A good day.

I woke up twenty five minutes later than usual, didn't rush in the shower, and got a legitimate breakfast.  

It really does so far seem like a really good day.

We then talked about a narrative about George Bernard Shaw's piece on how he was rather amused by his mother's cremation in addition to a twenty minute free time in first period.

It continues to be a really good day.

Second period, we warmed up with one problem, got some help on the test (I needed a good score, and some help, and definitely used it to my advantage).  Then yeah, besides Elliott dicking with my calculator...

It still was a good day.

Third period, we watched President Obama's press conference from two days ago.  I almost fell asleep (I really dont ahve a thing for Press Conferences...), but we didn't do anything else... Therefore...

It still was a good day.

Then fourth period, exhibition match against Narbonne.  I was pretty sure we had this on the bag, but then Amir lost.  Alex and James as a team lost.  Oliver and Allan as a team won their match.  We seemed down.  Then the next batch of matches came.  Patrick loses.  Leandrew wins, Jonas wins in a third setter.  Meaning... It came down to me and Josh, and long story short, we won, 4-3 as a team. Me and Josh took it home today, even though it was an exhibition.  It really felt good.

Yeah, you get my message.  It is a good day.

I'm now here typing this blog with no worry in the world except for one.  Will my day be better tomorrow?  

I sure hope so.

'

Youth Movement

Today, I handed over "my car keys" to my mom, simply saying that I refuse to drive, or accept it, since it's only a symbol of her giving me the middle finger. Either that, or I'm actually finally starting to feel the economic strain that this country is experiencing.

It's not so much that I refuse to drive, it's something called an Insurance Policy that prevents me from doing it. My mom says that my stepdad hasn't paid his bills, but she's willing to pay for it if either I am enthused by the idea of church, and its affiliates (Youth Group, etc.).

As we were having this discussion in the car, I gave reasons to my mother such as:

1. People who have religious beliefs think they are far more superior, since they have something that is called "God" with them.
2. Church is boring, and it doesn't really entertain me these days. I mean, it's simply a man on stage preaching the practical thing. Common sense, more like. And does it really take some sort of place to learn such values of common sense? (I know, the concept itself is rather broad).

I forgot what other reasons I have, but those two are my main ones.

I also know that by writing this, I am not creating friends, and I hope I'm not creating enemies either (your opinions are however, accepted. Fire away).

The main reason why I don't trust my mom on things is that her logic is based on a religious mindset, and it really upsets me to think that whatever she says is always credible, and I just want practical advice, none of that "godly bs" that she feeds me from time to time.

I really do hate the fact that she's trying to convince me to join another Youth group. I've experienced it before, and I didn't have as much fun as I wanted to, and because of that, why should I give it another chance? Why should I meet people who I believe are far more superior than me, because they have that "godly bs" knowledge.

Really, why should I give this another shot?

So that I could make that woman called my mother make me happy?
So that I could drive again?
So that I could have more friends?
Because I have nothing better to do?

Everytime I think about it, I am simply a male version of my mother, and I hate it so much.

The sound of her voice is so annoying, that I don't want to be near her as much as possible.
Her logic is so stupid that I don't even want to take advice from her.
Her way of life is so unorthodox that it deprives me of some better opportunities out there.

I don't even know. All this, simply because one wanted me to go to some Youth Group that I never want to experience again.

As much as I believe that there is no reason for me to go back, as being told that my "faith is drifting away", I'm gonna go back and give this another shot. The reasons, I will not state publicly, but here's one thing.

I'm not out there to make my mother happy.
I'm out there for myself.

One Shining Moment

I remember sitting at Westchester’s annual Youth and Government (YnG) End of The Year Banquet as the advisors were getting ready to present this year’s awards.  First up was the Outstanding Senior of the Year.  As my lead advisor announced this, I remember a voice in the back yelling “It’s D-Man!, It’s D-Man!” (D-Man is my nickname).  After a brief description of the winner, there were drum rolls, then a moment of silence.  It was me.  I got up, the cameras are flashing, and people are yelling “Speech! Speech!”.  If I would have given one that night, it would have been too long or it wouldn’t come out right so I took a couple pictures and a bow and proceeded on with the night cheering and congratulating my other friends as they got their awards and as they were elected into office.  Every person has a shining moment in his life, and this was mine… so far.

