Blog #94

Turns out this won't be my first blog of '07. There's still 110 minutes until midnight. Today my family and I went shopping in Richmond, and after we returned home I watched the Time Square New Year's Celebrations and saw hundreds of thousands of people celebrating the coming of the new year three hours before ours. My New Year's resolution? well I still have 110 minutes to figure it out.

Blog #93

Today I started reading another classic (my goal for winter break is to read at least 3 classics) by Charles Dickens called Hard Times. This is one of his least-read books, yet it is just as entertaining as his other more well-known works. I am now at the 7th chapter.
I also started working on my science fair. Although it is not due until two months later, I realized that the winter break is really the only time I have to work on them because homework and more projects are bound to come when school resumes. I am sure I will feel the benefits of my planning early on the week before the due date, when my other friends will be cramming until late after midnight. My Internet research session was very productive, and I hope to get a trip to VPL Central Branch sometime before the end of the holidays to get more research done.

Blog #92

Today I saw the news coverage of Saddam Hussein's execution on CNN. The actual news came about 20 minutes after he was actually executed. They interviewed a lot of people to get their opinions on it. I personally think that executing Saddam Hussein will not facilitate the US's progress to "liberate" Iraq. In fact, his execution will bring about a spike in violence in Iraq, which the last thing the Marines would want first thing in the New Year.

Blog #90

Today I did some more work in the morning, and started organizing my biology glossary. I found more podcasts today too. I found the Discovery Channel podcasts extremely interesting because they actually re-broadcast parts of their shows.
Then in the afternoon I helped a family friend with her IELTS stuff. Then we ate dinner and now I'm gunbounding.

Blog #88

I was sick during Christmas, so the celebrations have been put on hold. I finished reading the Lord of the Flies in 2 days, and found the story haunting and distracted me from the symptoms of my cold. I also started reading To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It was also a very attention-capturing book, and I plan on finishing it tomorrow. I also made a really interesting discovery today: the Podcast section in the iTunes music store is a treasure chest. The podcasts are in either audio or video format, and cover a wide range of topic from science, politics, and music to comedy, news, and personal podcasts. I found many informative video podcasts from National Geographic and NOVA and audio emissions from Voice of America and CBC. I could not believe that all these resources are free and accessible to anyone with an Internet connection. I must take advantage of all this.

Blog #87

Today was really fun. We watched a movie in band, had a huge junk food party in french, watched CSI in science, and we read a christmas story in English.
Then I went to my elementary school for a grad buffet. I had an awesome time meeting the others whom i haven't seen in a while. The food was great and the conversations we had were very interesting.

Blog #86

Today we had a test in the morning in SS. It was really easy, and I didn't even require a cheat sheet, which Mr. Sale offered us. I think I aced the test, because I answered every question fully and exhaustive (and probably even redundantly but that's okay). My notes really helped me a lot because there wasn't a single question that my notes did not cover. Then we watched the rest of the 2001 A Space Odyssey movie. I thought it was quite intriguing at the end, and the director obviously used a lot of metaphors. Then we watched the hilarious Zoolander movie. It even has its own scene dedicated to 2001 A Space Odyssey where two guys act as monkeys and use bones to smash up a computer (pretty wild huh?)
Today was really fun.

Blog #85

Today we had band practice at lunch in preparation for the christmas concert tomorrow, then we had another silent, tedious work period in Science in which we prepared for the test next class. I hope that we are actually going to learn something after the test is over, because we did not do a single worthwhile thing since two classes ago.
After school today, I helped out a bit in decorating the classroom. My job was to fill up all those balloons. I look forward to the party tomorrow.

Blog #84

Today I finished up my tedious homework from Science. We are supposed to make a cheat sheet by hand, which is supposed to contain all the info from all the four major body systems that we studied. Personally, I think it is a huge waste of time. First of all, I understand that Ms. Kot is making us memorize the concepts more fully by handwriting all the concepts down. But I think otherwise. This assignment forces us to focus on how to FIT all those info on a limited space. In fact, when doing the assignment, I did not recall actually trying to memorize the concepts. I know why, because I already fully UNDERSTAND the concepts, and re-MEMORIZING them just doesn't make sense to me. Ms. Kot should allow computer technology in this assignment, because not all of us can scribble in a microscopic print, and none of us actually benefit from this exercise.

Blog #83

Awesome! My hockey team is now 1st in the league!! We were unbeaten in 11 games, and we're on a roll. We just got to 1st place after beating the previous best team.
Today, my dissection club meeting (yea, i forgot to mention I am part of the dissection club. I have to wake up really early on Fridays to dissect various specimens ranging from squids to sharks) consisted of dissecting a freshwater fish (perch). Then we had the dissection club party and awards right before the bell. I won the best individual award and our group got the best group performance. I won an animal-shaped felt pen while my group members got to choose some random toys. I added the felt pen to my secret santa gift box, since I had no use for it and I thought my secret santa buddy might like it very much.
I liked the film during AS. There are finally some plot twists and turns, although the movements are still excruciatingly slow. I am now dying to see the rest of the movie (and trying hard not to look up spoilers on Wikipedia)

Blog #82

I only got 7As (excluding the Health and Career Ed, which is a basically a freebie) this term. My low marks in group project in SS really compromised my mark. Those are things that I couldn't control, and I'm really disappointed that it was because of those uncontrollable factors that I did not get an A, which really makes you feel frustrated. As always (in a group situation), I assumed the role of a leader and started to prompt the members in my group to work constructive and productively. They chose not to comply, and as a group we got this really really bad mark. I guess I should just take this as a lesson and choose more cooperative and hard-working group members next time. This is not a great way to ruin my straight-A streak at all. If I had gotten a B in other subjects, that would have been understandable because my timetable is very rigorous and has a lot of higher-grade courses. But a B in SS is completely avoidable. As the saying goes, life is unfair, and you just have to live with it.

Blog #81

Today we watched an assortment of movie trailers in SS. It was actually really fun to see the best parts of every good movie that we have suggested.
We watched 2001 A Space Odyssey in AS. I thought the movie was really well made, because it obviously is going to culminate (it hasn't yet). The huge shift in time from the primitive ape-like humans to the technologically advanced, futuristic humans really showed how huge a step the ape took when he used a bone as a weapon and tool, which led to the existence of these advanced spacecraft. However, I found the slow movements of the spacecraft extremely annoying and hard to tolerate. I think they're just showing off the 1960s digital renderings (which are pretty good for that time period). The filming technique was really really good. The camera seemed to defy gravity. It's almost magical how the person walks in a loop with constant gravity. I look forward to finishing the movie.
In the afternoon, nothing happened that's worth talking about.

