halfway through high school

I just finished 10th grade. It's hard to believe I'm going to be a junior this year. How time flies!

Despite all the preparations, the exams were quite tough. I found the one for Spanish II Honors to be the most difficult — even with the extra credit questions. Let's hope there won't be a nasty surprise when I get my report card in a few days. *crosses fingers*

In any case, summer is here now that the exams are over. I can finally catch my breath after a busy semester. :-)

Currently playing: Thief: The Dark Project

and now for our feature presentation...

You may recall we had to make a telenovela for Spanish class. We finished it this week and got to see all the videos. I think everyone did a great job!

Premise and casting

Amor y Mentiras — Spanish for "Love and Lies" — is about two criminals who fall in love with three girls. It took about three weeks to complete. Our roles are as follows:

• Yours truly – José
• David Barth – David
• Shannon Haley – Lilia
• Sarah Murray – Sarita
• Michelle Nelson – Micaela

Shannon wrote the script and acted as the director. All but one scene was shot at her house.

Part 1

Two crooks named David and José rob a bank and go on the run. Our group went to a "mom and pop" store on Los Altos Avenue as it's fairly close. I was afraid we'd get in trouble because we didn't ask permission to film there. However, the manager didn't mind and even had a cameo as a banker. Cheers, dude!

Part 2

David and José spend the ill-gotten money on a trip to the Bahamas. But things take an unexpected turn when they cross paths with Lilia and her friends Sarita and Micaela on the beach and fall in love. Sarita and Micaela take a liking to David and José as well and invite them over for drinks. It's where the love scene takes place.

Part 3

The romance is short-lived as David and José plot their crimes. Complications arise when the girls discover the truth. To cover their tracks, the bad guys set fire to the hotel and shoot Sarita dead as she tries to escape with her friends. David and José flee the country as the story concludes.

Acknowledgments

Our success wouldn't have been possible without the support of others. Special thanks go out to the following people:

• Shannon's mother Sharyl for helping around
• Sarah's mother Carol for the occasional ride
• the store's manager for letting us film on location and starring as the banker

Conclusions

We certainly had our disagreements — there's always conflict in group projects. However, everyone worked well together as a team to get it done. I couldn't be more pleased with the results.

As much as I want to share the video, Shannon hasn't sent it to me. I'll update this post if anything changes. Until then, you'll have to use your imagination. :-)

love scenes are awkward

"Do you want to kiss her instead?" — Michelle, after I refused to hug Sarah

For the final project in Spanish II Honors, the teacher asked us to make a telenovela — or Spanish soap opera — to share with the class. I was placed in a group with four other students. Telenovelas are a popular form of entertainment in Latin America but are also found elsewhere.

We started about two weeks ago and just finished the second part at Shannon's house. For the obligatory love scene, Shannon asked me to hug Sarah while David did the same with Michelle. But as you can imagine, this was very awkward for me. I chickened out and refused to do so, much to everyone's annoyance. After arguing back and forth for a while, Sarah and I decided to hold hands instead. *blush*

I regret not hugging Sarah when I had the chance. She's a very sweet girl and wouldn't have minded. Sarah actually got mad that I didn't want to touch her. Social anxiety sucks. But to be fair, most actors will tell you that love scenes are uncomfortable. Especially as a teenager.

Currently reading: Java: Your visual blueprint for building portable Java programs by Ernest Friedman-Hill