~:[CH4 - Day 31]:~ It's a Matter of Style

~:[CH4 - Day 31]:~ It's a Matter of Style

One of the most challenging things about going to different places for MUN is that the styles of conferences are different from place to place. I am still indifferent about how this conference has run, but ultimately, the students need to adapt to it and I think they did a better job of adapting to it today. It's definitely a good life lesson for them, as not all things in life will run in ways that they are familiar with and they can either adapt and work within that system or complain and fall behind. They definitely did not fall behind. It was an earlier start to the conference day and while they finished earlier with the social in between, they had a midnight crisis session which for some, lasted late into the night. It's an exhausting process but our students seemed to do well. It was also a split conference weekend for us, as we had a group attending the Surf City Conference. We ended up with six gavels at that conference with just around 50 people at the conference, which turned out pretty well as we ended up with a delegation award despite the split and partial delegation. During the day, I was able to get some great Thai food from the food court nearby. It was restaurant quality at a food court price. Very awesome! I also ended up with some not-as-good Chinese food from Chinatown and some terrible boba during the night, but still, it was a good time, so it overcame the taste in my mouth. In any case, it's been an exhausting day and so it's time to turn in, but it was good to see the student do their thing in committee.

~:[CH4 - Day 30]:~ Let the Games Begin

~:[CH4 - Day 30]:~ Let the Games Begin

It was an early morning rise for the students as committee began in the morning. As they headed to committees, we went out to scout the area for places to eat. There was a good amount of places for them, as we came across two mall-type food courts and a street with a little New York vibe. The street had a number of the pricey stores, but also had a mix of Asian eateries and markets, such as H-Mart. We were also able to get boba, or bubble tea as they refer to it, on the same street. Everything is pretty centralized to our hotel, which makes it really great for the students. For lunch, we ate at a Japanese place and it was quite nice. The portions were good and the food was delicious, especially the yam noodle salad I had! Delicious! In any case, the day itself was very long, as the students were in committee for about 12 hours, which led to committees getting a little crazy towards the end of the night. About 3/4 of the committees were good. My stomach was bothering me throughout the day, but ultimately settled down with a little bit of Gimbap. I was pretty exhausted at the end of the day and knew the students would be too, but we have another long day of committee ahead with 7.5 hours and a midnight crisis session. At least they have a social in between. In any case, after just one day, I really am starting to like this city.

~:[CH4 - Day 29]:~ Room with a View

~:[CH4 - Day 29]:~ Room with a View

We had finals still today, but immediately after finishing and sending in my grades, I headed for the airport with our MUN team. It was an exciting day, as we were headed to Vancouver! The start to the trip was a little hectic as we tried to get things sorted out, however, in the end, it worked out. By the times things did, it was time to board. The plane right was pretty good and we got to Seattle in a good amount of time. When we got there, I was a bit sad, as there was so much celebrating the Seahawks. Que lastima! In any case, it wasn't long after we got our food from Wolfgang Puck that we were headed to Vancouver on such a tiny plane! We boarded and exited on the tarmac, which was cool. While we couldn't find our bus, ultimately we did and ended up at our hotel, finally! Our hotel was fabulous and had a few things to go to nearby. I realized I had a beautiful balcony and snapped this picture of the street below. I believe the waterfront is just down the street and so I should have a nice view in the morning! For dinner, I ended up at McDonalds and got my first pocketful of Canadian money. While most of you may say, McDonalds? I say, yes! I ended up eating Poutine with a CBO sandwich (Chicken, Bacon and Onion), oh my! After taking care of a few last things, the day was over and now we await for the conference in the early morning! 

~:[CH4 - Day 28]:~ Moving On

~:[CH4 - Day 28]:~ Moving On

It was finals day and as expected, it was a bit crazy. Trying to grade the assignments turned in today and trying to get the grades done was a bit chaotic; however, ultimately, I made a lot of progress with that. After the day wrapped up, I finished off the last of my grill sessions and headed over to a meeting to discuss some designs I am working on. After wrapping that up, it was game time. I headed to La Mirada with the team and while we held them to less points this time around, we couldn't make a shot today. Unfortunately, that meant we lost, but I am confident that we can bounce back from this. It was a crazy day though, as when I got home, it was time to finish up the senior banner and order it, pack, and just get everything together before I leave. My dependable bag that has been to so many places around the world will once again go with me. While I can tell that its lifespan is almost up, I am going to try to get as many days as possible out of this baby. For now, you're coming with me to Vancouver.

~:[CH4 - Day 27]:~ Time to Speak Up

~:[CH4 - Day 27]:~ Time to Speak Up

After spending the morning finalizing some of the reservations I made earlier in the week, I got to sit in on the Modern History Class as they wrapped up their simulation. It's always great to see how they have changed since freshman year, as often times, the changes are quite dramatic. In any case, afterward, I was able to get a quick bite at Buffalo Wild Wings for a nice lunch gathering. What did I accomplish when I got back home? A lot. With the rest of the day, which felt like an eternity, I was able to sort through all my files, print all the documents I needed for this weekend, coordinate with people who I needed to before I left, make up some designs for a new commission, finish up some last minute laundry for the trip, and prep for the finals day that is upcoming. I felt like there were endless hours in the day and it was nice to realize that it was the case. While I still have not gotten my external hard drive to work, I still feel accomplished as most everything else I needed done today was completed.