Joining the Youth and Government Program is one of the best choices that I made in my life along with the decision to go here in the States about eight years ago.  But the real question is:  What is Youth and Government’s correlation to C-CAP? 

Youth and Government is the Sauvignon Blanc to my Bouillabaisse of a culinary career.  Before Youth and Government I thought I was a hot shot: one with a certain swagger that with my intelligence and charm I could be on the top of the world or be the world itself.  But I was wrong.  I remember my first Youth and Government experience in Spring Conference having to debate a proposal where nothing can make up for the lack of my intelligence in such a subject.  I remembered having to convince a room of fifty or more people why a proposal (which I knew nothing about) was worth passing, and it took only one Con Speaker (a person against the proposal) to shoot it down completely.  After that, I remembered asking myself: “This is only Spring Conference, a preview of the YnG year with five hundred or so people and I’m easily beaten?  How would I do during at Sacramento, the real deal, when 2400 people are there?  How many people are better than me? ALL 2399 of them?”. That weekend, I simply lived with that thought in mind, went home, and waited for Camp Roberts and Sacramento.

In my first year in Youth and Government coming into the gym in Camp Roberts, I was simply amazed by the surroundings, with the hundreds of people cheering their hearts out in battles of “We have spirit yes we do, we got spirit, how about you” chants and other delegation cheers such as “CPY what time is it?” along with the campaign posters going around, with people in suits on a hot day walking around asking for my vote.  After the gym experience, we were now in sessions and every time someone walked up in front to speak, I felt like that person was always better than me in everything I thought I am good at such as debating, or making new friends.  It was irritating. I knew I had the fight left in me but I simply gave up thinking that if someone is better than me, then I have no realistic chance of beating them.  This feeling lasted in all the major conferences in Youth and Government, and I didn’t have fun all outside the inner circle that is the Westchester Delegation.

During the summer (YnG only goes on during the school year), I realized that I was inside looking out as I wanted to be someone else that I wasn’t.  I wanted to be in the same league as the Youth Governor where everyone knew his name and his voice, where everyone wanted his opinions on certain issues as well as his acquaintance.  I forgot what Westchester was all about:  it was simply all about having fun while being practical.  Our advisors didn’t care if we were being stupid in debating for a bill as long as it was relevant. Our advisors didn’t care as much with our camp pranks as long as it didn’t harm anyone.  This was the inspiration for the promise that I made prior to my senior year: to go all out, have fun and leave nothing on the table.  As the events in the Youth and Government year went by, I did what I said and I became a part of Westchester as a part of last year’s officer team as Delegation Secretary. Through this position, I met people, learned all their names and their personalities by making conversation past the “Hi” and “How are you doing?” stage.  I went to Camp Roberts and wore my “I HAVE A CULINARY BONER” shirt and became known for it.  I spoke my thoughts with passion, with knowledge, with a swagger that I never thought I would ever have. With these deeds, plus more, not only did I make friendships inside my delegation, but I also outside of it. I never felt better in my life than this Youth and Government year despite having its share of patches.  These moments, these deeds are much like stars, little sparkling stars that if clustered together creates one big shine of light, creating one shining moment.

            The answer to the question earlier “What is Youth and Government’s correlation to C-CAP?”  is this:  There are some events from the past that we can connect through our experiences now, and there are some people from other places that inspire us to do something.  For example, I remember coming in C-CAP for the first time last year, having the same confidence as I did much like being in my first YnG experience in Spring Conference.  I went to the training session last year and thought that I would dominate  when it turned out that I had no clue as to how to tournée a potato or make a thin crepe, with a chef judge telling me that I could not go anywhere else but up.  This proved to be true as I was one, and only guy of the four juniors selected for an opportunity for a weekend in New York, but did not get it.

            Both the Youth and Government and C-CAP programs have humbled me as it presented a message that all beginnings are humble, that I cannot be a teenage prodigy or a Hollywood Hotshot without paying my dues.  The past is the past, the present is now, and the future can only be better.  My simple blueprint for the future is to experience the college life, serve my time and pay my debts.  Depending on where the future takes me, I want to have at least two restaurants: Eversoul (The proposed name for Westchester High’s Cooking Club) and Sacramento (Youth and Government), and/or be on either Iron Chef, Top Chef, or The Next Food Network Star.  Some people might not take me seriously and say these dreams are childish, but I’m willing to tell my friend to put “To be an Iron Chef” under my plans for the future, then it will happen.  I do not believe in having a timeline, but I believe that if I do what I am supposed to be doing with quality and passion while doing it on a reasonably fast pace, then everything would come to me from the restaurants, money, fame, or any other accolades that a chef can gather during his lifetime.

