As of Friday Sept. 14, I am a Kukkiwon (World Tae Kwon Do Federation) certified black belt.
The test was hard. It started at 6 and ended at 9. There was a good sized audience and a few other people were testing with me. I barely made it out in one piece. But this has been my goal for the past 12 years, and I finally made it. It feels good - maybe my most fulfilling accomplishment so far.
I'm leaving for college in 9 days. |
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Jul. 12th, 2007 @ 10:33 pm
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- Blah, I bet you've all seen HP 5 by now. I was invited to go yesterday afternoon but I didn't get the text until too late, so I'll have to wait until Sunday to go with a different group...
- I've been driving around by myself now. It's very liberating!
- My little cousin from San Diego is staying with us. She's my sister's age so it's fun to have her around.
- I bought Interpol's new CD... And I almost never buy CDs so that's noteworthy.
- Lemony Snicket responded to the 21 Questions.
- Got an A in my Differential Equations summer course.
- A friend of mine is coming up from Brazil so we're going to try to meet up yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. |
Just when I thought my Lemony Snicket fan days were a thing of the past... I'm getting old for this, but somehow it's still fun. Check it out. By the way, it's 667's fifth anniversary.
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Dear Unfortunate Fan,
You are invited to the innest party in town!
667 Dark Avenue invites you to participate in the greatest online Lemony Snicket event in Unfortunate history. It begins… right now.
In honor of 667 Dark Avenue’s Fifth Anniversary (June 22), the forum has been granted a rare opportunity to communicate with Lemony Snicket himself. Mr. Snicket and his legal representative, Daniel Handler, have agreed to answer twenty-one questions posted by the members of 667. In order to create the most clever and compelling questionnaire possible, we hope the entire online community of Unfortunate Events fans will contribute by submitting their best question at Dark Avenue.
Each user of 667 Dark Avenue is entitled to submit one question. Twenty winning questions will be referred to Daniel Handler, and the best question of all will make its way to Lemony Snicket. We will be considering questions from now through Monday, June 25. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Handler and Mr. Snicket’s answers will be posted on 667 Dark Avenue, and the one lucky winner will receive a hand-written reply to his or her question by Mr. Snicket himself. Consolation prizes will be sent to the writers of the other winning questions.
Post your question at this location:
http://www.asoue.proboards11.com/index.cgi?board=fifth&action=display&thread=1182483750
In addition, we have set up many challenges and festivities in honor of A Series of Unfortunate Events. Fabulous prizes will be given to contest winners, including a first edition copy of The Bad Beginning, signed copies of The Grim Grotto, bookplates stamped and dated by Lemony Snicket, and much more. Our contests are designed to reward the most talented and devoted fans. Submissions will be accepted through the weekend.
Here is an outline of our events:
Day 1: Wednesday, June 20
Theme: Punctilio Day (Stretch the truth... Or throw it out completely!)
Contest: Snicket Writing Competition (submit your Snicket songs, stories, letters, articles, etc.)
Grand Prize: The Grim Grotto signed by Lemony Snicket
Runner-up: 1,000 Posts
Day 2: Thursday, June 21
Theme: Carnival (667 is a freakshow!)
Contest: Snicket Visuals Competition (submit your Unfortunate videos, photos, drawings, graphics, collages, etc.)
Grand Prize: The Grim Grotto signed by Lemony Snicket
Runner-up: Custom Title
Day 3: Friday, June 22
Theme: 667 Dark Avenue (Are you in or out?)
Contest: The In Auction (Can you beat the odds and win the right lot?)
Grand Prize: The Grim Grotto signed by Lemony Snicket
Day 4: Saturday, June 23
Theme: Pessimism (This theme day won't even be worth attending…)
Contest: Trivia (Put your Snicket knowledge to the ultimate test. Quiz compiled by Gigi).
Grand Prize: First edition copy of The Bad Beginning,
Runner-up: The Grim Grotto signed by Lemony Snicket
Day 5: Sunday, June 24
Theme: V.F.D. (Volunteer, Villain, Volatile. Fires, Fortunes, Frustration. Disguises, Discretion, Disaster!)
Contest: Masquerade (There is a mystery to be solve at Dark Avenue…)
Grand Prize: The Grim Grotto signed by Lemony Snicket
Runner-up: Administrator-for-a-day
The contests and the 21 Questions thread can be found here: http://www.asoue.proboards7.com/index.cgi?board=fifth
The contests open on the listed date; they will close on Sunday evening, June 24. Please submit your entries before that date.