Blog #80

Today's band lesson consisted of going through the pieces we are going play at the christmas concert. I am becoming more and more adept at drums now, and today I did not make a single mistake on my part.
Then we had a test in French. I found the test easier than I expected, and I used common sense to answer the questions (just to show how easy they were).
We learned about how all the body systems work together in Science, and here's my opinion of the "educational" video we watched. First of all, it was very informative, but it failed to connect the information in anyway to have them make sense. It was more like a random collage of bits of information. Also, the questions Ms. Kot gave us in accordance with the video was lacking because it did not cover many of the important details of the video. In fact, the worksheet had very little to do with the video. Most of the information on the sheet was very basic, and they did not serve as a review.
Finally, in English, we reviewed the grammar sheet that we did last time. The answers were very obvious as well. Towards the end of the class, some individuals in the class were behaving rudely, and Ms Densford made us write this paragraphe that was supposed to make us more mature.

Blog #79

Today I kind of expected a pop quiz from Mr. Sale on the six wives of Henry VIII, and I scored wonderfully perfectly. We then learned about the rest of the reign of the Tudor Monarchs. Personally, I think that the reign of the Tudor monarchs was very interesting and sad in many occasions as well.
then, in AS we had a disastrous meeting in AS which involved a lot of pointless shouting. At the end no actual tangible product came out. We did not decide on a movie, and followed with the Gr. 8 choice. Other than that, nothing got done.
We talked about optimizing profits and linear programming in math. Obviously, it's one of Mr. nakamoto's favorite subjects, and we learned it too with great interest because this is the first thing we learned in math that has any value in real life application.

Blog #78

Today I couldn't go to my hockey practice in the morning because I had an upset stomach, and went promptly back to sleep at 6:00AM. I got up again at 10 AM and started to practice piano for an hour for my lesson at noon. My piano teacher turned out to have a really bad cough and was quite sick.
I finished all my homework and prepared for tomorrow, which is supposed to be very interesting because we are starting new stuff in both SS and AS.

Blog #76

Today, we had our field trip to BodyWorlds 3 in Science world. It wasn't as exciting as I expected, but we still got to see some awesome real human specimens preserved throught the process of plastination. Plastination is process in which they inject a slow-setting mould that slowly turns the body plastic and preserves it in a one year process. I bought a book that has everything in display in full colour. It was a great book.
In the afternoon we played around with our calculators more in math and did square dancing in PE.

Blog #76

Today we had Feliz Navidad as our new band piece. It is the spanish version of Merry Christmas, and my drums part rocked. The piece was in Latin Rock style, and the tempo was extremely fast and vivacious.
Then we got to work in French on our two paragraphs regarding the fashion presentation we presented last class. I used perfect and complex grammar and vocab in my two paragraphes, and I'm sure that will take my mark to a completely different dimension.
In the afternoon, we took the rest of the notes in science and started working on a children's book that will summarize our chapter. We have to use simple language to supposedly explain a very erudite scientific topic. That's one of the most difficult things in the world for me.
Finally, we went to this nutrition presentation in the auditorium. The students displayed extreme stupidity as they asked unrelated questions. I think the presentator failed to explain the new food program in our caf, and I bet the presentator was also quite disappointed because she brought all these props and demonstration that seemed to have very little effect on the majority. In one word, I'd describe this session as a fiasco.

Blog #75

Today we learned about the six wives of Henry VIII in SS. It seems extremely bizarre that such a well-known king should have such a life with six queens, two of whom he executed.
Then we watched an informative video clip about the most important discoveries in astronomy. I had no light bulb moments, probably because I have watched tons of hours of educational and scientific videos like this before. But it was cool to review all of them again, while the video link the importances of the discoveries together.
In Math, we had this sub who didn't know what he was teaching. I corrected him in two major errors on the overhead... I guess he just didn't have coffee in the morning.
Finally, we did square dancing in PE. It was really fun, and since we've done it in grade 8, we loved watching the grade 8s this year screw up.

Blog #74

Today's highlight was our french fashion presentations. I wore part of my hockey gear to class and was dressed as a hockey player. The rest of the groups also had very interesting outfits. The presentations were a huge success.
In English, we learned 31 rules of thumb regarding grammar. It was very interesting because the rules themselves contained the kind of error it told us not to make and we had to correct them.

Blog #72

Today, I had an extremely early practice at 6AM in the morning. It is at least better than a monday morning practice at the same time. We worked on some drills that will hopefully improve our skills and get us more wins and extend our unbeaten streak.
Then, I finished up some hw that's due tomorrow, and hastily memorized my script for tomorrow's french fashion presentation.

Blog #71

Today, we learned more about the enlightenment in SS. We were required to take notes on the book, which we could have done for hw. I think we should do something else in class rather than simple manual and tedious work that can clearly be saved until after class.
In my AS presentation, I was interrupted so many times by George and Jason having nice, loud and irrelevant chats, but otherwise I think I got my topic across to the class quite well.
Mr. Nakamoto actually taught us something today, and, you guessed it. It's not grade 11 math. He went rambling about the determinants of a matrix and how to solve them. It was really interesting though. I actually learned how to obtain the determinant of a matrix without the help of a calculator. i fail to see its application, though.
Finally, we played basketball in PE. Nothing interesting.

Blog #70

today we experienced trickier road conditions. The good thing is, the snow is no longer powdery and perfect for making snowballs. When school was over, we had a huge snowball fight on the way home. In school, though, I got hang of my drums part for Jingle Bells jazz, and I realized that it wasn't hard at all, and the main reason for my poor performance last time was the last owner of the sheet music's confusing scribblings. the science class was really boring. It seems Ms Kot was struggling to find something for us to do. We just did some note-scribbling out of the textbook. the english period was a mess. In our play group, Obert went spasmodic for the entire period and disrupted our planning for the play.

