How To Be A Better Person: Part 3

After I did Part 2 of "How To Be A Better Person", I thought I wouldn't ever have to do another one. I know you can't change other people, but it just helps me out to feel like I've done something right. So here it is...



Have you ever heard a rumor, swore you'd never tell, and then broken your promise? Well, most of us have slipped up more than once in our lives. But it's what we did after that really matters. To be honest, apologizing after hurting someone is truly an act of valor. It takes great fortitude to admit something you've done and own up for it. If the enduring rumor is about you, don't ask around or confront the person who started it. Chances are, you'll end up embarrassing yourself even more. Surrounding yourself with honest and kind friends will definitely increase the likelihood of your claim being corroborated. (A kind friend is someone who is genuinely nice not only to you, but to everyone else around them as well.) The best way to recover from a breach of trust or an embarrassing event is to talk to someone you trust or just relax and unwind, maybe read a book, take a walk, watch a movie or listen to music. And even if the rumor continues for a long period of time, remember that if so many people are talking about you, it must mean you hold a place of importance. If you are part of a group of friends that is close to splitting up due to rumors, try to consolidate them by not taking sides. Joining the argument is something you will regret immensely. If you've made a new friend, do not try to insulate them from people who spread rumors. They will eventually realize who gossips and who does not. Throughout the course of your life, people will try to bring you down, innumerable times and innumerable ways. You will be left with a plurality of friends you used to have who changed for the worse. Though that may be so, remember that you are singular, with all your idiosyncrasies, likes, dislikes, and pet peeves, so just be you. Before you love other people. learn to love yourself.


PS - I am not a licensed therapist. If you really need help, please visit a licensed professional. :-)

The Beautiful Landscapes of Yosemite

I know, this post is really late; I should have posted these more than two weeks ago. Well, here they are, finally.

The Best Debate Tournament In Years

Stratford School is part of the South Bay Debate League, and we have tournaments every month. Yesterday was the December tournament, and it was amazing! Stratford Fremont won the most awards it ever has in at least a year or two. We won both school awards, most wins and most percentage wins, as well as speaker awards and team trophies.

For team awards: 2nd place, 4th place, and 5th place

+Shreya Naik +Marie Angelique +Siddarth vaidyanathan +Deepti Rema +Ria Pradhan (and Ayush) +Kavitha Vinod +Amrit Tandon (and Pranav)

For speaker awards: 

12th: Kavitha

10th: Deepti

8th: Shreya 

6th: Sid

4th: Ria

2nd: Me!

Even though a few of the judges were biased/unfair, Fremont still managed to win so many awards! That proves how awesome you all really are. Thank you so much, Mrs. Toutem—we couldn't have done it without you!  Congratulations, everyone! 

You're awesome, and don't ever let anybody tell you you're not.

Have you ever struggled with self-esteem? Have you been embarrassed by someone who was racist, sexist, or just plain mean? Or have you commented on someone else? Chances are, you've done one or more of these things. Nowadays, we have easy access to social media, and we tend to misuse it. YouTube comments, especially for women, are extremely hurtful. Women should be taught to love their bodies, and they should be empowered, not patronized and made to feel inferior. Just because someone is not the same race as you does not mean they are not as smart or attractive as you. In fact, if you had some compassion for your fellow humans, you would probably realize that you and that person you just deliberately hurt could have been friends, or at least gotten along with each other. It's completely ridiculous how such mean people are supported. On YouTube, mean comments often get many likes. Why? 

Sorry if this post seemed like a rant, but I just needed to let my feelings out. I also heard that PewDiePie, YouTube's most subscribed-to YouTuber, turned off comments on his videos, forever. Even though I am not a subscriber, this seems like a pretty big move.

But all I really wanted to say was love yourself, no matter what. You are the only one of you, and you should make the most of it. I know a few people that I feel are "perfect". They react to every situation perfectly, deal with difficult people perfectly, and even make mistakes perfectly. It sounds weird, I know, but I actually used to believe that until recently, when a couple of those "perfect" people taught me that being perfect means just being you. Not everybody is always going to like you, and you're not always going to like everybody. You don't have to be great to start. You have to start to be great. And as Albert Einstein said, "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."