~:[CH4 - Day 26]:~ Dishing Out the Good Stuff

~:[CH4 - Day 26]:~ Dishing Out the Good Stuff

Mondays are always a challenge, but even tougher as you're approaching finals and finishing up the last of your grading and inputting. I spent most of the day working through these tasks as we are quickly approaching finals. I always get the students trying to work on their grades at the last minute, which is aggravating. I had a former student stop by and we ended up having a pretty deep conversation about life. It was interesting to see how he has changed and how he views things and while we may not agree on everything, I was very impressed by the motivation I could sense from him to make a difference in this world. I came home and finished up planning for Vancouver by putting on the final touches on the itinerary. I am happy with all that we are doing and am looking forward to the experience. I have two more confirmation calls to make in the morning, but then, I'll be all prepped to go. After a quick, unplanned nap, I headed out to the MP to meet up with my friend to grab a bite to eat at Mama Lu's, of course, I stopped at the wrong location at first. She is always great company and she had a great story to tell. I'll just leave it at that. We had such an array of food and a few items that I haven't had before, which is always nice. Overall, I would say, if you're in the area, then stop on by, but not necessarily a place I would go crazy over. All in all, it was a good day and even with the rain making it more of a challenge, I will go to sleep, exhausted and ready for a lighter day tomorrow.

~:[Spotlight]:~ MUN is FUN: Bill Mustard & Diane Middleton

~:[Spotlight]:~ MUN is FUN: Bill Mustard & Diane Middleton

I almost feel as if I am cheating these two giants of my life by making them share the spotlight. However, while MUN is something we shared together for a number of years, we also have shared something else very special, an almost week long celebration in May, as our birthdays are separated by less than a week. It's no wonder why we seem to get along so well since the very start.

Without Bill Mustard, I am not sure where the MUN program would be today. He came in my senior year as an advisor who knew nothing about what he was getting himself into and has grown into a veteran advisor of the program. He was survived so much over the years and still keeps his spirits up through the day. I am so lucky to have met him, as I would not be teaching at Cerritos had he not talked to me about the possibility of coming over. I always though it was strange how the world works, but I guess that it's true that sometimes it's being at the right place at the right time and knowing the right people. I am so grateful for that life-changing day where I changed my career path as I am not sure if my life would be as amazing as it is today without him. There always is so much to learn and I am glad that I am learning it with one of the nicest people I have ever met. I am glad I had someone like you to teach me the ropes and hope that there are many more adventures ahead of us. Thanks for doing so much to inspire so many and for working so hard to ensure the success of this program.

The energy that Diane has in the classroom is amazing. When I first started student-teaching, just watching everything she did really inspired me to work hard and to really reach out to the students. She cares so much for her students and trying to get the lessons across to them, which also makes it tough when a student is not willing to make that effort. Diane has a heart of gold and I have shared so many memories with her through MUN, as well as through teaching. From her wonderful adventures in New York in some of the coldest of temperatures, to the delivery man, "you Japanese," from adventures in London, to those good times working with students in the classroom, trying to figure out exactly what they were trying to say, I would say that I am the teacher that I am because of her! Thank you for inspiring me and so many students and while I miss you immensely in MUN, I am glad that you are my neighbor and I can continue to be inspired by the energy you put into your class every day. While even in the toughest of times, you continued to brighten the days of others around, as you are so selfless and am proud to call you my friend.

Because of you two, MUN truly has been, FUN.

*****

The spotlight is a column that will highlight at least one person every week who deserves all the gratitude in the world for what they do. While the individual may never make the headline news, they are the type of person that deserve their moment in the spotlight.

~:[CH4 - Day 25]:~ Sun Setting on the Weekend

~:[CH4 - Day 25]:~ Sun Setting on the Weekend

I was able to spend some time with my brother and Laura today at Huntington and saw the crowds of people all around. While our day was quite adventurous and we try to adapt to all that was going on around us, we had a few pleasant surprises such as the bubbles and a beautiful sunset. The day itself was spent doing my taxes, as I finally wrapped them up and filed them by the evening. I always try to get my taxes in before the end of the month and I was once again successful in doing so ! Otherwise, it was weird to have such a short weekend, as this has been my shortest of the month! Regardless, it was fun-filled and I guess that is all you can ask for!

