1. I was mesmerized when I saw this optical illusion.

-How to see Jesus; Concentrate on the four dots in the middle for about 30 seconds. Then close your eyes. The image will be blurry but keep your eyes closed for at least 30 seconds. Leave a comment if you see Jesus :]

2. The night the prom came, every boy and girl were dressed impeccably from top to bottom; wearing shimmering dresses, well-ironed tux, and neatly-done hair.

3. After watching the brutal murder of my best friend, I was petrified with fear seeing her little finger twitch for the last time.

4. My eyes were burnt and hot, everything suddenly blurry as his image shrunk slowly away after I tried to dissuade him from leaving.

5. The crowd was buzzing; some cheering her name, some holding up big signs, some singing her songs. It was chaotic, but we were all here to see her.

6. My Dad negotiated an important business deal with the other chefs from the state.

7. Skimming through my glass shelf of trophies, I held up the newest one, looking at my reflection on the golden surface as I grinned at my latest acquisition.

8. The press corps gathered together to summarize the whole incident that just happened in a farm on the outskirts of town.

9. I played with the one of the aps on my Dad's iPhone, where a cat would be mimicking whatever I said.

10. Looking down on the coffin before it was closed, there was a long silence just to commemorate the dog that had been with us for 17 years.

Make Judgements - How does Don Anselmo's sense of duty and honor conflict with the narrator's? Who is right? On what basis can you make that decision?

I think that Don Anselmo is right. The reason for that is because firstly, the narrator asked to buy the land, but he never went into details about what he was about to buy. Therefore if there was any fault, it would be his for not inquiring the properties of the land or about the land itself, for he only talked about doubling the price of the land and trying to convince Don Anselmo to take the option. Secondly, Don Anselmo had a sense of duty and honor because the trees were not his, so if he did sell them because it was on his land, he would lose his duty of keeping the trees there for his descendants, which will make him a not very honorable man, and we did not know that until the very end when he explained about how his mother and himself had planted a tree for a child, and how the orchard belonged to the children of the village. The narrator never asked of the trees, so there was no reason for Don Anselmo to answer it, for it did not belong to him anyway. So overall, Don Anselmo was right for not saying what he could have said at the beginning.


-xoxo-

1. We're always fighting over the clothes we think are cute, but since we're best friends we both come down to a negotiation before the friendship turns into nothing.

2. The grands of sand on Long Beach are innumerable.

3. The United States of America has lots of states, in which all has boundaries to claim their own property.

4. We are the modern descendants of monkeys.

1. I squeezed through the crowd as my heart thumped louder with each beat. When I got there, people we're scattering away from the dead body; the commotion was over.

2. The zig-zagged lines across the screen started to turn straight with a beeping sound that was so earsplitting, it might've cracked the nearby window. The test foundered and the person was not with us anymore.

3. I slowly stepped into the room; clothes were dumped on the floor, perfume bottles dropped and broken, the furniture all crooked. My heart sank just looking at the ruin.

4. The land was quiet and calm after a long day of hard rain, and sea surrounding the island was inert.

Make Judgements - Do you think Terry made the right decision about questioning his father on his experiences in Vietnam? Why or why not?

I think Terry made the right decision because without knowing the reason why his father was acting strange, Terry would still have that feeling of embarrassment. Understanding what his father went through made him feel empathetic for his father, and that is important because it is better to understand people before you judge them. Terry tried to imagine what his father went through as he was telling the story, and he was feeling it as well, being able to step into his father's shoes and finally realizing that he was wrong for being mortified of his father. I think knowing the motivations of someone before judging them creates a sense of realization and understanding, and that's what made Terry's choice correct.


-xoxo-

“Daddy, look out!” I shrieked and shielded my eyes as the car jerked right and my seatbelt tightened. The car bounced to a stop as my body flopped back down to the creamy-beige leather seat.

“Liana, what is it?!” My Dad’s hands were still on the steering wheel as he glared at me with horrific eyes. I twisted my neck back to find the little girl in a flowery dress I saw five seconds ago, who was now nowhere to be seen. My jaw dropped open as I cried,

“Daddy, you ran over the little girl holding Curious George!” I rubbed my eyes and fixed my strawberry blond hair.

“Honey, there was no one there,” he looked at me with suspicion, then squirmed back in his seat and adjusted his seatbelt, “Maybe it was just your imaginations. I’ve got to get you to school or we’ll both be late.”

I opened my mouth to protest but something caught my eye in the side mirror. The little girl waved, shrinking slowly as we headed the opposing direction.

I peered through my side-bangs to see the lunch lady smiling, “Liana, hamburger?”