Joining YouTubers?

I've had this "brilliant" idea. A YouTube channel. Except...I don't want to take videos of myself. So...I'll animate! Using Photoshop! Which is way too expensive! So...what should I do? I dunno if I should do this. Should I? Yeah, yeah...I know. Bo-ring! That's why I'm asking for your opinion!

Note: This is the shortest post ever.
Note #2: I used way too many exclamation marks.

5 Easy Handmade Gift Ideas

I know it's a little early for Christmas, but I'm really feeling bad for not posting at all. Also, I'm planning to go all-handmade this year as far as Christmas gifts are concerned, so I'll need some time to plan everything out. My family is going on a trip to visit my cousins in Virginia this year. Both of my cousins are cute little girls, and I wanted to gift them something just as adorable as them. You'll find a couple girly ideas in this list, but you can customize them for any cute kid in your life.

Source: christmaslightsofarizona.com

1. Surprise Gift Balls

This first gift is pretty simple - all you need is some crepe paper and little knickknacks. This makes a fun gift or stocking stuffer for anyone on your list.

2. Basic Zipper Pouch

This one requires a sewing machine, but not too much skill. I'm not a sewing whiz—I'm actually pretty bad at sewing— but this tutorial seems relatively easy and not too time-consuming. In addition, it can be easily customized to suit your taste or the taste of the recipient.

3. Lemon Soap

I love all things lemon—I've even tried lemon salt!—and this soap is something anyone who likes warm baths or showers will adore. The recipe takes about ten minutes, and it takes an hour for the bars to cool and harden. This makes a great Mother's Day gift, too.

4. Flower Hair Clips

Any little girl would be absolutely delighted to receive these felt flower hair clips. They require minimal materials and take only a few minutes to make.

5. Magnetic Paper Dolls

These paper dolls are small, fun, and are easily stored in a little metal tin. I was planning this gift for my four-year-old cousin, who loves dolls and pretend play. A sweet gift for any little girl!

Five Days in Yosemite National Park

Recently, my seventh grade class and I went on a field trip to Yosemite National Park. Even before we actually entered the park, we could see the huge rock formations from the bus windows. The park itself was breathtaking, and we saw numerous types of deer, birds, and of course, trees. What made this trip even more special was that the day we left home was my birthday! I had a variety of new and memorable experiences, but I learned some things about others that were not all positive. Despite some low moments, the trip was, overall, an enriching experience.

Our English teacher, who came with us on the trip, made it an assignment to write a letter about our time there. It's not a letter that I actually sent, but it's written to my aunt. I removed her address for privacy purposes. Please do not plagiarize.

© Riya Kalra 2014

1114 Curry Village,

Yosemite National Park, CA 95389

November 21, 2014

Monica Kumar

[insert address here]

Dearest Monica,

I hope you are doing well. I was delighted to see all of the wonderful pictures of Europe you captured. By the time you receive this letter, I will have just returned from my seventh grade field trip to Yosemite National Park. The twenty-first, today, is my last day here. I can smell the pine trees and hear the faint twittering of birds. To be honest, I never thought I would learn so much--about nature and myself--in less than a week. The valley is home to bountiful resources and wildlife; however, the repercussions of humans and their carbon footprints do not bode well for the valley. The fresh air, the towering trees, the citadels of rock and the starry night sky all contributed to the relaxing but invigorating experience.

In just five days, I realized just how much there was to learn. Of course, I learned fascinating facts about the environment. The valley itself was carved out by the Merced River and the glacier that passed through. The enormity of the rock formations is truly awe-inspiring. One can imagine faces and objects in the rock, much like cloud watching. I bet you didn't know that the viceroy butterfly looks like the monarch, however it is not poisonous. It uses this for defense from predators. All those times I think that I’ve seen a monarch butterfly, I may have just been witnessing the ingenuity of nature! Another way an animal uses mimicry is how the mourning dove mimics the Great Horned Owl's cry. This must help to scare away potential predators. Isn't it amazing how nature comes together smoothly and beautifully so that all beings can coexist peacefully?