As fans, we are bound together in our love for Lemony Snicket's deliciously dark tales and our despair in the unfortunate events surrounding the tragic lives of the Baudelaire orphans. We are all volunteers in an increasingly volatile world. Even if you are not enticed by celebration and prize-winning of any form, this will be a good opportunity to meet more fans like you and discuss the Series.
We hope to see you there. Kindly forward this information to any other Snicket resources you are aware of - websites, forums and blogs, both big and small. It is our duty to spread the word, because this will truly be an epic, once-in-a-lifetime fan event. No one should miss this opportunity to have your burning question answered by “the man behind the story behind the orphans.”
For further information, please visit http://www.baudelairemansion.com
Don't forget to bring your valuables,
Tragedy
P.S. The doorman tells me that the elevator is out. We apologize in advance for the inconvenience. |
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Jun. 11th, 2007 @ 03:45 pm
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You know, working at Barnes and Noble has exposed me to some totally new experiences. A few weeks back, this guy who brought me the Washington Post every Monday died in Las Vegas. He was taking a vacation with his wife and just had a heart attack. He was probably about 60 years old. We talked and he was nice to me, but we weren't friends or anything. It's just strange to think I won't see him anymore.
Also, one of my closest co-workers was fired. It happened a few weeks back but I didn't even hear about it until yesterday. Apparently he was stealing from the company. I'm not sure if it was cash or CDs or what, but it really makes me sad. He was a student too, and he worked in the cafe so we talked a lot. This woman told me the police handcuffed him and removed him from the store. I hope we didn't press charges, and I hope he's okay. I wish I had his number or something...
I got a haircut today. Just a trim, because people have actually gotten angry at me for cutting it too short before. I guess longer hair just works for me. My sister couldn't even tell the difference. The old guy who cut my hair told me to watch out for Muslim terrorists on London subways and buses while I'm in college... I tell ya...
I was supposed to go to NYC last weekend to see Mariana and Elisa, who are up there visiting colleges. Didn't happen. Not my fault. That was probably my last chance to see those folks for a looooooong time. Of course, I didn't tell them that. But it's the sad truth. |
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Jun. 7th, 2007 @ 06:16 pm
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- Got a 2,000 pound bursary at Cambridge.
- Got my driver's license last month (YES).
- Travelling to NYC with my buddies next weekend.
- My friend from Iowa that I met from Brazil is coming to Maryland this weekend.
- My black belt test is scheduled for September. |
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Pretty relaxed weekend. I got a lot of driving done, so I'm up to about 45 hours.
And I got a new guitar! My cousin won it for some reason when she bought a new car. It's an electric guitar from Volkswagen. I like it a lot - attractive, cool accessories, nice sound. So that's been fun... I'd been meaning to buy a new one so it was really nice of her to give it to me. I just wish I'd had it for all of those shows I did in high school.
On Sunday we had a birthday party for my mom's friend but I was distracted because there was a really exciting Pistons game on. They won.
Sometimes I feel like quitting B&N. Maybe it's just because it was Monday. Tae Kwon Do was good though.
I made a college decision! More on that later.
Feb. 26th, 2007 @ 09:53 pm
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| » Update |
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Hey, I can't believe I haven't posted since July. Time passes so quickly.
So let me continue from where I left off.
We returned to the U.S. in July. I miss Brasilia and my friends and my old school and blah blah blah. But now I'm settled in here and I'm happy. I did a 3-credit Music Theory class at the University of Maryland over the summer and I finished with an A+. My final project was on music of the Renaissance. The last of my AP scores came in the mail. English was another 5. My final AP record was seven 5's and one 4, so I got the AP Scholar with Distinction award. I went camping with some old buddies in August and that was really fun. Then they all abandoned me and went to college in September.
As I said, I chose Stanford University in the end. But since I was 17 and most kids start college at 18, I decided I could defer and start in Fall 2007. I told Stanford my plan, and they agreed it was a good idea as long as I stayed active over the year.
I went out to create the most productive, enjoyable schedule for the coming year. In August, I did my first professional interview at Barnes and Noble and they hired me like THAT. Then I went back to my old Tae Kwon Do school and enrolled. Finally, I signed up for more classes and did Computer Applications and Statistics in the Fall term, and now I'm doing Calculus II for the Spring term.