~:[CH4 - Day 24]:~ Ascent to the Top

~:[CH4 - Day 24]:~ Ascent to the Top

Today was quite the well-balanced day and a day that I would like most of my days to be like. In the morning, I headed to Sand Hill and got in a great workout on the hill. It always is a challenge, especially since I haven't been in awhile, however, it ended up being good. We even stopped off at the beach afterward to check out the spectacular waves. I grabbed some poke on the way home and it ended up being a great meal to start off the day. I got some time just lounging with the family just as I took my nap, exhausted from the workout earlier. I woke up in time to grab some food to take to my friend's housewarming party! What a delicious way to end the night - hot pot style! We had such a variety of things for hot pot, which were delicious. We had game night where I failed in my first round of Taboo, but came back strong. We also had a Cerritos HS alum + 1 cranium team and did pretty well (sorry Randy). All in all, while I am exhausted, it was a great day and realized how great it is to maintain that balance in your life, making sure you do well in your work but also saving time for those special people in your life, your family and friends.

~:[CH4 - Day 23]:~ Helping the World

~:[CH4 - Day 23]:~ Helping the World

The presentations took the whole week, but my Econ class was able to present a range of ideas to help the world, as they represented various NGOs with $25 million dollars to spend. Since it was not a lot of money, they had to narrow down their project to focus on a certain area. While I know they could have started earlier on preparing their presentations, I was thoroughly impressed by the ideas that they came up which were are pretty feasible. While some did spin offs of other NGOs, a good number of groups came up with original ideas. It was definitely helpful to have such a variety, as I have been overwhelmed with grill after grill, with today's meetings starting at 6:30am. With practice, a stop off to scrimmage with the girls basketball team, and a stop off in LA to catch up with a few friends, today was an exhausting day and while I would like to sleep in tomorrow, practice is calling my name! I am excited for it, but sleep would be nice. We'll just see what shut eye I can sneak in.

~:[CH4 - Day 22]:~ Grills & More Grills

~:[CH4 - Day 22]:~ Grills & More Grills

Today was an MUN type of day. I had to be at school early, as we continued grills today before school started. It was quite the list of students I had on tap, as I started at 7am, had one at snack, one at lunch with a Nationals meeting for the other half of lunch, continued during sixth through 4:30pm and then head back to school to get ready for our senior Vancouver grills! Did I mention I did one last one after the meeting at about 8pm? In any case, while I was all grilled out for the day, it's always great to learn so much about all these topics and to see how amazing these students are. For them to know all the information they do about these topics, even when I consider them not quite prepared yet, it is something that should impress many. I am exhausted and it's not even Friday yet! Let's fast forward and get the weekend here.

~:[CH4 - Day 21]:~ It's a Streak

~:[CH4 - Day 21]:~ It's a Streak

I woke up in the morning and was able to answer more than 25 questions correctly in a row on Trivia Crack. It was a great way to start the day, as I finished out two games and came closer to on a third. The game has helped me learn a lot of different things and I hope that they keep adding new questions so I can learn a lot about random things. I ran a bit late to work today, as I was finishing up a reservation for our upcoming trip. It took a bit longer than expected but I darted out in my suit with my basketball shoes in honor of Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness Week. I felt a bit awkward as everyone was saying, you look nice, then peering down to my shoes then moving on their way. Class was great, as I was so into the lecture that I did not realize that I ran out of time as the bell rang, something I rarely do. However, something about the French Revolution just takes me away. Must be the guillotine. It was quite the busy day, as I never got to stop off at home until after track practice. I ventured out, grabbed a quick drink, as I was on a liquid cleanse today and then headed for the basketball game. The girls opened up a pretty good lead and ended up winning by just over 30 points. We came out a bit flat, but played solid defense and eventually began to score. We maintained a twenty point lead throughout the game and finished the first round of league play on a five game winning streak. In any case, the day was spent trying to figure out why my computer is acting up so much. We'll see if I can fix it and keep my lucky streak alive. 

~:[Spotlight]:~ Jamie Young

 ~:[Spotlight]:~ Jamie Young

The best people in the world are those who can make a rainy day seem spectacular and can make the most of any moment, even when things are not going so well. Jamie has always been one of those bright spots in my life, because she always knows how to appreciate all that life has to offer and to make the most of the time we have. You've always had the biggest heart and have done so much to help others and make sure that those around you are taken care of before you focus on yourself. Since I met here, I feel as if she has continuously inspired me to become a better person by showing me just how to appreciate all that I have. We've had so many adventures that I will never forget and her craziness just adds to the fun. In all parts of the US, we've enjoyed the adventures of going from place to place, eating all the delicious food the world has to offer, enjoying the peace of the ocean, running through all parts of Disneyland, and yes, even learning how to navigate the subways of New York with over forty student alone, as I lounged in the lobby of the hotel. You deserve your moment in the spotlight, as through it all, you've kept your smile, your positive attitude, and have always been a great Yoshinoya-lunch friend who is always down for an adventure, waiting with a bag of snacks. I hope this world has many more adventures in store for us, but regardless, I am thankful for all the ones we have already had.