Our trail group leader, April, engaged us in various activities, hikes, and games that furthered our understanding of nature. A few of the games we played were camouflage, tanks, and hug-a-tree. Playing camouflage involved prey and predators; April was the prey and we students were the predators. We had to stay out of sight while keeping an eye on the prey, just like animals in the wild hunt for food. On the first day, we took a solo hike through Leidig Meadow. Each person started hiking a minute before and after another so that we had ample time to contemplate and enjoy the surroundings. Unfortunately, April caught a cold, so we had a new leader, Jacqueline, or “Jack”, for two days. She took us on the most strenuous hike, the hike to Columbia Point, also known as the “Challenge Hike”. Steep switchbacks, slippery rocks, wind, and some rain made it difficult to hike as well as have lunch. The hike was not devoid of new experiences; I chased my first coyote (I used a natural restroom)! I am also now a part of the “hardcore” club, meaning I ate an entire apple, core and stem and all.

I must sign off now. The bus will depart after breakfast. I can’t wait to see you, but at the same time, I will miss Yosemite and all its natural wonders.

Over the river and through the woods,

Riya

We Demand Respect!

Elizabeth Blackwell. Susan B. Anthony. Marie Curie. Malala Yousafzai. What do these names mean to you? They are the trailblazers who, despite the fact that they are female, made outstanding achievements. 

Nowadays, the news is all about abduction, rape, suicide, etc. It is saddening to think that women are disrespected in such a way on an everyday basis. In addition, there are villages in India where as soon as it is discovered that a baby will be a girl, her parents will have an abortion. Their reason? When their daughter will be married, their family will have to pay a dowry, which they often cannot afford. Boys will also take care of their parents in old age, according to tradition. According to thedailybeast.com, "China’s famous patriarchal system and history of infanticide and abandonment in favor of baby boys, responsible for millions of “lost girls” and an unbalanced sex ratio that will leave an estimated 30 million adult Chinese men unmarried by 2020."

Here are some inspirational stories:

http://www.redbrigade-lucknow.com/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/molly-melching/women-who-inspire-and-sur_b_4959022.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/04/laura-cobb-talking-stroke-aphasia-_n_4378245.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/30/malala-money-gaza-schools_n_6077134.html?cps=gravity

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-fender/women-who-inspire-materna_b_4950898.html

A Quilling Extravaganza

Nobody's life can be completely boring, can it? Because one of my more interesting hobbies is quilling. The art itself was developed during the Renaissance, when French and Italian nuns and monks used quilling to decorate book covers and religious items. I have been quilling since fourth grade, and I have created various masterpieces. Most of them I've put on cards. I've also made a jungle scene which now hangs outside my room. Below are pictures of the pieces I don't really have uses for yet as well as the jungle scene, a Mother's Day card I made, and a project I will attempt. 

A hummingbird

A project from clare-buswell.blogspot.com that I will attempt

Mother's Day card

Jungle scene

Flower-related pieces

Animals and a mermaid

Sapna — Chapter 1

Well...Two posts in a day! What a record! :-) Anyway, I have taken a long break from my other story about Jazz and the dragons, and I decided to write another story that is a little more realistic. Here's a bit of the first chapter. Let me know how you liked it!

Chapter 1

“Good morning, bitiya. Did you sleep well?” Sapna opened her eyes and rubbed them groggily. Her mother was sitting by the foot of her bed, smiling down at her. She had pulled the curtains open, and the sun was pouring in through the windows. Sapna’s mother liked to call her bitiya, an endearing Hindi word for daughter. “Yes Amma, I will come downstairs soon. What’s for breakfast?” Sapna asked excitedly. Her stomach was growling. Amma, her mother, smiled. “Your favorite!” And she hurried downstairs.

Sapna leapt out of bed and ran to the bathroom. She hurriedly showered and dressed, then flew down the stairs as the enticing aroma of breakfast wafted up to meet her. “Pancakes!” Amma exclaimed as soon as Sapna entered the kitchen. “With syrup?” Sapna inquired. “With syrup,” Amma replied, and Sapna enveloped her slender mother in a warm hug.