            Joining C-CAP last year as a junior has given me the chance to share my story as to why I wanted to be a chef through being a religious follower of Food Network and any other culinary show that is currently in existence.  I believe that it is time for me to be a slave to society where I pay back my debt of happiness and the support that they have been providing me by integrating the values that I learned in experiences past whether it be from Youth and Government, Westchester High School, or at home.  To those who support me in this journey are already my family, and to those who doubt, I want them to be a part of my family by proving them wrong.  These people will be my fuel to success, and dousing it on a spark of opportunity creates a new shining moment, one that I can savor much like a meal of bouillabaisse and white wine.

Life Goes On

I thought blogging was supposed to bring me up somewhere in life.

Now, it just seems to be my undoing.

There have been rumors flying around that I was going to do something that related to a blog before. I swear, I thought no one ever read these things despite my attempts in the past to advertise such product, but what the hell.

I simply deleted the blog, for a couple of reasons:

1. I wanted to silence a rumor
2. It was too much, even for myself to handle.

I wanted to silence a rumor, simply because I wanted this "project" lowkey. As in the past, I never dealt well with rumors and such going around, and I didn't want this one to be like that either (for my sanity at least).

I would also say that even though the deleted blog is one of my better blogs yet with a perfectly nailed allusion, I would say that the code itself is easy to break (that, and along with my writing style, it seems to be really obvious and blunt)

Ironic how I deleted a blog to silence a rumor, and yet here I am writing one, and it's definitely not helping my cause.

But whatever. I could really care less at this point, since my emotions are rock bottom, that while I'm at it, I might as well kill two birds with one stone.

Yeah, I'll leave it as that because if some people have heard the rumor, and can put two and two together, then you probably know what happened.

The Last Supper

Yesterday was Westchester's annual End-Of-Year banquet and Lock-In.

I don't even know where to start, simply because it has so many amazing points to begin with... I guess I'll just go chronologically.

First off, we had food provided by Vinny's - We had Alfredo, Mixed Greens, and a Spicy Tomato/Mushroom/Cheese Angel Hair Pasta Mixture with Rigatoni with Marinara Sauce.  I can't describe food for my life, but at least I'm trying.

My tablemates are amazing, as always.  It's fun to hear Timmy quoting Step-Brothers(I might watch that movie again just for the hell of it,  Max recounting Spencer's election speech on how he saw a tall giraffe, took it and now is his wallpaper, but endorsing Scott anyway to win the position because well, he doesn't have a camera and Joey and Tarrin stuff-facing themselves.

And then came the awards.  To the best of my memory, here are the people who got them:

Delegate of The Year - Alex Soelter

Advisors Award - Oliver Adams

Outstanding Senior - Daniel Castro 

Rookie of The Year - Brandon Kim

Forum - Spencer London

Court - Nik Soelter

Legislature - Robert Espinoza

Page/Media - Elena Ioudina

NIC - Jeff Day

Advisor - Stephanie Foster

SIP - Tommy Skahill

I would write a piece about each person, but I guess that's another blog.

And now, for next year's officers

Activities Chair - Aubrey Van De Wetering

Elections Manager - Tatiana August-Schmidt

Parliamentarian - Christian Collins

Historian - Scott Tolton

Chaplain - Elena Ioudina

Sergeant at Arms - Robert Espinoza

Treasurer - Bita Minaravesh

Clerk - Bianca De La Vega

Vice President - Marisa Mito

President - Chris Adams

In the behalf of last year's officer team, we give you our blessing and our trust to bring our delegation into greater heights, with more people winning statewide positions, more people going to CONA, getting Premier Delegation, and a stronger bond than before.  With this bond stronger than ever, you are no longer a force to be reckoned with.  You will be at the top, and sit there for a long time.