*****

The spotlight is a column that will highlight at least one person every week who deserves all the gratitude in the world for what they do. While the individual may never make the headline news, they are the type of person that deserve their moment in the spotlight.

~:[CH4 - Day 20]:~ Quite Privileged

~:[CH4 - Day 20]:~ Quite Privileged 

It's always a joy to run through the Estates General meeting simulation, as we treat the king, queen, and the privileged estates so well, with many of our loud and outspoken students in the third estate with almost nothing. However, while I do feel bad for how they are treated in the simulation, it truly is a day where the students learn a lot. I am always so impressed at how things turn out and glad that they can learn from something like this. The day itself was a little rough, as not only was it the first day of the week, but I also had grills early in the morning, which meant I was at school early. I also had practice today, so I stuck around a little late, as we also had to inventory bags today. I got a little R&R today before getting back to work on some paperwork that was due today for Nationals. I also wrapped up my itinerary for Vancouver, even though my Internet went down for the night and my hard drive stopped working. I really need to get that hard drive working. It definitely is stressing me out a bit. Wish me luck!

~:[CH4 - Day 19]:~ Peace Not Much Longer

~:[CH4 - Day 19]:~ Peace Not Much Longer

JD may have been at peace at this moment, however, it wasn't much later that she was awakened by strangers and the pounding on the roof of our extension. We were getting our roof replaced in that section and it meant, no peace for her or any of us for that matter. I used the morning to begin wrapping up my plans for Vancouver/Seattle and while there are a few holes to fill, I am pretty much done with my plans. It's pretty exciting, as the weather looks decent and hopefully it will stay that way. Since I had a bit of time, I also began wrapping up my New York itinerary and it looks like all is in order. The morning found me catching up with some friends out in Westminster before getting a call and making a stop off to meet the Boppells, which is always a joy! I headed home and caught the Clippers game before heading back out to meet Janie for her birthday boba! Hooray! I came back home to do a bit more work, wrapping up the basketball programs for the year and grading some tests. At the last moment, my family decided to eat out for dinner at pho4u. It ended up being a good treat despite the fact that I felt full the entire meal. Must be all that junk food I ate today! I suddenly realized that tomorrow I had to run a sim and needed some items. I quickly darted out and grabbed what I needed. Today must have been the day of running into alumni and students, as around almost every corner I ran into someone. It's always nice, but sometimes, it's nice to have some peace. Today may not be that day.

~:[CH4 - Day 18]:~ Back Together

~:[CH4 - Day 18]:~ Back Together

In a random gathering, we celebrated the birth of this girl to my right, Janie. It was great to catch up with people and while it was a bit early in the morning, the food was delicious. The place, which normally has a very long wait, had no wait, as it was early, plus we were able to get a reservation since we had the right amount of people! In any case, it was definitely a great morning! While a few people had to get somewhere, we ended up sticking around and lounging a bit longer at Tea Station. I headed home to catch the Packers game and it was definitely my low point of 2015. While I expected Seattle to potential knock us off with Rodgers not 100%, with us having the lead with six minutes to go, I thought it was wrapped up. Unfortunately, we played to not lose the game and that often leads to opening the door for a comeback. We had two three and outs because of the conservative play, a few defensive breakdowns, lost a chance at securing the onside kick, they missed the offensive pass interference, we missed the chance at swatting away the 2-point conversion and ultimately loss the coin toss and the game. It wasn't any one person's fault but a combination of things that had to go wrong that did, forcing the Packers into the loss. I retreated to my room to get some work done, as I was not in the mood to do much else. I was able to catch up on some work and was glad to have had the time, although, in the back of my mind, I knew that this is going to sting for awhile.

~:[CH4 - Day 17]:~ A Little Bit of Fabulous

~:[CH4 - Day 17]:~ A Little Bit of Fabulous

I woke up in the morning and headed out to Tsujita to grab some tsukemen. Despite the annex across the street, there was still a pretty good line before opening. As I ventured to my table, I almost went face first into the group. The first of many interesting moments during the day. After grabbing a quick drink, I was able to walk around the area with my friend before we headed on an adventure around the city trying to find a place to ship. It actually was quite fun and I earned my "navigator" and "medical" badges in the process (jk). It was a beautiful day and definitely a great day to roll down the windows as we rolled down Wilshire. We ended up at LACMA to catch a few things here and there and end with a quick bite to eat at the food truck. Our journey lasted longer than planned, but turned out to be quite the fabulous day. The day ended with me lounged on my chair watching the Clippers pull out a victory over the Kings. What a great way to start a long weekend!