Blog #69

Today, I observed icier conditions as I walked to school. I think that the school board is making a huge mistake. Now it is actually extremely dangerous. I witnessed a car stuck in snow again today. the sand on the icy surfaces helped my walk a bit. around the school, everything is going on as per usual. The snow started again in the afternoon. Now, a thin layer of powdery snow has covered the already slippery surfaces.
In the morning we handed in our SS projects. We have started prewriting on the advantages and disadvantages of armed rebellion and rebellion of thought.
then we got on to AS, during which I used the time to catch up with some of my assignments.
The math class comprises, as usual, mr. nakamoto's endless anecdotes.
Finally, we cheered for the grade 8's in the indoor track meets, although I was more willing to go outside into the snow.

Blog #68

Today we had band in the morning and I got a really hard drums part for a jazz christmas piece. The previous owner had many poor notes on the sheet music, and I couldn't understand a thing.
In French we had an extremely easy listening test, and then we worked on our presentations. The presentations are on French clothing. We are to do a fashion show.
In the afternoon, I found all the chemicals I needed for my Science Fair project, which is about how pesticides can cause genetic defects in plant cells.
Finally, in English, we started a productive rehearsal session on another play that we're going to do.

Blog #67

Today I was astounded to find out that school is still open despite so much snow and harsh traffic conditions. I remember in Grade 6 that they closed all the schools due to snow as well. And the snow then was almost the same, if not less, than this one. On my way to school ( I was late 10 minutes because I thought there wasn't going to be school) I noticed that there was snow everywhere covering the sidewalks and that a van had already gotten stuck in the snow.
The day was just another normal day 2. As we walked back home after school, we "snowfought" as we walked along, and my hands were numb when I came home.

Blog #66

WHEEE! it's snowing! It snowed 10-20 more centimeters today, and everything is coated by a thick layer of snow. Yesterday, I had to go to an away hockey game in Burnaby in the snow, and it was horrible. The game was a tie, and the car had a thick layer on top of it when we got back to the car after the game. We had to scrub it off using my hockey stick.
Today, I took a stroll to the churchill field in the snow, and found a vast plain of unspoiled snow. I took some pictures, and went back home, where I prepared for the next day's work.

Blog #65

Today I finished making my little science gadget. It is an articifial lung, and it demonstrates how air pressure forces air in and out of our lungs. It is a very good way to understand the intricacies of respiration. I made it using a plastic bottle, two balloons and a straw.
Then, as I walked home from my piano lesson, it started snowing very heavily. Lawns are covered with a thin blanket of snow. I still have a hockey game starting at 9:30 PM at Riley Rink today, and it looks like i'll have to leave very early today in expectation of the road conditions. I started watching Pride and Prejudice on DVD. It is an excellent and famous story.

Blog #64

Today, we had another work period in Socials on our map project. We've had so much time to work on it in class now, and it's no surprise that it is supposed to be due next week. In Mr. Olson's class, everyone kind of slacked off again. I took advantage of the time to earn some marks on the SS forum, since I did not have enough time to post on the Current Events.

In Math, we talked about solving Simultaneous equations, and much more. Mr. Nakamoto started telling us stories about his "good old days", and that took almost half a class. He always does this in class.

finally, our class had a basketball tournament against mr. McGillivray's team, and we defeated them overall by a score of 10 games to 6.

Blog #63

In the morning I spent 2 and a half hours writing a huge Canadian Open Math Contest. It is not just the average multiple choice contest. We have to show every step of our proofs, and even if we get the right answer, we can still lose part marks. I guess that's what the 2 and half hours were for. good thing is, lunch was right after the contest, so I got to recharge.
I watched a B&W movie of "To kill a mockingbird" right after I got home. It featured the excellent acting of Gregory Peck. I also watched the bonus feature disk which featured Gregory Peck and it explored his life, his family, and his films. I enjoyed it very much.

Blog #63

In the morning I spent 2 and a half hours writing a huge Canadian Open Math Contest. It is not just the average multiple choice contest. We have to show every step of our proofs, and even if we get the right answer, we can still lose part marks. I guess that's what the 2 and half hours were for. good thing is, lunch was right after the contest, so I got to recharge.
I watched a B&W movie of "To kill a mockingbird" right after I got home. It featured the excellent acting of Gregory Peck. I also watched the bonus feature disk which featured Gregory Peck and it explored his life, his family, and his films. I enjoyed it very much.

Blog #62

Today, we continued working on our SS projects in class, and Mr. Sale extended the due date to next week!
In AS, everyone slacked off again since there were no presentations.
In the afternoon, we had a math test, which was extremely hard and which I am confident I aced. finally in P.E., we played basketball for the entire class. It's one of those days that has nothing new or interesting.
I have to leave for my band performance soon.

Blog #61

Today I stayed in my hockey gear for the entire morning until 1 o'clock. I had to get up at 9 and get all dressed for my team photo shoot at Kitsilano rink. It was hectic there. I swear there was more the 300 people dodging around to find their teams. After that, I had a game at another rink, and I didn't bother to change because there was just 1 hour between the two events. Good thing is, our team won 7-1, and we are now on a 3-game win streak!

I got all my homework done this weekend, and it was really annoying to receive so many MSN messages from my classmates for help on virtually every subject. Some of them even got extreme and demanded that I do a certain portion of the English project for them!!! How worse can it get?

Blog #60

I had an extremely busy morning. We had band first and then French. We had to copy 4 pages of each other's work for "discussion". It was painstaking and dull work, and it took me til lunch.
Speaking of lunch, I never even had lunch. I had to take the SS test I missed last friday. But it was surprisingly easy, and I still got time to quickly finish my lunch.

Blog #59

Today we had a counsellor give a presentation about gambling. We learned some interesting facts about gambling in BC and we familiarized ourselves with the signs of problem gambling.
It was a very interesting presentation, and I felt more informed about gambling in BC.
In the afternoon, I found the presentations very informative. I was able to grasp the meanings of the concepts.

Blog #58

Today I finished editing my PowerPoint Presentation using the Bloom perspective. I also watched the movie version of Animal Farm by George Orwell. It accurately reflects the happenings in the book, and the animation is simply fantastic. It also adds more satire to the story.
I also received notice that my hockey team is heading to the Okanagan for a tournament in Spring Break. This is awesome news, because we get to stay at a nice hotel for 2 days and play hockey.

Blog #57

Today I headed to Port Coquitlam for a game with a Port Coquitlam team. Obviously, we traveled a long way there just to completely dominate. We were always in the lead, and I got numerous assists. We ended up thrashing them 8-2.