The feast was all laid out on the table when a knock sounded on the door. Sapna ran to open it and found herself being lifted into the air and spun around. “Papa!” she screamed with ecstasy. Amma stood by the window, smiling, as the sun slanting in turned her hair a beautiful shade of gold. Putting Sapna down and coming over to Amma, Papa embraced her, and she laughed. “Come now, you must be tired. You are just in time for breakfast!”

The family dug in. After they had all satisfied their ferocious appetites, Sapna asked Papa, “So how was your day at work?” Papa often worked overnight for little pay. “Well, one of our clients found a bug with the software we provided them and I spent the night fixing it.” Amma sighed. “Sapna, why don’t you go upstairs and work on your painting? Papa and I have to talk about something.” Hanging her head, Sapna obediently went upstairs.

“A touch of blue there, and now her hair. Hmm...let’s see...blonde! Yes, blonde.” And with a few smooth, quick brushstrokes, the painting was finished. Sapna stepped back to admire her work. A pretty blonde girl with startlingly blue eyes the color of the sky stared back at her. Sapna always dreamed of going to America. She knew it was the land of promises, where no one worked overnight for just a few rupees. Where children ate pancakes and candy every day, where they frolicked to school on clean buses that drove on clean streets in clean cities. Where students at high schools put textbooks in lockers and went from class to class, learning from teachers. Where they didn’t have to go to the library to check out a huge stack of forty books to learn what Sapna wanted to learn. Adults and children lived in harmony. They swarmed crowded cities with loud music and beautiful beaches, clean beaches. Snap out of it, thought Sapna. You’re never going there. “Hi! What’s up? Howdy, partner!” she said, in a Southern American accent, giggling to herself.

“Sapna? Beta, come down please,” Amma’s voice floated up to Sapna’s room. She went down and took a seat at the dining table. Amma took a deep breath. “We have made a decision, Sapna.” Sapna stared at Amma inquisitively. “We have decided to send you to a high school in America.”

Sapna immediately jumped up from the table. “What? America? I can’t believe it! Sachchi? For real?” She pranced around the table once, then hugged her parents tightly. Amma smiled, but her eyes were filled with sadness. “But you will have to leave your grandparents, friends, and pets behind.” Sapna stopped and frowned. “But Arya is my sweet, sweet goat! She won’t do anything wrong. I promise she’ll be good,” she pleaded. “No,” said Amma, turning away from the table and busying herself with a greasy pot. And that was the end of the discussion. Sapna’s unconditional love for Amma told her to keep her mouth shut, so she quietly stepped out of the house.

Which One Are You? — Quiz

1. Let's pretend you are walking to class and you see someone drop their books everywhere and awkwardly bend over to pick them up. The group of popular girls is snickering a few feet away. What do you do?

   A) Laugh along with the other girls and hope they will like you better

   B) Look away and pretend nothing happened

   C) Help the person with their books

   D) Tell your friend and ask them to go help the person

2. You are browsing your social networking sites when you come across an embarrassing picture of this boy you don't like. It's been posted by your best friend. What do you do?

   A) Hit "Like"

   B) Scroll past it

   C) Tell an adult

   D) Delete it from your feed

3. You are browsing the Internet and you come across this random blog. You notice that it has a page where you can submit information that goes straight to the blog author. What do you do?

   A) Type in an alias and write some insulting things about their blog

   B) Go back to browsing 

   C) Leave a kind message for the author

   D) Submit your honest opinion, even if it isn't necessarily a good opinion

Results:

Be honest with yourself!

If you chose mostly A's :

You should probably rethink your response to the irresponsibility and indifference certain people show towards others. Even if they are your friends or family members, they will thank you in the long run when they become better people. Being a good friend is also about helping the other person be and feel their best.

If you chose mostly B's :

You tend to ignore things. You may or may not know that they are wrong, but you decide that it's not your problem. Next time think about how you might feel if you were in an embarrassing or tough situation and someone ignored you. 

