I'm taking an SAT preparation course at Gunn High School this summer. It runs for about a month and focuses on vocabulary skills. Our teacher is very kind and makes every effort to ensure we're up to date. However, the workload is pretty high as there are both in-class and take-home assignments. Gunn is indeed very competitive.
Currently playing: Deus Ex
Monday, July 15, 2002
Sunday, July 7, 2002
four barbecues over the weekend
Hope everyone is having a great summer. Or at least I am because we managed to have a barbecue every day for the last four days!
Thursday
So we have an electric grill that's been sitting in the garage. Mom wanted to test it out and decided to invite my grandparents over. She had gotten it as a gift from my aunt Cynthia a while ago. Electric grills are safer and less likely to cause cancer. However, the food was just as tasty as before. Grandpa goes to bed early and wanted to leave after dinner, but this was understandable given his age.
Of course, no 4th of July is complete without fireworks. I got to set some off after the sun went down. One thing I noticed is that there were more fireworks this year. Firecrackers and bottle rockets are still going off every so often. People must be feeling patriotic following the 9/11 attacks.
Friday
We decided to have the Lins and another family over. Only the Lins came as the other family canceled at the last minute. But this wasn't a problem because the Lins were our main guests.
Moonway loved the hot dogs even though he isn't much of a meat eater. I went to get one and found them all gone. Good thing I already had one the day before. Everyone had a great time catching up before Moonway and I went to play games.
Saturday
Mom invited the Lu family as they're also good friends. It turns out their kids love video games too. However, they didn't stay long either because their father Wen-Juei is also an early sleeper. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to spend much time with Thomas and Connie. Hope it's not long before we see them again.
Sunday
Dad had some co-workers over as we had enough supplies. But let's be honest — the same thing gets old after four days. It's going to be a while before I can stand another barbecue. :-)
Currently playing: Pinball
Thursday
So we have an electric grill that's been sitting in the garage. Mom wanted to test it out and decided to invite my grandparents over. She had gotten it as a gift from my aunt Cynthia a while ago. Electric grills are safer and less likely to cause cancer. However, the food was just as tasty as before. Grandpa goes to bed early and wanted to leave after dinner, but this was understandable given his age.
Of course, no 4th of July is complete without fireworks. I got to set some off after the sun went down. One thing I noticed is that there were more fireworks this year. Firecrackers and bottle rockets are still going off every so often. People must be feeling patriotic following the 9/11 attacks.
Friday
We decided to have the Lins and another family over. Only the Lins came as the other family canceled at the last minute. But this wasn't a problem because the Lins were our main guests.
Moonway loved the hot dogs even though he isn't much of a meat eater. I went to get one and found them all gone. Good thing I already had one the day before. Everyone had a great time catching up before Moonway and I went to play games.
Saturday
Mom invited the Lu family as they're also good friends. It turns out their kids love video games too. However, they didn't stay long either because their father Wen-Juei is also an early sleeper. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to spend much time with Thomas and Connie. Hope it's not long before we see them again.
Sunday
Dad had some co-workers over as we had enough supplies. But let's be honest — the same thing gets old after four days. It's going to be a while before I can stand another barbecue. :-)
Currently playing: Pinball
Monday, July 1, 2002
just got RuneScape membership
I finally convinced my parents to let me subscribe to RuneScape after begging for a long time. It's only for a month because we have a lot going on this summer. However, that's good enough for me. I especially appreciate it because they don't like using credit cards online.
In any case, there's so much content in the premium version even though it only came out earlier this year. I've already completed a few quests and tried the new skills, but they have barely scratched the surface. One can see why RuneScape is so addictive. It's going to take a lot of self-control...
Currently playing: RuneScape
In any case, there's so much content in the premium version even though it only came out earlier this year. I've already completed a few quests and tried the new skills, but they have barely scratched the surface. One can see why RuneScape is so addictive. It's going to take a lot of self-control...
Currently playing: RuneScape
Friday, June 14, 2002
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
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
Friday, June 7, 2002
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:
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:
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. :-)
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. :-)
Sunday, June 2, 2002
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
Wednesday, May 29, 2002
a close call in RuneScape
For those who haven't seen today's RuneScape update, there has been a crackdown on rule breakers. Everyone who used RuneBot in the last 24 hours was wiped and had to start over. Jagex also posted their names on the front page. RuneBot is a modified game client that lets you automate simple tasks.
According to the rules, you can't use any software that interacts with the game. To be fair, this has always been risky because they can contain malware. However, people do it anyway due to the competitive atmosphere. It doesn't help that the game can get repetitive.
So one thing I noticed is that RuneBot has been making the rounds in recent months. I must admit I tried it myself out of curiosity a few days ago. It certainly has some nice features, such as the ability to zoom in or out and change window size. Vee also modified the code to remove the chat filter. I was tempted to keep using RuneBot but decided against it after seeing people complain about lag on the forums. As you could imagine, the news was a huge surprise.
I almost had a heart attack right there. Even though I wasn't on the list — probably because I didn't use RuneBot again — that doesn't mean it's over. Jagex has said they "expect to catch more people at it over the next few days." I wanted to make sure nothing happened to me, but it's impossible to tell just by looking at the website. So the only option was to log into the game.
Because I shouldn't play RuneScape in class, there was little else I could do. I was stressed the whole time as I waited to go home. Four hours is a long time when you're anxious. I rushed home and checked my accounts, and found everything in order. You have no idea how relieved this makes me.
But there are many others who aren't as fortunate. Some were merely curious and wanted to see what the program does. One of the top players — who just hit 1,300 skill total on Monday — was caught after using RuneBot to access the servers. He was actually doing his own investigation to help Jagex and accidentally logged into the wrong account once. Despite his reputation as a respected community leader, the company has said they are making no exceptions. It really sucks to lose all that progress.
Good thing I didn't use RuneBot again despite the temptation. Someone was definitely looking out for me.
Currently playing: RuneScape
According to the rules, you can't use any software that interacts with the game. To be fair, this has always been risky because they can contain malware. However, people do it anyway due to the competitive atmosphere. It doesn't help that the game can get repetitive.
So one thing I noticed is that RuneBot has been making the rounds in recent months. I must admit I tried it myself out of curiosity a few days ago. It certainly has some nice features, such as the ability to zoom in or out and change window size. Vee also modified the code to remove the chat filter. I was tempted to keep using RuneBot but decided against it after seeing people complain about lag on the forums. As you could imagine, the news was a huge surprise.
I almost had a heart attack right there. Even though I wasn't on the list — probably because I didn't use RuneBot again — that doesn't mean it's over. Jagex has said they "expect to catch more people at it over the next few days." I wanted to make sure nothing happened to me, but it's impossible to tell just by looking at the website. So the only option was to log into the game.
Because I shouldn't play RuneScape in class, there was little else I could do. I was stressed the whole time as I waited to go home. Four hours is a long time when you're anxious. I rushed home and checked my accounts, and found everything in order. You have no idea how relieved this makes me.
But there are many others who aren't as fortunate. Some were merely curious and wanted to see what the program does. One of the top players — who just hit 1,300 skill total on Monday — was caught after using RuneBot to access the servers. He was actually doing his own investigation to help Jagex and accidentally logged into the wrong account once. Despite his reputation as a respected community leader, the company has said they are making no exceptions. It really sucks to lose all that progress.
Good thing I didn't use RuneBot again despite the temptation. Someone was definitely looking out for me.
Currently playing: RuneScape
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