Blog #56

Today I watched an awesome movie called Death on the Nile. It was an entertaining detective story. In the end, the most unsuspected people were actually the murderers. The movie had an extremely well-developed plot, and the ending was fabulous with the revellations of what really happened.

Blog #55

Today I went to an inspiring Youth Leaders conference at VSB. We were trained in our leadership skills such as problem solving, public speaking, and speech writing. Our mentors were very enthusiastic, and they showed us pictures and videos of their work in Africa and other countries in abject proverty, helping to build schools and communities. We were very interested in the Build A Village project, and are planning to take this action plan to the school where it will be carried out. I had an awesome learning experience today.

Blog #54

Today we went to the IB conference in the morning. This conference served as a welcome for the IB World admins who are holding their meetings here. I found the skits and the speeches very interesting and well-planned. It is unfortunate some minor glitches occured, or else they would have been perfect.
My teeth hurt extremely badly today. All I could think about is the contant intense and numbing throbbing pain in my teeth. The next phase in my orthodontics procdedure had begun (which is basically shoving all the teeth together), and it involves moving the roots of the teeth horizontally to a more suitable postition. The pain, however intense, is still less than the excruciating pain I felt when my teeth were extracted in the first place.

Blog #53

Today we got to see the transit of Mercury in front of the sun. Personally, I think these astronomical milestones and cycles must be observed because they are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the sight of it is just so grand and beautiful.
The presentations today are of much better quality than the ones before. They involved some higher levels of Bloom thinking.

Blog #52

my hockey game yesterday was one of the poorest ones yet in the season. poorest as in poor refereeing: the refs called about 5 unjust penalties, and ruled out more goals.

Ms. Densford told us of an IB World administrative meeting that's going to take place in the auditorium in churchill on thursday. Usually, the meeting takes place at some fancy building in Geneva, Switzerland, but this year is an exception in that it takes place in a high school. The reason the meeting is being held here is because Churchill is one of the best IB World Schools. I am excited about going to this meeting.

Blog #51

Today, we watched the first set of presentations on physics. I learned about Gravity, the Doppler Effect, and the theory of relativity. The presenters failed to have me understand some of the more complicated concepts, which were the core of their presentation. I am not surprised, though, because many of the topics are extremely complex and abstract, and some are taught at university-level courses.

Blog #50

Today I did some math homework in the morning, and then headed to my practice in the afternoon. It was very tiring, because we had to do about 30 slapshots against the boards for practice
I also finished reading (in one day) an excellent short novel called Animal Farm by George Orwell. First I thought it was for preschool kids. Then, as I read on, I realized the many many examples of stinging satire aimed at governments and politics and beyond. The story was set in a farm, and many of its characters were farm animals who could talk and think at a very profound level. At first, the animals, full of hatred toward their farm owner, rebelled. They succeeded in driving out Mr. Jones, the farmer, and took over the farm themselves. However, one of their leaders, a pig named Napoleon slowly took over and changed the farm into a totalitarian regime (not surprising, since Orwell wrote the book when the memories of world war II were still fresh).

Blog #49

Today, I made a list of all the things I HAVE to get done before Monday. I find that creating checklists is a good way to keep me on task. I made my list as detailed as possible (e.g. do research on robert cecil for english project, minimum 2 pages).

Blog #48

Today, I went to the dissection club meeting the morning. After having dissected an earthworm last week, we started on a squid this time. It was really interesting to see how simple the insides of a squid was. I got permission to keep the "ink pen" of the squid, which was a transparent piece of cartilage that resembled a quill. It was where the squid stored its black ink.
The other highlight of the day was getting a online database research session with Ms. Shipley in English. I got to use the many databases that the school paid for, and found them tons more helpful than Google. When I go on google, I feel a certain degree of suspiscion towards many articles. The ones in the database are all published and approved, and all that can be inaccurate is bias. I will utilize the databases first thing whenever I have a project.

Blog #47

So many good news today. First of all, my dad's employer, after seeing my excellent service on the Take Our Kids to Work day, invited me to join the company part-time in the summer. My dad said that the salary is going to be at least $12 an hour for my kind of job (minimum for co-op). I'll have to start learning accounting basics and how to use many kinds of programs. If I do earn that kind of money, I plan to donate them to our school band.
Then, tonight's hockey game: our team owned the opponent. We were never behind, and the final score was 8-1 for us. This is my best game of the season so far. I picked up two assists and kept our team on the offensive.

Blog #46

I had a fun day at my dad's workplace today. After having a cup of Seattle's Best coffee from the coffee machine, I faxed hundreds of invoices to client companies located across the states. I hope I punched in all the fax numbers correctly, but if I made a mistake, it's no surprise, because hundreds of faxes (it is true that there were hundreds, but due to the confidential nature of the exact number, I will not disclose) is a lot. I also managed statements of the company's transactions with airlines. I found out that there many agents travelling across the states trying to make deals with other companies. Naturally, there would a long list of transaction for their flight tickets. I had to create a spreadsheet that recorded everything from the flight number to the GST, and that took a long time. I was all tired after that.
My dad's colleagues were very grateful for my help, saying that they wouldn't have finished it without me. They even wanted me to have a part-time job there to help out during the busy summer months. (My dad later told me that the task I was assigned to was due today and they would have had to work a couple hours overtime to get it done was it not for me).

It was a very tiring day, but I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Blog #45

Today I finally finished my PowerPoint. As I observed others in class, I saw that most of them were just starting their first slide or two. But of course, they're all going to cram it all up tomorrow night. For me, tomorrow night is just going to be a brief final run-through.
In social studies, we continued working on our treasure map. Our group has already determined 3 mathematical function clues that are going to definitely stump the reader.

Blog #44

Today I finished everything in my PowerPoint except for the animations, which can be done quickly.
The highlight of today is doing a lab testing the enzymes in our spit. It was really fun to see the results indicating that our spit (yes, we had to somehow produce spit) partially digested the starch solution.

Blog #43

Today I finished all of my homework that's due in the immediate future. I also downloaded about 1 GB worth of video podcasts, just to see how fast my new computer can be. I also found out that I could watch CNN news as podcasts for free as well. That was awesome.
I had a hockey practice yesterday night and another tomorrow morning. Tired... AND it's going to be a busy week next week too.