If you chose mostly C's :

You know what to do when you see someone in trouble. You are compassionate, and you realize that nothing good comes out of malice, anger, and hate. Keep up the good work!

If you chose mostly D's : 

You have a pretty good idea of what the right thing to do is, but you just don't do it exactly the right way. Maybe you feel that helping someone is a waste of time, but you still want to help them. So to avoid feeling guilt, you ask someone else to do it, or you delete the photo, etc. Or Maybe you're just not sure how to help out and don't want to embarrass yourself.

Remember, these don't necessarily describe you, but you should have a pretty good idea of the level of kindness you are showing others. Nobody is perfect, but there's definitely room for improvement.

Why You Should Watch the Blue Angels Perform

Have you ever seen planes flying eighteen inches apart? Well, that's just what I saw yesterday* during Fleet Week at San Francisco.

The famous Boeing F/A-18 Hornets of the US Navy perform maneuvers at speeds from four hundred to a thousand miles an hour, flying so dangerously close together that even a slight movement of the controls could be deadly.

The Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornets fly in their trademark tight
diamond formation, maintaining 18-inch wing tip to canopy separation.

Here are a few reasons why you should go watch the Blue Angels perform.

1. The maneuvers they perform are not just for show—they are actually used in the Navy.

2. You can meet the pilots, have pictures taken with them, and ask them for autographs after the show as well as buy souvenirs.

3. Even the carrier, the C-130 affectionately known as "Fat Albert" performs a few tricks.

4. This team is one-of-a-kind, and you won't be able to see them again until next year!

*I wrote this yesterday, but I forgot to publish it, so it's a day late. Sorry! :-)

A few moments my dad captured:

Guys vs. Girls — The Gender Stereotype

First of all, I'm really sorry for not posting often... I know I have been slacking off a lot lately. To make my blog more interesting, I decided to post another GoAnimate video. So here it is!

Guys v.s. Girls — The Gender Stereotype

By the way, if you think my blog is boring, I hope it's not too much to ask for you to suggest ideas instead of just telling me my blog is boring.

Where Science Has Gone Wrong — for animal lovers (Featuring Jane Goodall)

Do you love animals? Well, so does Jane Goodall, and she was inspired by an animal that loved her back.

Did you know I was once on a plane with Jane Goodall? Yes, I have met her in person. Don't ask me what I asked her or what she was like; I was way too young to remember. But she truly is an inspiring woman.

No, I haven't abandoned my blog!

Three days 'til school starts! Remember I had said the summer vacation would feel like years? Well, it turns out, not when you have as much fun as I did! Performance done, wedding done (I performed at the wedding, too), and India trip done. In India, I visited both my grandparents, as well as my great-grandmother. To tell the truth, she is pretty great. Get it? Get it? She's ninety-two years old, which is quite impressive for someone who has lived the life she has. And she is also amazingly full of life. At this age, she makes tea everyday, along with complaining that she can't do anything anymore. But to my family and me, she's just perfect. I met a lot of people, had a lot of fun, and was bitten by a LOT of mosquitos. At one point, I had nearly twenty bites! Despite being short, my trip was very enjoyable and I look forward to going again!

Alright...So I have decided not to post the contest results because it didn't really work, despite the neon GIF. :-) But I would like to thank and congratulate +Jaydeep Singh and +Pooja Bansiya for their quick responses. 

Hopefully I can keep posting regularly...

Ciao for now!
-Riya

Contests

I have been thinking about various ways to make my blog more exciting. I thought, "Why don't I hold a contest (or two)?" The stats on my blog show that I have a somewhat international audience, though predominantly from the U.S. So...since I just had to find inspiration at an awkward time of the month instead of the beginning or the end, I will have to improvise. I am planning on doing monthly or bimonthly contests, depending on how well they do. Ideas are still flowing steadily, but I haven't really come across any that I really liked. Maybe a "share your story" kind of thing. For example, "Your Most Embarrassing Moment". I dunno. Or a creativity contest. Like "Coolest Invention" or "If *insert event* happened to you". If any of you have ideas, please let me know!