~:[CH4 - Day 16]:~ Let's Be Reasonable

~:[CH4 - Day 16]:~ Let's Be Reasonable

I woke up early and wrapped up the rest of the position papers, well most of them anyway. I then headed to school to prep for the day. We had a visitor to talk about political campaigns in class who happened to be a former student and it was cool to see him again, as he is trying to do big things. He used to be an IA in my freshman class and was in charge of what they continued doing today, the philosophers' forum. Things got intense today as they really got into the debate. Thomas Hobbes is always one of my favorites to have in the forum and we had some good ones in that role. They each did a fabulous job on their parts and had fun doing it too. I ended up wrapping up grading at lunch and I never felt so good! The weight off my shoulders was lifted, as now I can focus on other things I need to do with no as strict of a deadline. After a meeting after school, I caught the girls JV game before prepping to leave for our game. Our starting group did not allow a single point while they were on the floor and only played the first half again Glenn as they pulled out a 72-28 victory. It was great to have a number of guys play well, especially off the bench. The night ended with a delicious meal and a good night's sleep, as nothing was left on today's agenda ... the best feeling in the world. 

~:[CH4 - Day 15]:~ Pushing to the Limit

~:[CH4 - Day 15]:~ Pushing to the Limit

I knew today would be an exhausting day as I worked through last night and hustled over to school today to get things going. Econ wasn't too bad but I had to assemble the desks and all for our philosophers' forum. The forum went very well with second and fourth period really bringing it to the table and making it an intense debate. I graded after classes finished and did as much as I could before the grill session. I grabbed the pizzas and headed back to school in time to setup for the grill. There they were, 43 nervous faces, waiting for the grill to begin. For the most part, they did well for the first grill and while substance is always an issue at this point, they were able to figure out what they needed to do and get through the whole experience. It did help that one of them went through this grill as preparation for Berkeley last year. Regardless, we worked until about 8:30pm and then wrapped it up. Of course, I wasn't done as I had to finish grading position papers. I got what I needed done and left the rest for the morning. I can't wait for the weekend.

~:[CH4 - Day 14]:~ LOOK, My Neighbor!!

~:[CH4 - Day 14]:~ LOOK, My Neighbor!!

The fire alarm went off just as we were about to start 4th period. It was just a drill. My neighbor at the numbers is none other that Jepsen! Yahoo! The day itself was spent prepping for tomorrow's philosophers' forum! The students seem pretty excited about it. I also had a lot of grading to do as my stack of papers needs to be completed by Friday. We'll see how far I can get but I have been working really hard trying to get it all completed. As the day rolled out, we finished up a tough practice and I headed to the gym for our basketball game against Bellflower. With two of our centers out, we had to pull up another player from JV to play a good number of minutes as our starting center got into foul trouble. In the end, we settled in and took the game over Bellflower in a great battle. I came home to catch a little bit of the Clippers playing before getting back to grading position papers. I can't wait until I finish! I also started playing Trivia Crack today. I am moving up pretty quickly. Great, all I need is another game to get addicted to.

~:[CH4 - Day 13]:~ Hot Stuff

~:[CH4 - Day 13]:~ Hot Stuff

It's become a tradition to go to Buffalo Wild Wings and have each person chow down on at least one mango habanero wing. It has ended up making it a good bonding moment for us all. While the service is slow at BWW, its nice to sit back and relax and just have some chatter over dinner. I ended up eating some blazing wings today and definitely prefer the mango habanero wings over them. It wasn't to hard to adjust back to the daily grind of things. Between prepping the seniors for their projects and the freshmen for their simulation, it was actually a bit exciting. Everything was just kind of normal today except for the fact that at the end of the day, I KOed. I knew it would happen because I woke up so early, but hopefully I can adjust back soon! There is a lot of work to be done! 

~:[CH4 - Day 12]:~ The Pieces Were Just Right

~:[CH4 - Day 12]:~ The Pieces Were Just Right

On the plane, I began designing this collage on my phone since I didn't want to sleep and didn't pack enough papers in my carry on to last me through the flight with the delay. I started to think how things came together to make it just right. From exploring the parks, to meeting new people out on the course, good company, delicious food, and of course, the feeling after finishing, it just made for a great experience. I may have been hobbling around from place to place yesterday and today and in such great pain, but somehow, I get the feeling in the end that it is all worth it. While I overslept in the morning, delayed in the plane for an hour and told that our backup system was down but we were going to fly anyway, and the pain I had in my legs, I felt good. I arrived home, I got my milk tea boba, I got Yoshinoya, reached Masters League and found out that our boys basketball team beat the 37th ranked team in California, handing them their 4th lost of season! Life is good and now it's time to get back to reality because I have a lot of work to do!