In October, I was promoted to Newsstand Lead at B&N. That was pretty big, and it came with a good raise and increase in working hours. It's almost like I'm a manager because the Newsstand is a one person job and I get to do my own thing.
My daily schedule looks something like this now:
7:00-2:00 - Work
2:00-4:30 - Class
6:00-7:00 - Tae Kwon Do
After that I eat dinner, relax and watch a lot of basketball.
I think it's a pretty well-rounded schedule. I'm keeping my mind working, staying fit and I have a respectable job. I'm busy but not exhausted. My only regret is that I can't stay in touch with my friend at EAB as much as I would have liked.
I vacationed with my family in Asia throughout December. When we got back on January 1, a huge surprise was waiting for me. I found mail from the University of Cambridge. I had applied there before, but they didn't take me because they have a strict rule against underage students (Cambridge was actually my first choice before I found out about this rule). I turned 18 in November, so they were inviting me for an interview. Even though I had already decided to go to Stanford, I thought I would give it a shot. How do you say no to Cambridge?
January 12th, 2007. I was interviewing at Cambridge. Wow. That was pretty intense. All those British people... the architecture, the history. There were lots of other kids for interviews. I spent the night in one of their dorms (small, but well-maintained and cozy) and the next morning was the interview. I went to this waiting room at the admissions office to sit around with the other applicants. You should have seen it. They were like all from the U.K. and clearly very nervous. I think that's when I realized how huge the interview was. Oh yeah, and everyone looked at me funny whenever I spoke because of my accent.
There were two interviews. One was a general interview. The first interviewer was a geography professor. He asked me general questions about myself and he gauged my math abilities. The second interviewer was the Director of the Economics department or something. We discussed current affairs and how they were related to the study of Economics... Throughout the whole thing I was completely calm. Very composed. Totally pleasant. A lot of the other kids went in sweating and shaking. I came out of the interviews feeling pretty good, but not confident that they would accept me.
I spent the rest of the weekend touring the city with a family friend. We ate a lot of good food... Went on boat rides. That kind of thing. Her name is Ekin (she's Turkish) and she's a Fellow at Cambridge. She was proud of me and really wanted me to get in. I promised to call her as soon as I got the results.
Back in the U.S., January 19. Friday morning. I woke up at 5:45 A.M. to the phone ringing. It was the Admissions Secretary, and she built the tension before telling me I got an unconditional offer to study at Cambridge. It was a relief and an honor, but now I've got a tough decision to make. Do I stick to the plan and go to Stanford? Or do I study at Cambridge, which was originally my first choice, but is obviously a very different experience on a whole other continent? I welcome your advice.
It's getting cold here in Bethesda. Tomorrow it's going to be like 10 degrees. It's only really snowed once. I started up guitar lessons again two weeks ago. I missed learning music.
I guess I should say something about 667. I re-gained control of it on New Years Day and released the Otiose Objectives. It's going well and we're making progress as a team.
This year I'm trying to stay in touch with my old friends better. Just the other day I called one of my best friends for the first time in like 5 months. It was great...
And today I went to church. Completed my 40th driving hour (I need 60).
I think that about covers the last few months. If I remember anything else I'll write it down.
What's new with you?
Feb. 4th, 2007 @ 12:51 pm
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| » Back in Bethesda |
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I'm home! We're starting to get settled back into this house. It's just as beautiful as I remember it. It's pretty empty right now. I've got the whole top floor to myself which will be fun. My sister is taking my old room. We're waiting for the shipment and storage stuff. Things should be set in a week or two. I'm really excited to be back... I can't wait to start doing things. So far I've only been organize stuff here at the house. I did visit my old school. And I went to the library. I'm reading Prey, by Michael Crichton. It's a really interesting book. I'm getting through it really fast and I recommend it to everyone... I also can't wait for fall. I'm not used to this heat and humidity.
Today my AP scores came in the mail. In case you don't know, these exams are scored on a scale from 1 to 5.
US History - 5
Calculus AB - 5
Psychology - 5
Microeconomics - 5
Obviously, I'm very happy and it was a pleasant surprise. I'm just waiting for the English Language score. It'll be late because we took it late at EAB.
Bye!
Jul. 13th, 2006 @ 06:17 pm
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| » Moving On |
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I'm leaving in 2 hours! It's unbelievable.