Humor Long Overdue

We all know about the newspaper funnies, but this generation hasn't really read them too often. So I thought I'd share with you the satirical but adorable humor of two of my favorite characters, Calvin and Hobbes. Thank you, Bill Watterson! Enjoy...

The Very Last Strip

The Amazing Power of Photoshop

Wow...It's been some time since I last blogged. Almost a week! Recently, I have been attending a summer camp at Ohlone For Kids, and one of my classes concerns Photoshop. I know that Photoshop is a powerful tool. But exactly how powerful is it? Watch this video if you think all pizzas are beautiful. (Trust me.)

What else should I write about? I'm exhausted, so I'll go to sleep. I know it's only six. Too bad. Actually, maybe I won't go to sleep. I'll come back when inspiration strikes. Ciao for now! - Riya

My Performance

Today is my dance performance! I'm nervous and excited at the same time. There are students of all ages, about 35 in total. Even my mom is performing! The older kids keep blocking me so I can't be seen, so my teacher told me to push past them, even if the formation changes. +Sesha Gopi +Aesha Valia +Ashna Valia +Anika Goel +Anushka Lodha and 3 others (I couldn't mention them) are part of my group. Good luck guys! I will post later...After the performance. Or I will update this one. Whatever. Bye for now...

The Spelling Bee — Lost but Won

I decided I would try something a little different. No lists, reviews, boring stuff. Nuh-uh. Instead, hopefully entertaining short stories! Yay...? I found this... http://www.writersdigest.com/prompts. I read the responses to one of them, but I will respond here only to those that I haven't read. I read the one about the "Wrong Bathroom". Let me know how you like it in the comments below!

Prompt #1 - You’ve entered a national spelling bee competition only to find out that your neighbor—and arch rival—has also entered the competition. You've both made it to the final three, along with a person neither of you know. Your arch rival comes to you with a plot to sabotage the third person, but aside from the fact that you want to win fair and square, you suspect that your rival is also trying to sabotage you. Write this scene.

______________________________________________________________________________________

That girl...She haunted me so. My archrival had made it, and I couldn't believe it. What I really couldn't believe was when she approached me after the qualifiers. The following conversation ensued.

"Hey, uh, bestie!" She forced out the words with disgustingly fabricated enthusiasm. "Um, so...I kinda wanted to talk to you about something."

"Yeah...?"

"You know that scrawny-lookin' lad over there? Yeah. He actually made it to the top three and I'm not happy about it."

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"Well, I brought a spelling list with me...Just to, you know, practice. And I thought, um, we could" — Here she lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper" — "switch the lists. You and I could learn this list. But he has no idea."

"I'm not so sure about that. And you know that a spelling bee isn't just about learning from a list, right? It depends on your exposure to the language as a whole."

"You always spoil my fun. Don't you want to win? You — Fine then. I guess I'll win then," she huffed, storming off while cursing obscenities. I hurried after her, yelling "Hey! Wait up! It's not over yet."

Lists, Reviews, and Other Boring Stuff

Okay...I really don't know what to write about. Post ideas have evaded me for days. I thought I'd make a list. Maybe a few. I have read a few articles that say readers like lists so that they don't have to go find the information by themselves. Apparently reviews are helpful, too, since people want honest opinions, which they usually don't find on the Internet. So...Here goes.

Books:

For adults, I found a list on the Time website. Here it is. http://time.com/2815951/best-books-of-2014-so-far/

For young adults, http://www.ala.org/yalsa/2014-best-fiction-young-adults

For children, http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncb

For toddlers, I found this on Flipboard. Not much, but better than nothing! You can use it for ideas or just find books for your prince or princess at your local library or bookstore, since I wasn't much help at all, was I? https://flipboard.com/section/best-baby-books-2014---top-rated-infant-and-toddler-books-b9Z8xp

I can do movies or something soon. Are reviews a good idea? Please comment below and let me know.