~:[CH4 - Day 11]:~ Time to Reflect

~:[CH4 - Day 11]:~ Time to Reflect

I may be able to help people train for a marathon, but no one should model my marathon training. I thought I would get myself to train, but my only quality run before this race was at the end of August and I only got a handful of miles in months before the race. Thus, expectedly, my body gave in. I felt surprisingly good at the start of the race through eight or nine miles when I felt my quads begin to cramp. I was worried about three areas, my calves, my quads and my IT band. As it hit, the threat of them cramping so early forced me to walk. It gave me time to think about life in itself and how marathon running is a metaphor for life. Many people run, but going through a marathon can be a challenge, especially when the weather conditions and your health bring in more factors. The people cheering you on are one of my favorite part about the race. The enthusiasm of the fans is great and almost all of them did not know me. Countless number of times, I heard my name, gave high fives and was encouraged when they knew, I was struggling. It was definitely what I needed to hear. The rewards for each mile progressed is another thing this marathon gives as for each mile finished means more photos with the characters and small bits and pieces until you reach your final goal. Your fellow "competitors" come in all types, but the majority of them are around supporting each other, having a great time, and struggling together in hopes of reaching the end goal. It's interesting to see how everyone going through the same struggles and while they may be struggling, they reach out towards others to help them, which in terms, helps themselves. I saw that in my encouraging others too that it gave me more of a push to run and try to deal with the pain. I stopped for at least 40 minutes to visit characters, the medical tent, and the bathroom, but I still finished, hobbled and all. While the rain came down as I finished and put one last challenge before I headed to my hotel. I thought, I think this race will really help me, even though I set my PW (personal worst). To struggle is to grown and to see just how much more you can do to help out a stranger, no matter how small the deed, shows that I got a lot of work to do to reach out to those around me. In the end, I was rewarded with a Packers win, some good rides at Hollywood Studios including one of the best rides at the resort, a delicious dinner and ended with Fantasmic and a boat ride home from Downtown Disney. Life is good, even though my body may not agree right now. 

~:[CH4 - Day 10]:~ A Whole New World

~:[CH4 - Day 10]:~ A Whole New World

It was an early morning as the alarm went off at 3am but I ended up waking up before then. I headed out at about 3:50am and the line for the bus was already long. It took nearly an hour to get to the line for a drive that I could walk to in about five, however, they do not allow you to do that. In any case, after getting to the line and seeing people off, I headed to the Magic Kingdom and caught a good glimpse of the runners. I only caught one of my two friends, but I was able to get out there in time. After heading back, I took a nap and then headed back to Epcot to grab lunch which was delicious but expensive for what I got in the Italy section of Epcot. After walking around a bit, I had my fun at Test Track and designed my own car, which was awesome. Heading to the Magic Kingdom, I was sad that the park was super packed. It was hard to get around and being tired, it was a challenge, however, seeing Ariel definitely can change things up! After getting a churro and pretzel, it was just the icing on the cake. The dwarfs mine ride was pretty good but the line for it was ridiculous. If I did not have a fastpass for it, I doubt I would have waited for it. Exhausted, I headed back to the hotel and grabbed a delicious shrimp pesto penne pasta. So much shrimp! In any case, you may wonder why this post is so early? Well, it's a three hour time difference from LA and I have to wake up before 3am tomorrow. Let's see how I do tomorrow. My feet already hurt, that's not a good sign. 

~:[CH4 - Day 9]:~ Getting a Little Wild

~:[CH4 - Day 9]:~ Getting a Little Wild

After a good sleep, I headed over to the Disney World Resort. I had to stop off at ESPN's Wide World of Sports in order to pick up my packet. It was pretty cool to see how organized they were with everything. After doing so, I checked into the hotel and headed to Disney's Animal Kingdom. It was pretty awesome that the park has real animals including a petting area, a safari, and then a range of different animal related rides and activities. Expedition Everest is always my favorite ride and I thoroughly enjoyed riding it. It was an exhausting day and after a stop off at Epcot to eat some curry and just walk around, it was time to get to bed for the early rise in the morning. 

~:[CH4 - Day 8]:~ A Little Bit of Magic

~:[CH4 - Day 8]:~ A Little Bit of Magic

I was exhausted, but I pushed myself to survived. When arriving in Orlando, I quickly headed to the hotel and over to Universal where I grabbed a bite to eat before heading into the park. Starting at the Islands of Adventure, It was a pretty great experiences as I was able to zip to the front of the lines with the express pass. Heading back to Hogsmeade, I ventured to a few others places I had yet to go. It was awesome. I took the train over to the new Diagon Alley and it was like being transported back to London. So many cool things to see and could even do some spells with the interactive wands. In the end, I was exhausted and crashed when heading back to the hotel. At least I knew I would be able to get some sleep tonight.

~:[CH4 - Day 7]:~ Red Eye with Red Eyes

~:[CH4 - Day 7]:~ Red Eye with Red Eyes

It was a busy day as I had a lot to take care of before I left that evening. Burning DVDs all day and night was quite the task as I rushed to finish it all. I piece together everything and could finally breathe knowing everything was in order. As we walked into the gym, we saw the girls with a good sized lead to a team that took the league championship last year. By the time we walked in after our pre-game meeting, the subs were in and they ended up pulling out a 20 point victory. The girls team has a very solid team and I am excited to see if they can continue to progress. The boys hung tough, as we were leading through parts of the first half and tied at the half. However, our shots wouldn't fall in the second and we made a few critical mistakes and lost the game. I then headed out after grabbing a quick bite to eat and took a red eye off to Orlando. 