I had a very emotional farewell gathering at Mariana's earlier. I'm going to miss so many people so much. But I'm also looking forward to being back at home and having new opportunities.
See you in... 24 hours, maybe?
Jul. 10th, 2006 @ 04:41 am
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Okay so..
The musical went well. Second night was pretty perfect. First night wasn't so perfect.
These days I've just been spending a lot of time with my friends here... I'm really going to miss them a lot. I'm rarely at home and when I am, I'm packing.
We're returning to Bethesda on Monday!
Jul. 6th, 2006 @ 11:13 am
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| » Quick Update |
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These days are all about the APs. I've done two so far (Calculus and US History) and they were fine. I have three left.
Yesterday I was "sold" at the senior auction for r$450.
I finally decided which college I'm going to. Stanford! Took a while to make up my mind but it's definitely the right choice.
The musical is in a week and a half. I'm very nervous because my stuff (especially my guitar part) isn't ready. I haven't memorized all my lines either, although they're very easy to make up.
We move back to Bethesda in late June.
May. 9th, 2006 @ 09:00 am
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I'm about to leave for the senior trip. I'll be back in a week :)
I was accepted to University of Edinburgh, Maryland, Manchester, American University and Macalester College. Waiting for the rest.
Mar. 11th, 2006 @ 10:01 am
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| » Happy New Year! |
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Happy New Year!
Nothing new. The trip to Buzios was very nice. The beaches are great.
Last night I saw The Producers. It was so funny. Has anyone seen it?
Tonight I'm going to the theater again (don't know why) to see the Exorcism of Emily Rose.
School starts on the 16th.
Jan. 3rd, 2006 @ 06:27 pm
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| » Merry Christmas |
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Merry Christmas!
I just finished my last college application and now I have to go pack because we're travelling tomorrow.
Hope everyone has a great Christmas.
Dec. 24th, 2005 @ 11:02 pm
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| » The first acceptance |
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Today I got my first (hopefully not last) acceptance letter. It came from the University of Edinburgh, in Scotland. They gave me an unconditional offer to go there and study Economics.
I think it's a good sign. It's very early to be receiving a letter like this.
In the meantime, I'm still working on U.S. applications.
Dec. 4th, 2005 @ 12:08 pm
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Just got back from a Forensics Tournament. I made a speech about abolishing immigration laws. I should have got first place... I WAS in first place. Then I lost in the finals by one point. The judges were all pretty bad (one gave me a 97, which is too high, for example) and many of my teammates were robbed. I don't like making excuses, but I think it's okay this time. I got second place.
Nov. 20th, 2005 @ 11:59 am
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We lost Big 4. In everything.
My team got fourth place out of four teams. I didn't score much. It was a dreadful end to my lackluster basketball career.
I probably won't ever play organized basketball again. Isn't it strange to think of that?
Travelling on Thursday. Forensics competition.
Nov. 14th, 2005 @ 09:21 pm
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| » (No Subject) |
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Big 4 has been going on for two days now. I'm hosting two soccer players from Graded.
We've lost 2 games and won 1. I'm getting a lot of playing time but averaging 2 ppg... Still I'm having fun, even though this whole tournament is very tiring.
Nov. 10th, 2005 @ 10:11 pm
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| » President Bush |
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Sometimes life gets so interesting.
Today I shook hands with George W. Bush!
He went to this fancy place to meet the families of the american embassy. The school jazz band was invited to play... we didn't actually play for him. We played for the people waiting for him. Then we joined the crowd and lined up to shake hands after he made a nice speech. He seems like a good guy.
He kind of shook my hand funny, and he didn't say anything, but it was still cool. My friend got a pick but it's really bad because he had to hold his hand up high to reach out to me and like... our hand shake is in the way of his face so it's just pointless.
Big 4 is this week. In case you don't know, it's a sports tournament my school participates in.
Everyone thinks I'm captain of the basketball team just because Mr. Des Vignes let me announce their names at the Pep Rally.
Nov. 6th, 2005 @ 05:40 pm
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| » Birthday |
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Today was a holiday, but I was school most of the day for speech/field day hall decorations.
I just watched my first NBA game of the season.
Tomorrow (actually it's today now) is a good day because
(A) It's field day.
(B) It's pep rally.
(C) We have a basketball game.
(D) I'm turn(ed) 17 :)
Nov. 3rd, 2005 @ 12:24 am
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