By the way, you might have noticed that I changed my favicon to, er, a paintbrush. You may think, "What kind of arbitrary object has this Riya put up on her blog for no reason?" Well, I have a reason. I wanted to represent creativity. I tried to find images of a brain, but there are just too many squiggly lines to look nice as an image less than 100KB. If anyone can find something better, please let me know. Don't judge me... :-)

Happy Father's Day!

I know it's really late, but I was quite busy today. Sorry! :-) I just wanted to wish all the fathers out there a very happy Father's Day. Here are some quotes for you and your fathers (or grandfathers for that matter) to share.

Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.
— Anne Geddes

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.

— Jim Valvano

My dad was my best friend and greatest role model. He was an amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier, husband and friend.

— Tiger Woods

Nothing I've ever done has given me more joys and rewards than being a father to my children.

— Bill Cosby

It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was.

— Anne Sexton

It is a wise father that knows his own child.

— William Shakespeare

Ugh...

Preparations for my dance performance are in full swing now, and it's not fun to get caught in the middle of it all. My mom is in charge of the makeup (along with a couple others) for most of the dancers, and trust me, it's not very easy. I had to go to every beauty shop with her and pick out nail polish, eyeshadow, lipstick, brushes, sponges, etc. It is quite an ordeal. Then she decides that the makeup is too expensive or that the nailpolish is one shade too red. So off we go to the store again, on our neverending mission for the perfect makeup. I have to change costumes twice during the show, and I don't have much time to do it. As you probably know from my older posts, I have a very busy summer coming up...Well, enjoy yours!

I apologize for my many rants that I have posted so far...it's just my life. After all, that's what a blog is for. Right? Right? Right. :-)

Exhaustedly,
Riya

PS - Is "exhaustedly" even a word?

How To Be A Better Person: Part 2

Recently I have seen a lot of disrespect on the Internet, social media, etc. I feel that people need to change. If you can't think of something nice to say, don't say anything at all.

I have removed my message to Lia12, but if I feel the need to, I will repost it.

And that brings us to How To Be A Better Person: Part 2. Here's my first post: How To Be A Better Person

4. Respect the opinions of others.
The only way you are going to be respected is to respect others.

5. Be kind.
First of all, being mean doesn't get you anywhere. Second of all, being nice helps you improve your reputation and it helps you feel positive towards yourself and others; it's ultimately better for your health, too.

6. Put yourself in the other person's shoes.
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Also, don't jump to conclusions. First, visualize yourself in another person's situation. Decide if you would have acted the same way. Be honest with yourself. This activity, on a daily basis, will help you understand and connect with others, help you make more friends (and keep your old ones), and help you learn from others' mistakes. It will help you to understand how another person is feeling and will help you console them or anyone they may have hurt, physically or emotionally. This also works if someone stole your thunder or the attention of a group.

That's all for now. Kinda deep, but valuable life lessons!

Your Suggestions

As you can probably see, I've been doing some work on the "My Photos" page. I'm running out of ideas for my posts, so feel free to comment below to let me know what you want to see. I may have polls in the sidebar. Do you guys think I should have contests? My friend has a blog that you can click here to view. she has people submit their writing so she can publish it. Should I have a contest? I liked her idea. It's up to you. One of her assistant administrators actually mentioned my blog, saying that I needed to connect with people by using words like "sup" and "hey". If I don't use them in everyday speech, why should I use them in writing? That's not the only way to connect with people! There are plenty of amazing authors out there that connect with people without slang! Well, that's her point of view. Too bad for me. I might post later today. So, I sign off.

- Riya

My Thoughts

This year was the seventh annual Google Doodle contest, which I entered my artwork in. Though I didn't win (not even a runner-up), I wanted to share with you the winner's doodle. It's amazing! Plus, Google animated it.

Click here to see the U.S. winner for this year's contest!

I also wanted to share a few books with you. First of all, I really enjoy reading Kathryn Lasky's books. She has written the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series, Wolves of the Beyond, Royal Diaries series, and more.

Here are some links related to her.