I also want to give a shoutout for those other people who ran: Patrick Bennett, Alex August-Schmidt, Eileen Cheng, Timmy McKinley, Max Ramey, Joey Breese, India Purnell, Spencer London, Drew Hancock, Jacklynn Morris, Brandon Kim, Tanner Webb, Nina Benton and Natalie Friedricks.

There is no harm in losing, especially with the turnout for the elections this year.  Be a part of a force.  Every single delegate, including the officers themselves are the force that makes this delegation powerful.  Always remember that you have the choice to lead.  You took the path, and I want to applaud, hug, or shake your hand for that.  In the words of Chuck Noll (not sure really), you learn a page when you win, and a book if you lose.  In short, you gain just as much as those who won.

Moving on...

Beyond the food, the slideshow, the chocolates, the helium and the awards, we now go to the better part of the night:  

Lock In.

Lock In, in a simple definition is pure amazement.  We get locked in the YMCA until seven in the morning, do whatever the heck we can do (as long as it is Y-Rated, of course).

I was pretty psyched about this lock-in because there is this tradition that goes on for the seniors: Diddy Rieses.  The deal about this place is that they sell Ice Cream Sandwiches.  Sounds simplistic, right?  Wrong.

First off, this place is in Westwood.  I actually got to see UCLA from the outside(which was really cool, for the lack of a better word, and I didn't even know it was THAT near).  That, and the line was so long that it was worse than Tito's - no hyperbole there, but it was worth the wait, I got 3 dozen cookies for 11.75.  Not bad.  But I don't think the dude gave me thirty six...

However, here are some of my highlights at Diddy Rieses:

1. Indian Boner Jamz - Nik needs to burn me that CD.  That, and the annoying German Song that if Chris White heard it again, he would kill himself.

2. Just Dood It - Lynora gave me the suggestion for this shirt.  And I will do it.

3. Nik's Ice Cream Sandwich - I remember it was a snickerdoodle with some ice cream in the middle.  Gave me a culinary boner, nonetheless.

But seriously, I'm going to go back there someday and get an ice cream sandwich for myself...

At the actual lock in, I put my cookies down by my bag (you know where this is going).  I played some hoops with Patrick and Timmy, then decided to go on the pool, swim, and play some kinda "monkey-in-the-middle" kind of game, just tossing around water polo balls, and wrestling our asses off, I guess (obviously Lifeguards had to stop us there).  

When I got at the pool, I saw John (I hope Logan doesn't read blogs).  He said that he might not make it, so I was kind of upset, for a lack of a better word.  To come back from a sweet place (literally) to see him (yeah, he's extra special to a degree, no homo), I literally just took my shirt off, put my towel and shirt to the side and jumped in, only to tell me that I should have showered first.

Oops.

I could tell that the time lasted shorter than I thought, as it was already one in the morning (after all, you can only soak yourself in water for so long, or there's a time restriction for it to clean the filth of 85 delegates).  After playing in water, a lot of us dispersed into different places.  Some people were listening to Jason Butler's philosophies in life, some of us were playing HORSE, playing half court basketball shirts vs. skins, watching the half basketball game, racketballing, volleyball in the racketball room, basking in relaxation or hoarding a lot of food.

I'm pretty sure that people can attest to whichever statement as they know what they did after one in the morning.

After that, nothing happened, except this one event:

Me and Nina were walking together in the kitchen, as she wanted some cake.  She gets some for herself, and I playfully get some frosting, and put it in her face, and she goes on to say: "You did not just cake me".  I walk away to check the poker game that I was on (apparently, I went out too early).

I came back once again, and I asked her where she's been.  She said she's been walking around.  (I mean, really, what are better things to do than walk around?  Watch Slumdog Millionaire? Perhaps.).  She said that she wanted cake again.  And so we go to the kitchen, but this time, I distance myself away from her because I didn't want to get frosting on my face.  It's a terrible feeling.

She then asks me to come next to her, and I said no, since I'm paranoid of being caked and nothing else, to be quite honest.  She insisted that I was paranoid about something else (but I really wasn't - I tried to prove my point, but epically failed).  She said that if I didn't tell her what I was paranoid about, she would stop the conversation.  It happened.

I walked to the room, and saw Brandon's note lying around, and below that was a piece of paper and a pen.  It could only mean one thing:  Catharsis.