Blog #42

Today, I took advantage of the time I had to finish some homework, continue to study for the math test next week, and complete the PowerPoint presentation. I have a hockey practice tonight at 8:30, and it is definitely going to be very tiring. The good thing is, I get to go to bed immediately after the practice.
Tomorrow is going to be busy day too. I have planned every second of it, and by monday I will have absolutely no schoolwork to worry about.

Blog #41

Today's highlight was starting our "treasure map" in SS. Our group came up with a very original clue: using mathematical functions to pinpoint the treasure. We plan to have the actual formula determined by next week.
I resumed work on my powerpoint presentation for my AS project, which had paused a little while ago. I am almost done, and in my opinion, the entire presentation is very organized.

I am getting the impression that Mr. Nakamoto never teaches us anything in math. He never really teaches us. He just assumes that we know everything, and only go over things as if in review. Now I must study all that new information all by myself.

Blog #40

http://www.jackals-forge.com/htb/htb_reel.html
Today, I found a really good trailer of an amazing movie called "How to Build a Human." The graphics, sound, and animation were very very high quality.
Highlight of today is performing skits related to the digetive system in science. We finally started our new unit in digestion. The details are really common sense. We all know that the stomach contains acids, and that there's enzymes in saliva, etc. So this unit should be a breeze.

Blog #39

Today, we had a student teacher who actually taught us math this time. In my opinion, he's a much better math teacher than Mr. Nakamoto, mainly because he does not use the words "you guys are good at this, right", and "I am now going to assume that you all know this stuff." He taught us inverse functions, and it was a productive class.
Another highlight is finishing watching the "Count of Monte Cristo" in socials today. We had gotten to the climax, and it was interesting to see the rest of the story unfold. however, I thought the ending was a bit too simplistic. They had room for more plot conflicts, but didn't utilize it (probably because of their budget).

Blog #38

Today, we performed our English play once again, with some IB 11 students who were formerly in Middle Years as audience. I think our class as a whole did a MUCH better job than in our dress rehearsal. Then we learned that we are going to perform a much bigger production of another play at the end of the school year, with those IB students as mentors who will guide us along. This is going to be so exciting.

Blog #37

I am writing from my brand new computer right now. It is SO FAST, SO CLEAR, HAS SUCH A LARGE SCREEN. I JUST DOWNLOADED A 40.9MB FILE IN LESS THAN 15 SECONDS.
WOW
So, anyway, I set up my computer and the 20 inch widescreen. But somehow the speaker systems still don't work. I'll get it figured out either today or tomorrow. This is so awesome.
I just realized we are performing a play tomorrow, so I have to quickly get my lines refreshed and memorized. that's it for today.

Blog #36

I am just back from my game. The team that we beat badly last time was a completely different one this game, and they beat us 5-4. I have been on task, and I have finished all the homework. Then I realized that we have a langara run tomorrow. Arrgh. On the other hand, I am actually getting my new computer sent in to my home tomorrow, because they said it would be delivered at latest on Monday.

Blog #35

Today wasn't very eventful. I checked out some really cool color illustrated annotated STAR TREK encyclopedias. Then, I used the info in it to replenish my powerpoint presentation with new information. In the afternoon, my piano lesson was great, because I did well in all my pieces. Then, my parents and I went to the mall to buy some stuff, and then we realized, on our way home, that a huge fog had slowly formed. This is due to the large amount of moisture in the air in the morning and afternoon, and there was a sudden drop of temperature around 6pm, so all that water vapour condense to form a fog.
I have a game at Richmond Igloo rink tomorrow against a richmond minor team. We owned them 12-3 last game, so I'll be expecting another high-scoring victory for us.

Blog #34

Today, I had a fun-filled day at SFU. First, I learned about ecology and biodiversity and the many different niches that exist in the forest around SFU. Then, we learned some tricks about odds in gambling in an irmac lab. We used a computer program to simulate the odds of tossing a coin, etc, and made graphs out of it.
Finally, (the coolest part of all), we saw some demonstrations of electricity, semiconductors, liquid nitrogen, superconducters, and levitations (yes, levitation). When a superconductor is cooled with liquid nitrogen, it generates around it a magnetic field, which could make a magnet levitate in the air. Then, we used the same properties of a superconductor to make an actual "maglev" train which hovered over metallic tracks! This is the best physics demonstration I have ever seen in my life.

Blog #33

Today we had a science test in the morning, and the style and difficulty of the test was very differenct from those of Mr. Shieh (which is good).
Then, we got our English presentation marks from Ms. Densford. Our group's mark was the highest in the class, probably because our scene did not include pointless and irrelevant humor (which I shrewdly suggested to exclude, knowing Ms. Densford's nature and her taste in plays). We are also going to perform the play in front of an actual audience next tuesday.
The afternoon consisted of band and french, and nothing worthy of mention.
The week is not over yet. I have a hockey game today against a Richmond team at 8:30, and I have to wake up at 6:30 tomorrow to go with ROger to an SFU lecture/experiment series on science and mathematics that lasts the entire day. FUN!

Blog #32

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go to the field trip today. I had this huge, boring, tiring PSAT in the afternoon. I know (not think) that I did quite well on it, and I hope I really DO get a good mark when I get the results in December. Doing the PSAT early has its advantages.
Right after I got home, I MSNed my fellow classmates, and they filled me in on what had happened during the field trip. Many of them enjoyed the visit to the Maritime museum.

Blog #31

I got at 5:00 AM today to go to my hockey practice at Kerrisdale. It was really tiring, especially since I haven't really woken up. But I was fully awake halfway through.
Today, we learned about imaginary numbers expressed in the form a+bi. Imaginary numbers are so named because they cannot be plotted on a number line. Therefore, they are "imaginary".
We worked out in the weight room in PE today. The active health unit is always so boring. We're running langara next week, so I'll make sure I eat lots of starchy foods.
Then, in SS, we learned a bit about pirates, and watched a movie that involved piracy.
Finally, in SS, we did some more research in the library. Since I could find no Star Trek books (not ones explaining the science in it, anyway), I did some research on the Internet. I found a "wikipeidia style" online encyclopedia on everything Star Trek. It is a very good reference for me.

Blog #30

We lost yesterday's game 8-7, the exact same score as the last time we faced that team.
Today, I finished all my homework, got some more of the AS project done, and studied for science test. My computer is still not here yet. It should arrive next week. All this waiting is killing me.