About Kathryn Lasky
Her Website

I am reading her Wolves of the Beyond series at the moment, and I'm on the last book! She also has a series detailing the owl's lives apart from the wolves (I have the first book; I checked it out from the library). I really admire her imagination. Her Royal Diaries series is also interesting. Again, from the library, I have her Jahanara (Indian princess) and Elizabeth I (A Tudor) books. They are historical fiction books, and they are fascinating.

If you are into more lighthearted titles, see Shel Silverstein. He wrote the most beautifully humorous poems I have read. His book The Giving Tree is a story that is sure to touch you, but it's not as funny as some of his poems, such as "Sick" or "Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too".

These are just my suggestions. Feel free to read what you enjoy. But keep reading! :-)

- Riya

Last Day of School...

I know most schools have their last days next week, but my school has it today, June 6. I'd just like to say that I will miss everyone so much...no matter who you are, what gender you are, what you've said to me...especially the 8th graders, who I may never see again. These two and a half months will seem like years...well, besides the fact that I have a billion places to be at once. A dance performance, a wedding, summer camp, and India, in the sweltering heat. Um...Not exactly what I believe a perfect vacation is, but — I can do this! Actually, I'm not so sure... :-)

Quite a few people from my school are leaving; that means they won't be here next year, and I will miss them the most. I'm actually surprised at the amount of people that are going. I feel bad for them, too, many of them are terribly dejected at the prospect of leaving.

Words cannot express the complicated feelings I am feeling right now. I am proud of myself, but I know I can do better. I feel wistful at the thought leaving, but enthusiastic at the thought of returning. School is really like my second home. In fact, I spend more time at school than at home!

You guys are all awesome and I am so lucky to know all of you. Thank you so much for all the unforgettable experiences we've had together!

Lots of love,
Riya

My Life...

I mentioned my finals earlier. Well, I did great! Mostly. The lowest grade I had was an A-. But that's okay...I guess? Tomorrow I have an abacus test. Yes, you read that right. An abacus test. I learn how to perform calculations at lightning-speed on the abacus. Pretty cool, huh? I memorized the first 30 seconds of the Gettysburg Address. I dunno what to say. I started watching The Perfect Game and Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs: 2... Okay...I will stop now. Ciao for now!

- The most boring person ever, Riya :-)

My Recital

Today, June 1, I played the violin at Le Petit Trianon Theater in San Jose. I played "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas. Personally, I don't think I did very well, but after all, I've only been learning for seven months. A lot of people played the piano. Everyone was so awesome! Some of the kids played violin to a piano accompaniment. I think that sounds beautifully melodious. Well...I found this video of a violinist by the name of Amy Fields playing Bollywood music. I thought it was pretty cool! If you don't understand Hindi, ignore the guy at the beginning. Oh, and she also plays "My Heart Will Go On".

How To Be A Better Person

Okay. (deep breath) Here goes.


1. Take insults the right way.
Treat insults as opportunities to improve. Don't sit there and hate the person who insulted you, because they've moved on. Be happy and live your life already!

2. Remember that you, and only you, control your emotions.
No, she did not make you mad. He did not make you cry. You chose to. How is it possible that a person at least three feet away from you released the chemicals that cause changes in mood in your body?

3. Don't talk when you are in a bad mood. 
Trust me, you are going to end up saying something that you will sorely regret. Use a cool head to make decisions.


I will write more soon. Don't worry, I'm not going to dump it all on you at once. :-)
   

What people post on social networking sites

Social networking sites are supposed to help people connect, right? But for some reason, I always see posts about 

• People that died and will come back to haunt/kill you if you don't reshare   
• A sad story or picture; if you don't reshare, you are apparently "cruel"

First of all, someone's personality cannot be determined by what they reshare. There are just so many reasons why a person would share or not. It could have nothing to do with them at all. I don't understand the point of posts like those. Spooky stories are just plain silly when you put them that way. I receive a lot of spam too, by email. It's annoying. 

Well, I don't have anything else to say. But I do have some news. Good news: I'm going camping tomorrow! Bad news: I have less time to study for my finals since they're next week. I could have had a whole Memorial Day weekend. 

No problem. I can totally do this! (I'm actually not so sure.) 

¡Adiós amigos! 

Riya