Last year of High School

Here is my to do list before I graduate
[] Act in a school play
[] Reach 1000 photos on Facebook
[] Stay out all night (besides for Spaceset)
To be continued

LDC 2009, experience of a lifetime

The following is an article I wrote for the Greater Long Beach Chapter Red Cross newsletter: 


       Perhaps the most common question asked to people who return from LDC is what is LDC? The second most common question is what do you even do at LDC? And thirdly, was it really that great?

            The answer to the first question is that LDC stands for Leadership Development Center, a weeklong camp that ran from Aug 10 to Aug 14. This year’s LDC, entitled Cirque du So-Lead, had about 100 high school delegates and 25 middle delegates attending. The camp itself is located at the Pilgrim Pines Camp and Conference center, situated in Yucaipa, California, about 30 miles away from Los Angeles.

            So, what do you do at LDC? The most common activity is perhaps listening to the staff-run sessions. Although it might seem boring, but the staff put enthusiasm into their skits and involve the audience as they teach the delegates valuable leadership skills. However, LDC is not just about the sessions. Other activities range from the speakeasies and closing circle at the end of the night that allow people to share their experiences from each day to a Challenge of the Clans where delegates competed to put on the best performance.

            The last but perhaps most important question is if LDC was really that great? The answer the vast majority of the delegates would give is a resounding yes. Delegates and staff alike attribute the phenomenon of strangers becoming lifelong friends to something called LDC magic. However, LDC magic only becomes very apparent on the very last day when all 125 delegates and 60 staff members leave for their normal lives.

            The first memory of LDC that almost all delegates had was of the staff running down, screaming towards the buses. The delegates, many groggy from a two hour nap, left the buses and were quickly assigned to various cabins with names ranging from Harvard to Salem. It was there that they got the first taste of LDC, finally meeting some of the fellow delegates that they would be spending the next week with.

            However, within an hour came the first session describing the basic rules. Pam, the camp nurse, instructed the delegates to drink plenty of water to prevent hydration and nosebleeds. Secondly, delegates were never to bring food into their cabins in case of any hungry bears known to be the region. And, lastly the delegates learned that LDC is a family camp, not a family making camp. To end the first day, delegates gathered around for a closing circle to discuss the events that had happened. Of course, only a few delegates decided to speak up.

            It was only after Wednesday that most delegates decided to open up. The Korean cliques that had previously only spoken Korean to each other decided to start interacting with the rest of the group. Delegates that were extremely quiet were able to run their own sessions for a teach-back where the roles of staff and delegates were reversed. People that were too afraid to speak up started to open up during speakeasies as they broached sensitive topics. All with a few exceptions let their feelings out with some even sharing stories of friends dying because of stereotypes, after the first impressions of each group of people, ranging from Hispanics to girls, were discussed in the open.

            On Thursday night, the last night of LDC, delegates shared their experiences of camp, how LDC has changed them, and how those four days seemed like four weeks or even four years. By Friday morning, every delegate and staff member felt the magic of LDC as each bus pulled away from Pilgrim Pines.

            One quote that all LDC delegates know is “For those that have not experienced LDC, no explanation is possible…for those that have experienced LDC, no explanation is necessary.”

            However, Roneal Desai, one of the staff members, perhaps offered the explanation of what LDC is about: “Although we say LDC is not a family making camp, I have to disagree – every single one of you is now part of my family.”

LDC 2009 - Cirque du So-Lead

LDC admittedly was perhaps one of the most fun week in my life. The only thing that comes close would be ASB retreat back in 9th grade. But before I forget those funny moments and memories at LDC as well as those awesome people, here we go:




While at night playing poker for push-ups
Daniel: I can do push ups!
Johnny: Prove it...
Daniel gets up, spends 5 minutes getting ready and goes down....and collapses on the ground.
Later that night...Daniel prepares to arm wrestle Roneal. He gets two hands around him and uses his body. 2 seconds later, Roneal wins. Round 2: Roneal's 2 fingers...Roneal wins in 2 seconds.

Andy doing the Gee and Michael Jackson dance...classic

Well I think that covers most of the funny moments during LDC...

Please vote for Eric's photo!

My Favorite Photo (I've Ever Taken) Brickfish

Hmm haven't blogged in a while

Hm...I've realized today that I can only be unhappy with what I can't achieve and never be happy with what I can achieve.
I really need to see a psychologist >.<

It all comes to an end

It's been 4 years since I walked into the halls of Whitney High School and 5 years since I was in my room writing an essay a day, stressing about having the good enough essay score and CAT 6 score to be accepted into Whitney.
For some reason, this year feels like the culmination of all the years before it: those first years in America, struggling to learn English, those first years in elementary school when I had so many tantrums, and those first years on a high school campus.
I still remember asking my parents what the phrase "let's go" meant. I still remember my first English essay and how I experimented once by replacing all commas with and's (that essay had a lot of red marks). I still remember my first crush and how I was too scared to ask that person out (I won't tell you who). And, I still remember my first rejection (though sadly not last) and the sense of depression that came with it.
However, all that is over now, and there is only tomorrow. Perhaps in 5 years as I am about to finish my first four years of college, I will come to remember my junior year as the year that made my future bright. Or perhaps the year I regret the most...

Sudden urge to blog O_O

Well hello second semester!
Guess what? You already got my parents bugging me every day about SAT, ACT, AP, ACTE (jk about the last one). When you're not bugging me about it, you just happen to crowd my table with those prep books in the hope of making me read it. Every conversation just somehow leads to college. Hey how was your school day? What you went to Chinese Club practice? What how's that going to help you for college? Stop wasting your time! What you studied ACT? GOOD GOOD! What you had some fun? BAD BAD!

Well you know what! I REFUSE TO SUCCUMB THIS PRESSURE! screw college!

And by the way, thank you second semester for giving me another white hair.