Blog #29

Have to leave in 10 min for my game at Riley Rink, so i'll keep this one short.
Today I took the advantage to study for the upcoming science test, and finished some of my homework. I started on the powerpoint for the AS physics project today, and now i'm more than halfway done. It's surprising how much you can accomplish in 30 minutes wihout interruption. I got this really cool star trek font off the Internet, and that means i'll have to store my presentation in pps format because I doubt Mr. Olson has a star trek font.

Blog #29

Have to leave in 10 min for my game at Riley Rink, so i'll keep this one short.
Today I took the advantage to study for the upcoming science test, and finished some of my homework. I started on the powerpoint for the AS physics project today, and now i'm more than halfway done. It's surprising how much you can accomplish in 30 minutes wihout interruption. I got this really cool star trek font off the Internet, and that means i'll have to store my presentation in pps format because I doubt Mr. Olson has a star trek font.

Blog #29

We finished watching "supersize me" in Science today. Creator Morgan Spurlock tries to imitate an average obese American by not exercising and eating at McDonald's every day, every meal. It was very interesting to see the drastic decline in health at the end of his 30-day trial.
Then, we rehearsed our play in English. I find that my group members aren't very good at pronouncing the words and do not say them with the appropriate tone of voice. To me the "play" seems to be just a monotonous monologue. I tried to correct them, but their attempts at correcting is even worse, so I didn't bother. Or maybe it's because I'm setting my standards too high by expecting them to be the same as a Bard actor.
In band, we played a theme from Aladdin. We also watched the segment in the actual movie that contained that theme. It was very interesting to see how similar our piece was to the segment of the movie.
My laptop is getting slower every day. As I am typing this right now, each letter takes about 1.5 seconds to get on the screen, and I have annoying lags if I type too fast. My new desktop is arriving sometime next week. I wish it could come sooner.

Blog #28

Today, I had my math test, and it was surprisingly easy. Maybe it is because I studied very hard the night before. Today, I got my 2GB removable disk from DELL. The actual computer (Windows XP Media Center Edition, 1GB RAM, 320GB Disk Space, 20 inch widescreen) is arriving in the next week. I am finally free from the slow lags of my 4-yr-old laptop. Now, I should be more efficient in doing my homework on the computer.
The day's not over yet. I have a hockey game against a Burnaby team today at 8:30. Busy busy....

Blog #27

The article on napping is indeed very true. It is true that our brains need a re-charge in the form of a nap during the day. However, our (at least my) schedules prohibit us from doing so during the day because we have so many activities and priorities to attend to. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that unfortunately, other more important events prevent us from using such a good opportunity to recharge.

Blog #26

Today, my family and some family friends went to Weaver Creek to observe the sockeye salmons' return to their mother rivers to spawn. Prior to our departure, I checked out some videotapes and books on the return of the sockeye salmon, and learned many interesting facts. I now know that the number of salmon returning each year peaks every four years, and this year is one of those peak years. We drove for two hours to Weaver Creek, and arrived at the spawning site around noon. We observed the salmon leaping over the man-made dams, and many others getting overwhelmed by the current. By observing the difficulties the salmon must overcome in order to go to the spawning site, I was greatly inspired, and reflected upon many real-life situations that I will encounter that are very similar to those encountered by the salmon. Eventual success is always preceded by hard work and great efforts. I wish we could go to Adams River and witness an even grander salmon return.
Returning from Weaver Creek, we stopped at futureshop to checkout the new computer I will be getting. Unfortunately, we arrived just too late. We will be going there again tomorrow noon to get my new computer! Sweet!

Blog #25

I'm at a barbecue right now. so tired... I have made a list of many important things to do for the long-weekend.

Blog #23

Today Mr. Nakamoto announced, arbitrarily, that there would be a test next week. On what? It's anyone's guess. He has only properly taught us for two classes since the beginning of school, and tinkered with calculators the rest of the time. I'll just study the first two chapters.
Then, in PE, we got our football throwing and catching test. My spirals can be really awful one day, and really brilliant another day. Fortunately, during the warm-up throws, I was really adept at throwing and catching. I took the opportunity to ask to be tested that instant, and got 100%. My throwing partner Rocky benefited too. Mr. Lopez also invited me to join the cross-country team, because I got a really good time on Six Laps. I am really glad that I got this opportunity.
We had an extremely easy quiz on geography in SS today. Then we watched an excellent National Geographic Video on natural disasters.
Finally, in AS, the formal commencement of our projects took place, but many of us just slacked around.

Blog #22

By now, the sense that school has actually started has really kicked in, mainly because all my teachers are starting to hurl homework and projects and tests and quizzes at us. Of course, I know it's going to be worse in term 3. Right now, I am so frustrated with my old, 4-year old laptop, and I can't wait for my new computer (which, supposedly, is going to be purchased before Thanksgiving). I keep getting the sense that once I get my new, faster (20 times faster) computer, I will get more organized and productive. I guess I am too attached to technology. Today's highlight is.. well.. nothing. I did get my new TIME magazine, though. It is (as always) very interesting and biased. I think that one of the skills I have obtained by subscribing to TIME is the ability to identify bias, whether it's political or otherwise. I read an interesting article which investigated our true evolutionary origins. According to the article, primitive humans and chimps actually interbred for a while before separating in each's evolutionary path.

Blog #21

Today, I read an essay by Claudia Wallis titled "The Myth about Homework." The essay was classified under the heading "viewpoint", so the author is undoubtedly writing an opinion essay in which she has to decide to support or reject a point. Wallis chose to oppose homework, and thinks "hours of slogging" are not only not going to bring good grades, but also quelling the desire to imagine and create. She supported her viewpoint by using examples of overexaggeratedly boring and pointless homework and data collected by individual surveys. One survey even attempted to measure how well students are doing by delivering a standardized test. She failed to make the point that only excessive homework resulting in severe stress can decrease work quality. Homework is essential as a way to review the things taught at school.

Blog #20

Today, we reviewed minerals and vitamins in science class, and made flashcards (what a way to study!) for each nutrient. We are having a quiz next class. Ms. Kot's teaching style is strange. She hands us notes, makes us complete them, and tells us that there's going to be a quiz. Maybe that kind of reflects her study method.
Then, in English, we got another assignment. We were divided into groups, and we are to perform a segment of the play. Of course, the due date is nowhere in sight right now. I chose a very dramatic role, and I am confident that I would be excellent at performing it.
We performed the highlights from Carmen again in band. I am getting more adept at my drums part, and it sounds so GRAND. Georges Bizet was obviously a great composer.
Finally, we had a work period in French, since Mme Chang was absent.