~:[CH4 - Day 6]:~ Another Long Night

~:[CH4 - Day 6]:~ Another Long Night

It was going to be a long day, I already knew it. When I woke up, I felt like I had not slept. I was working on the starting lineup and Winter Assembly videos until a little past 3am and woke up around 5:45am, as I was a zombie after a second night of sleep like this. The school day seemed like it would be rough, but it got easier as the day went on. I was able to get lunch at Northern Cafe before my lunch meeting, did a little more editing during sixth, finished up practice, then grabbed some TapEx before heading to our "Hunger Games" grill session. It's always great to see how the students do in the Nationals training process and this tends to be one of the most challenging ones for the students, as they must know their topics and be able to pick up on someone else's. While we ran a little late, I still got home at a reasonable hour and had enough time to finish up the videos that I needed to get done. I worked late into the night and as I get closer to finishing, it looks like it's going to be another night like yesterday. During my rending time, I was able to get my stuff packed away for tomorrow night, so at least I don't have to worry about that! less than 24 hours and I will be away ... I know I can make it.

~:[CH4 - Day 5]:~ Out of Steam

~:[CH4 - Day 5]:~ Out of Steam

Coming back the first day after break is rough. However, it's even tougher when you have more to do than just the first day. While I only taught first period today, boy did I have a lot to do. After finishing up with first, my sub took over and I finished up some work for basketball before heading back over to the school to get on the bus. Despite playing all 15 guys almost equal minutes, we ended up having a shot at the game as we closed it down, however, Downey hit a few key shots to pull away. The freshman boys game was the best game of the day and went into OT. There should have been a technical called with less than a second to go, but the refs decided against it and we ended up falling in overtime. After grabbing a great meal and walking around the area, we headed back into the gym and enjoyed the game. We got on the jumbo tron, which was cool. It was mostly fun, but the Hawks pulled away in the fourth and never looked back. They're a good team but they beat us because of our breakdowns on the defensive end. You would think my day would be over, but it wasn't as I had to come home to finish up the starting lineup videos for the boys and girls. While I am not going to finish tonight, I worked late to try and get as much done as possible, so I can finish them before I leave. It was a crazy day and will be a crazy three days, but if I can survive it, I will be home free!

~:[Spotlight]:~ June Kim

~:[Spotlight]:~ June Kim

I picked this picture for June, because she is the "dawg." I am not sure what I would be like without June. Coming from a private school, the transition into high school was going to be rough, however, she made it that much easier for me, as she took me in as a friend and introduced me to all of her friends. I didn't feel much of a "transition" and I owe most of it, if not all of it, to June. I will always remember her teaching me the Animaniacs countries of the world song, bowling with her in the early morning in a season "she" got most improved, cooking chili and other delicious foods, seeing if we could see our Spanish teacher smile, celebrating our 16th birthday's together even if our birthdays were two months apart, and of course, the junebug that I slipped under the door just before she comes out screaming. It's always great to sit down with her and grab a bite to eat and while I wish our schedules could align more, it's always great to know that you had a life-altering friend such as June in your past. You always find a way to encourage others, say it how it is, and always make me feel good when things are not always so great. You are inspiring and have inspired me to do good in this world by just being yourself and welcoming me into your world.

*****

The spotlight is a column that will highlight at least one person every week who deserves all the gratitude in the world for what they do. While the individual may never make the headline news, they are the type of person that deserve their moment in the spotlight.

~:[CH4 - Day 4]:~ Last Meal

~:[CH4 - Day 4]:~ Last Meal

It was my last meal out over winter break, as I got to take in some Sweetee Thai, which is always a great treat. I caught up with a small group and had some good conversation catching up on what's going on. It's always nice to sit back and relax and do so over a great meal. My stomach wasn't too happy over yesterday's spicy chicken, but I survived and even got to down some TapEx afterward. I went home to get some work done and to prepare for the school day ahead. To my dismay, I had some issues with my computer which slowed me down a bit but I ended up making the progress I needed. At the tail end of the night, Shannon came by with Law to catch up and just shoot the breeze. It was very fun to just sit and talk and to see how things were going and a great way to end the night. While I still had a lot of work to do, it was just the break I needed before getting back to work. It's sad that today's the last day of break, but at least tomorrow, I will know what day it is.

