another lap.
Leaving us wanting a little more- that was perfect.
Our trainer, John, has trained Olympians, so we are extremely lucky to have him.
I do like running, and I am looking forward to getting fit.

I've read that a healthy heart (fit) will pump up to 20% more oxygen to the brain, so in the long run it will benefit me in lots of other parts of my life as well.

Speaking of sports, we will hopefully hear what netball teams we're in this year soon, five girls won't make it into the second league so it's a tad nerve-racking!

Yes, I guess I am feeling pretty sporty.

Bye for now.

Salut

Salut blog-reader,
I am applying to be involved in something called The Youth Declaration. I heard about this through the UNYANZ [www.unyanz.coM], and I am really excited about it.
Basically, it's to let the government and leaders of New Zealand know what the youth of the nation think about important issues concerning the future.
It's a conference held at a University.

I have to apply, explaining why I want to do it, my motivation and what I can contribute. As working in the diplomatic service interests me, I think this will be really beneficial.
There are twelve different topics that, in the end of the conference, you have to present statements about what you think of the issue (e.g.: education) and what you think should be done to improve it for the future.
This document will be shown to leaders of our nation, including parliament officials. It will be kept for future reference.
There will be about 12-15 students in each group (pupils from years 10-13
are eligible to apply).
This is the first ever Declaration in Auckland.

So, once I've ranked my preferred topics I mail off my form and hope for the best.
My only concern is that all the other levels will be more intelligent than me because they've been in this world longer, and that they'll be looking for more experienced, knowledgeable students. It it would be a little
biased just to have older students- it's fair to have a range of ages.

I really want this, and I do believe I can contribute to it.
It would be such an amazing thing to be involved in.

So, wish me luck!

That's an entry from the blog I had started on First Class.
Well, I just though I would add that I GOT IN.
Yes, I am officially going to the first ever Auckland Youth Declaration.
One of the people organising it, he is also the Vice President for the Auckland branch of the UNYANZ (United Nations Youth Association of New Zealand), emailed me to inform me of my successful application and he also wrote that I was the first year ten to register.
I wasn't to sure if I should be pleased or scared about that fact so I just decided to be both.
He did say that they were 'stoked' that I was the first year ten to apply, and that I could 'show the older guys how it's done'.
I'm not sure which committee I will be in yet, but I was apparently an early applicant and have a good chance of my first choice, which was poverty.
I am so excited about it, it's going to be a great experience and it has the potential to effect our nation!

If you're interested, applications close on March 14th, you can find all the information using the above link and going to Regional, then Auckland.

When I first read the e-mail I felt so successful and exhilarated- it was just a great feeling. Definitely one I want to experience more, that's for sure.

So, I reckon that's all.
See you.

So, here goes...

Well, hello there.
My name is Eve and I am fourteen years of age.
This blog is an on-going assignment for English class but I don't personally regard writing entries as a chore.
I quite like writing, you see, I find it is a useful medium to express myself. Mostly I write angsty-poetry, the standard, tears and pain stuff.
I don't really write short-stories that often of my own accord but I do enter competitions.
Last year I won the regional writing competition which came with the prize of $500, and I also won the
Val Shearer cup, but that was just a small, school-based thing.
I wouldn't call myself a writer. Though I am a linguistic leaner.
I love to read, it's a major hobby of mine.
I'll read any type of book except for horror, which, I must admit, isn't a genre I have really delved into but I don't like the thought of reading work intended to scare right before I got to bed.

Last year I did some pretty cool things.
I saw my favourite band, My Chemical Romance, live. It was an amazing night.
Three days after that I went to New Caledonia for a week with the French class. That was a great experience.

I also love school. I love to learn and am one of those people, oddly enough, that dislike not knowing or understanding something.
Someone once said, I can't remember who exactly, that true knowledge is understanding how much we don't know.
I am definitely not a genius but I do accept that there is so much out there that not only I, but the world, do not know.

If you know me, you probably would describe me as competitive. Some might say very competitive. They would be telling the truth. Some others, including myself, would say that I don't do anything by halves. That's also true.

Well, blog-reader, you'll be hearing from me soon, three times a week actually. But I have a rather imposing pile of homework to do this weekend and better get started.

Au revior.