Blog #19

Our second pre-season game yesterday was tiring. We were losing 2-6 at one point, but we eventually came back to tie it at 7. Unfortunately, the other team scored again with only 24 seconds left, leaving us with no time. We ended up losing 7-8. I am still quite happy though. We actually came back from the deficit, and our goals were all spectacular.
Today, I finished up all my homework, and then saw the homework on Mr. Olson's website about summarizing our notes etc., so I got started on that. I got a new hockey stick too. It is a composite fibre glass Bauer stick, and is super light.

Blog #18

My hockey team's first preseason game ended in great success. We won it 7-3, and I picked up two assists. Our next game is today.
On Friday, we had a sub for Mr. Nakamoto in math, which means we can actually learn something. We learned about maxima/minima and solved equations that expressed everyday situations in which we need to apply those concepts.
Then, in PE, we played an entire class of flag football. We get tested on throws next week, and I'll have to work on those.
Not much happened in socials. In AS we finished watching the NOVA series, and caught a glimpse of the myriad project choices. I have a tough time deciding which one to choose, because all of them are quite interesting.

Blog #17

In the morning, we "learned" about vitamins and minerals and reviewed information about fats and carbohydrates in Science. We also debated whether taking vitamin supplements was good for you.
We were given work to do in English class, and that was it. We explored some themes in A Midsummer Night's Dream and wrote down quotations to support our claims.
In band, we played some highlights from Carmen. I enjoyed my drums part. There were crescendos, accelerations everywhere. Over all, this is a really energetic, marching piece.
Finally, we got our french projects (poems about ourselves) back. I scored a perfect on both the written and oral compoenents. Twas No surprise, really, because the first project was quite easy.

16

Today, Mr. Nakamoto finally taught us something in math. Well, not exactly "taught". It is a review, and most us already understand the nature of quadratic functions.
In PE, we played flag football with kickoffs, which was much more exciting.
Junior Reach for theTop practice at lunch was fun. I answered about 1/4 of the questions, and I'm sure I"ll be a strong member of the team.
In AS, we watched the second part of the physics DVD. It is basically reiterating the same thing while slowly introducing the history of string theory.

Blog #15

Today, I finished my well-formatted poster for my mentorship project. Making them was a flash. I simply put everything neatly in tables and made the table lines invisible, then selected "5 copies to print". Ah, technology.
In school, we had a new science teacher, Ms. Kot. Personally, I don't like her very much. She seems too young and too inexperienced. Also, she is fussy about discussions in class. I like to actively participate in class discussions, not "be called upon when raising your hand."
We heard the student council rep election speeches today. They were all good, and cliche-ish. All of the candidates said "I will listen to your opinions." or " your opinions will be heard" or "do you want a rep who takes time to listen to your opinions?", etc. I don't always get this cynical, but do people actually communicated with their council reps and express their "opinions"? I don't think so. Everyone is too caught in his or her affairs, and that just seems to be too insignificant.
In English, we had Scott Bellis, an actor at Bard who played Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream come over and talk to us. We had very informative discussions with him, often interrupted by awkward pauses in between. At the end, we read a segment of the play together, and he autographed our works.

Blog #14 - Bill Clinton hammers Wallace

BIG NEWS! Bill Clinton turned very, very, (let's say) heated with Wallace of FOX news in an interview. In it, Bill Clinton denied that he had not put his full energy into finding and killing bin Laden. He even criticized his right-wing criticizers. I quote "they did not even try.I tried, and I failed. But after I failed, I left a comprehensive report..."
In my opinion, Bill Clinton has always been political-savvy, and he deliberately did this because he knew that this would be on the newspapers everywhere today.
Today, I got up at five in the morning to get to my hockey practice at kerrisdale arena. This is my first practice of the season, and I have a preseason game on Thursday. Fun fun fun!
At school, Mr. nakamoto taught us more ways to tinker with our graphics calculator, but no math.
Then, in PE, we played some touch foot ball.
In SS, we learned about tectonic plates.
Finally, in AS! We watched an exciting, well-made, awesome, informative program about the quest to find out the ultimate theory in physics that will describe every phenomenon in the universe. I had watched this program before, and I look forward to our research project.

Blog #13

A full day saturday is all I need to catch up with my homework. I finished the social studies map, and also did my french homework.

The rest of the time, I simply played hockey outside and watched a controversial CNN news report about the issue of whether Bin Laden is dead. A French newspaper published a "leak" in french intelligence, claiming Osama bin Laden had died of Typhoid. Personally, I agree with the Arab government intelligence, who are dubious about the verity of the report. Fake news are everywhere nowadays, and it's hard to figure out which ones really happened.

I just received my first hockey season practicce notice. It is to be on Monday. My new coach is a 4th year at SFU. He is also a ski instructor at Blackcombe. Mm, this should be interesting.

Blog #12

Today, we learned that Mr. Low isn't going to teach Science for us anymore. He is transferring to U-Hill, where he has been offered a permanent job. These things happen, and I'm not even sure about whether I'll like our new teacher. I'll have to wait and see.
Afternoon's highlight is our trip to the Bard. We saw the comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The play itself was hilarious, funny, and entertaining. It was filled with laughter from both the actors and the audience. It was an enjoyable afternoon.

Blog #11

Today, I took advantage of the Pro-D Day to finish my English postcard. Ms. Densford's instructions weree ambiguous, so I am sure that most of the class is going to be confused tomorrow. Then, I observed that many math contests are coming up, so I did one for prep. The rest of the time, I played hockey outside and covered most of my textbooks.

Blog #10

In science, we did the most ridiculous activity. We were told to divide our LINED PAPER into nine squares. Then, we rubbed some samples against the paper. This is to test for the fat content inside. We had these bits of margarine, peanut butter and starch solution. We literally rubbed or dabbed them onto the LINED PAPER. This does not seem like a proper lab activity for me. First of all, it was not very sanitary. Everyone was passing around these greasy packets of samples, and I have no idea how long they are past their best before date. We also should have used other kinds of paper instead of the line paper, which made it seem very very unorthodox.
English was another work period. Ms. Densford is gone with the IB retreat, and we had a period to work on our assignments.
Band was also interrupted by the preparation of the clubs day lunch event. I had to bring these heavy drums and other equipment into the gym. But that gave me an early dismissal, which I used to my advantage. I bought my lunch, and was the first one to sign up for the two of my desired clubs (dissection and reach for the top). I am so lucky to be in the dissection club. It was so popular last year that I was in the waiting list.
Finally, in French, we presented our poems about ourselves. I did a relatively good job, because my pronunciation was almost seamless.