~:[Spotlight]:~ Andrew Hong

~:[Spotlight]:~ Andrew Hong

It's funny how the world brings people together. In high school, we barely knew each other. I know I talked to him at least once because I took a photo of him for cross country. He was a freshman when I was a senior. We also went to the same college, however, same deal, we didn't talk much, if at all. However somewhere along the way, we became good friends and I couldn't have been luckier to find as great of a friend as he. Of course, I didn't spotlight him just because he is my good friend, I did so because he is the kind of person that everyone should be lucky enough to have in their life. The one person in their life who always has your back, always is making sure that you are taken care of and having a good time, and keeping it fun for everyone around. He often sees the endless possibilities of adventure and seizes all the opportunities that this world has to offer. He is also fearless (sometimes too much so) and it is something that I am shooting to attain, as I know that it will help me pursue things that I may have once thought impossible. On top of it all, he has given me some great advice as well as his love for fun and adventure is what I have highlighted, he also has a good perspective on things and always is able to give me good direction with his advice. When looking back, I regret that I didn't talk to him more and create a better foundation for our friendship earlier on, but I am at least glad that I have had the experiences that I have had. I hope that in the future, we can continue to be friends and much like we traveled through Europe, Hawaii, Vegas, and more, maybe our families can travel together and create more memories with our wives and children.

*****

The spotlight is a column that will highlight at least one person every week who deserves all the gratitude in the world for what they do. While the individual may never make the headline news, they are the type of person that deserve their moment in the spotlight.

~:[CH4 - Day 3]:~ Sealing the Deal

~:[CH4 - Day 3]:~ Sealing the Deal

With my lunch plans getting canceled, I was able to focus on being productive. I had a mountain of work on my table as the basketball season approaches. Never have I finished the basketball programs this early, but every single one of them is now complete and I just sent in the first half to the printers. It feels kind of nice. I was able to eat my favorite dish from Northern Cafe, as I ordered take out from there. It was funny because someone snapchatted me a picture of that dish asking if that is what I usually order ... possible to make me jealous? At that very moment, I was about to eat it and was able to snapchat a picture of the same dish back! Presto! In any case, I was able to get out to the girls basketball game and I had a little surprise in store! We made starting lineups for them this year and so they got their own one for the whole season ... https://vimeo.com/115844721 ... I had a little fun using the Heroes song with a comic/animated twist. In any case, it wasn't the prettiest win in the world but after being down one late, they opened up the game and took the victory over crosstown rival, Gahr! When I got home, I got on my sweats and found my spot in front of the TV to catch the Clippers game, which they pulled out and won big. While it was the 76ers, they did put up a good fight for awhile, but ultimately, our starters got to rest so that they will be ready to go against the Hawks when we go to watch them live on Monday!

~:[CH4 - Day 2]:~ Something New

~:[CH4 - Day 2]:~ Something New

It was a day that I had planned to get a lot of work done and I stayed fairly on task with that. My first bit of work??? To catch up on sleep. I did that very well. However, I was able to get work done, as I finished up some video work and also began working on the basketball program. I had to stop in the middle of my work as I caught lunch with my pseudo-daughter Audrey who was back from break. We ate at one my favorite places, Northern Cafe. This time we got the chicken bone with cumin which was difficult to eat but tasty. The free green onion pancakes are always delicious as are the juicy dumplings and of course my to go order of spicy chicken. We're starting a new site for travel and food, two things we're both pretty good eat - eating and traveling. After getting more work done, I went out and got some boba and ran into the Mancillas when I was catching up with Erika. It was ironic that it happened as Nellie was my spotlight for the week! Awesome! It was great to start a new year catching up with people and also starting on some of my new projects. This year has already been productive, but we'll see how long that lasts.

~:[Spotlight]:~ Nellie Mancilla

~:[Nellie Mancilla]:~ 

It's amazing to come across people who are willing to give up as much as they need to ensure that the people around them are taken care of, Nellie is one of those people. Nellie goes through her days with a smile and does so much to ensure that her children are taken care of, as well as our team. Having to drive a distance to work is one thing, but being willing to do so multiple times or to burn time waiting for your children to finish practices or activities is another. She is always one of the first people to volunteer even if it means she has to go out of her way to help. She has overcome so much in her lifetime and has been quite the inspiration to me, as I hope that one day I can be a strong and selfless as she is and do as great of a job as she has done raising her children.

*****

The spotlight is a column that will highlight at least one person every week who deserves all the gratitude in the world for what they do. While the individual may never make the headline news, they are the type of person that deserve their moment in the spotlight.

~:[CH4 - Day 1]:~ Starting Fresh

~:[CH4 - Day 1]:~ Starting Fresh

It was the first of 2015 and I starting working on what I needed to after waking up without an alarm. It's always great to sleep in after a late night. After a number of messages, I ended up hanging out with some good friends, Andrew and Victor. I haven't been very good at keeping up with them and so it was nice to sit down and catch up. I hit up Bulgogi House with them and the quality of meat wasn't too bad. There are a few things we ordered that I won't order again, but I was fairly satisfied with the experience. We took a picture before we left, but we were freezing so much, we tried to do it as quickly as possible. So my new year resolution? It's simply to be better ... to be a better friend, family member, colleague, to be better at fulfilling my promises, to be better at staying in shape, and to be better at anything else that comes my way. I think it's a good approach for anyone looking to make a resolution ... just try to be the better at everything anytime you try to do it. In any case, here's to a great 2015! I hope you all enjoy the year and make the most of it!