I don't exactly know what I wrote, but all I knew is that I was paranoid about what my life would be after Youth and Government.  Would I live a life of mediocrity once again, with a routine life of homework, sleep and tennis?  Would I meet people just as amazing as these people?

Ladies and Gentlemen, as I was writing this blog, I felt Peter Pan's presence around me as I never wanted to grow up.  I wanted to be a delegate forever.  Then I remember Case's voice:  Everything must come to an end.  Even if I want to avoid the inevitable and say "Should it?", I don't want to say it anymore as it is merely consolation, something that stimulates in my opinion a further cause for depression as it only stops the damage, and not repairs it.

In this lock-in, I finally accepted the fact that nothing lasts forever, as we have to move on, and keep writing chapters in our life.  Jamie told me as she hugged me tightly, that to take what I learned from here and apply it somewhere else, as I can do great things with it.  For people to have that much faith in me is truly amazing, powerful, and belongs to one of my memories that I can remember despite being shitfaced (referring to my last blog).

After writing this blog, I literally looked around the Y for Nina, only to give, and read it to her, saying that "If you want an answer, then this is your answer".  I read it with a tired and rather crappy accent, but it was well worth it.  That note, as she told me is now up in her wall (which is why I don't remember it word per word, but the concept of it I remember), and I almost killed three birds with one stone: My own satisfaction, to answer a question, and to make Jamie Buckley almost cry (unintentional however, but I was close, as she told me).

I got home, slept, and been uploading pictures for three hours now as well as composing this blog.  No grammatical edits, therefore full of errors, but try to stay with me when you read it.  

Tomorrow, I live my life once again.  But this time, I'm not alone.  I have 84 delegates in my heart, plus a couple statewide, ten advisors, and friends that are not in YnG lingering in my heart.  The thought of you guys makes me happy, and inspire me to do great things.  If it weren't for you all, I don't know what I would be doing today, or who my inspiration for every tennis game I play, or every meal that I cook.

The power of thinking without thinking - SAT Essay

"People usually assume that the quality of a decision is directly related to the time and effort that went into making it.  We believe that we are always better off gathering as much information as possible and then spending as much time as possible analyzing that information.  But there are times when making a quick judgment is the best thing to do.  Decisions made quickly can be as good without decisions made slowly and cautiously"

- Adapted from Malcolm Gladwell

(The content below is my SAT essay... cut off in thought, just straight up thirty minutes of bullshit.)

Picture it, a tennis match between the two greatest tennis players of all time:  Pete Sampras, and Roger Federe.  Flashes of elegance through movement by Federer and Herculean strength through his serve and volley game that Sampras exemplifies.  Rallies back and forth and one or the other could not break each other for neither is comfortable with their opponent's style.  The message that is being conveyed is is that a decision made quickly (Serve and Volley), or Federer's fluidity in court gives him more chances to win through the rally (which is usually longer than a serve and volley point), represents the slowly and carefully thought out decision, is just as good as the other depending on the player who makes them in the tennis court of life.

An example of a quick decision is the future.  I am a college peer counselor at my school, and I get to hear a lot of futures (prospective) by these people.  They mention the fact that they want to go to certain schools (USC, UCLA and such), but show uncertainty in the process of doing so, without the awareness of their performance in school or what their future is.  With uncertainty comes failure, but if one says at a childhood age that he or she pursues to be a doctor, works hard consistently, graduating valedictorian in middle, high school and college, then he or she is on the path to success.

A perfect example for a well thought out decision is an Iron Chef dish.  Given the fact that the Iron Chef nor his opponent know what the secret ingredient is, along wit with the fact that they have to make five dishes in a span of an hour will drive them bananas (no food pun intended - but definitely obvious).  Even though they are only given fifteen minutes to make a "quick" decision, it might as well be thought out for these chefs have vast knowledge of food unlike the kids I peer counseled who have no awareness of their future, their major, or what their breakfast is tomorrow.  However, a well thought out decision is a double edged sword.  I remember watching Top Chef and a judge asked if the contestant if he or she had a solid plan coming to the finale and said now, to which her explanation was: "If I planned to cook a certain dish for the finale and the ingredients were not there, then I'm screwed".  This shows that sometimes.....

Time's Up.

Stupid time limits.