Blog #9

Today, Mr. Nakamoto's math class is, as usual, unproductive. He gave us some worksheets to work on, and the entire class was a study period. However, it makes sense not to teach stuff in this class because the next he'll see us is next monday, so any "concepts" or "methods" he would have taught us today will be forgotten.
Then, we ran six laps for P.E. I did exceptionally well, beating my last time by 5 seconds. And considering my last time was the grade 8 record, it is a huge accomplishment.
In SS, we worked on a physical map of Canada, which depicted the major lakes, rivers, inlets, bays, oceans, and other bodies of water.
Finally, in AS, we drafted the 10Principles of Effective Mentorship in a summit. I find it strange how both summits put Trust as number 1. After all, it was the example Mr. Olson gave us, and I think that this shows how our minds are locked permanently on Trust as the most "important" principle.

Blog #8

Today, we had Science in the morning in which we talked about nutrition and the different molecules that our bodies need.
Then, in English, we were given another assignment which tests our understanding of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. We had a discussion period, and our group's discussion was moderately productive under my constant reminders.
At lunch, someone set off some really loud firecrackers in the cafeteria, which caused some havoc. Some people thought it was gunshot and ducked under the table, others just sat in shock. Wow, I wonder if our school is safe. If people can sneak firecrackers in so easily, who knows if they are going to bring in other more lethal weapons?
In band, we have a student teacher, and you know what that means. Patience... I managed to go through the entire period without showing signs of boredom.
Finally, in French, we looked at some french comics, etc.

Blog #7

Today, I did have a day to relax, only doing minimal amounts of homework.
I woke up at 10, and watched it rain outside...
I finished the SS map finishing touches, and sketched out my plans for the english postcard.
Now that I have finished the hockey pre-season, I am waiting to be put into a team. Anxiety!

Blog #6

I just got back from a tiring and entertaining hockey practice. We did some drills, and then we had a 45 minute scrimmage. We have only 60-second shifts, so we have to constantly hustle from the bench to the ice. I scored a breakaway goal after intercepting a long pass, and deked out the goalie. It was fun. We are going to divided into house teams after this eval session. I look forward to the season.
In other news: I am hoping to get all my homework done tonight so I can relax tomorrow. It is going to be a difficult task.

Blog #5

Today, we spent another work period in math. The majority of the class is still not back from Keats Camp.
Then, in PE, we worked on some plays in football. My spiral is perfect now, and I just need to work on interceptions. We played a little scrimmage, which was fun.
After that, we had a work period in SS, in which we colored the maps...very monotonous job, I assure you...
Finally, in AS, we had a work period.. wow, the entire day is...work...
After I got home, I got a lot done. I finished my mission statement, selected my mentorship topic, completed the 10 principles of effective mentorship, started on my english assignment, and started viewing the Master and Commander website.
It feels good to be on task.

Blog #4

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Today, we reviewed lab safety rules in Science. The rules are fairly straightforward. It all comes to common sense.
Then, we had a chaotic study period in English. Whenever Ms. Densoford left the classroom, the rest of us would start talking and fooling around. I am most appalled at our naive behavior.
During lunch, we played some cards, and that kept us occupied until the bell.
We got a new piece in Band. It is about the bravery of a Hawai'ian king.

I got to go home early today because my Pre-IB french class is, well, gone. I took advantage of the free time to catch up on schoolwork and such.

Blog #3

Today, I have to hurry because I have a hockey practice right at 9:30. Today, we did not have much of a class in math because most of our grade 11 math class comprises pre-IB 10 students, who are currently on their FABULOUS retreat at Keats. Then, in P.E., we started on football. After some practice, I pretty much mastered the spiral.
In SS, we simply started by reviewing some basic mapping concepts. We are to complete two maps for homework, one is the political map of Canada, the other physical.
It is a good thing that I took extensive notes on the movie in AS, and I will have plenty of information at my service when I do the assignments posted online.

Blog #2

Today, my computer almost crashed. After five unsuccessful reboots, the computer screen still froze after opening a web browser window. After waiting for about 2 hours, the problem was somehow fixed. (I should really get a new computer, this Pentium III processor I got over 3 years ago is really starting to deteriorate.)
Today's events:
Our assembly was the first major highlight of the day. In this assembly, our principals made some formal and (forgive my criticism) woefully rhetorical remarks. I rather like Ms. Bailey's speech, which had more substance and clarity. She told us about the troubles we must overcome as we get older. She hinted that high self-esteem may not always be a good thing, because we are bound to face criticism from our peers. I found her advice very realistic. Although it sounded cynical, it was very true.
In second block, the intermediate band (of which I am a part) performed for the grade 10 assembly. I played O Canada on the drum set, and then on mallets for Ode to Joy and Jazzy Brown Jug (a piece of swing-jazz style music).
In English, we got our old quizzes back (yes, we got a quiz on the second English class). I got 100%, but Ms. Densford still corrected me in several places where I made mistakes on punctuation, modifiers, and some prepositions. I found her remarks very helpful, and she inspired me to be meticulous in all my subsequent compostitions.

Blog #1

This is my first blog of the grade 9 school year, and it starts on a very interesting day. It is September 11, exactly 5 years after the initial attack on the WTC by the Islamic fascists. Right after I got home, I turned on CNN and watched there afternoon live coverage at ground zero. Shortly after, President Bush made his national address. In his speech, the President reiterated the topics of his past speeches on terrorism. In addition, he added a touch of poingancy by relating to his personal experiences with people who had suffered on that tragic day. Overall, the speech was well-written, and the fact that the President could memorize all that information astounded me. After the Presidential Address, I continued watching Larry King Live, in which Larry King interviewed some widows who had lost their husbands in the WTC incident, and also some survivors. One of them was blind, and his dog helped him get out of the Tower. It was an amazing story.

Today, I watched a game between the Canucks and the Minnesota Wild. We lost 6-0.