I murmured a ‘thank you’ and ran off looking for a seat. It was only the second week of ninth grade and still, I had no friends. Spotting a redhead sitting alone, I decided to make her feel comfortable. I placed my food onto the wooden table and claimed the seat next to her. “Hi, I’m Liana Crown, and you must be…?”

She swiftly pushed her carrot-colored bangs out of her eyes, “I’m Margaret.”

We chatted for a while, and I found out that she was also born here in Atlanta, Georgia. She had a love for cats and used to go to this school. Wait… used to?!

Suddenly, the whole cafeteria was drowned with giggles and snorts. I glanced up to see what was going on, only to find that everyone was laughing at me.

“What a weirdo!”

“She must be a real loser.”

“Principal Adams, Liana Crown is talking to herself!”

Margaret quickly mouthed an apology and lightly touched my shoulder. It went right through me. Startled, I jumped up and started running out, down the hall and outside into the streets. Soon, I could hear footsteps right behind me. Five or six white-coated arms attacked me and a huge stabbing pain numbed my whole body.

Andrew Bale. That was who he said he was. He was sixteen. His shaggy brown hair was in disarray, but his emerald green eyes shone brightly against his tan skin. He said he was a sorcerer. He told me I was in a School for the Supernatural disguised as a mental hospital just to keep the normality on Earth. He really was ill.

            That night, I lie in a canary yellow bed, in a sky blue-painted room. The lights were out but I could see the neon stars stuck onto the ceiling. How long did they say I had to stay here for? I closed my eyes and cleared my mind completely.

“Liana, I need your help.”

My eyes shot open. Hovering above me was an old man; his face was bruised and covered with scars and scratches. His ragged clothes were bloody and ripped and stained with dirt. I let out a yelp then quickly covered my mouth before I woke anyone up.

“Who are you and how do you know my name?!”

“I’m Russell. I died two years ago because I was beat up and shot, and my wife has been lonely and miserable ever since. So would you give her this letter I wrote a week before I was killed? It’s like my will.”

            Backing up slowly, I sprung out of bed and charged pass the old man to the window. I struggled to open the window as he grabbed my arm… or tried to. It went right through! I stared at him with a look I had on when I found out my boyfriend cheated on me with my best friend, a mixture of disgust and horror. He retreated. “Please, Liana. I can’t step into the light yet, my business with the living is not done. Please.”

            I climbed out the window and slid down the pipe. A few cuts and burns but I survived. I speeded across the lawn and was about to lift myself up onto the iron gates when my leg was seized by an unbelievably strong grip. I landed in Andrew’s arms and he carried me into the backyard and dropped me. The night sky turned a shade of dark purple and the stars were scattered among the galaxy and beyond.

“What do you want?!” I snapped, brushing off the dirt on my bum.

“You’re a necromancer. You can call for and raise the dead, you can help souls with their unfinished business,” he stopped short. “What you’ve been seeing isn’t your imaginations. You’re seeing ghosts. You need to learn how to control your powers or you’ll accidentally summon a soul back into its decomposed body without knowing how to set it free. Take the necromancers’ class. You’ll know more.” He smiled. He was cute… for a mental patient.

            A few days later everything was normal again. Russell kept showing up now and then. It must be my schizophrenic imaginations, because his filthy image was unforgettable. I was finishing up with breakfast when my Dad showed up.

“Daddy!” Joy filled my body and my heart did somersaults as I ran over to give him a big hug. He dodged. Confused, I asked, “Daddy, what’s wrong? Don’t you miss me? Please tell me you’re here to take me away from this place.”

Andrew entered from the living room, “Liana, a letter arrived a few minutes ago… saying that your Dad died in a car accident,” he paused. “I’m sorry.”

The smile on my face disappeared and a look of shock replaced it. My eyes went blurry and my lip quivered as I put all the pieces of the puzzle together.

The little girl with Curious George, Margaret, Russell; they were all souls no one saw. They were souls with unfinished business, unable to cross over. I was a necromancer. I could hear them, I could see them, and I could help them.

            Facing the fact, I slowly lifted my hands up to touch my Dad’s familiar face. Tears rolled down my cheek as I felt nothing. I stood there, crying hard and taking deep breaths. Andrew, who realized what was going on, came to my side and stroke my back. He was right all this time.

            I took one last deep breath and the crying hiccups ceased temporarily as I spoke, “I… love you, Daddy.” I turned and dashed upstairs into my room before my heart can permanently break. Andrew was close behind. I crouched down to the floorboard near the window where Russell dropped his letter trying to restrain me the other night.

“What are you doing? And what is that?” Andrew narrowed his brows as he tried to read the penmanship on the antique, yellowed paper.

            My eyes stung, and I quickly wiped away the snot and tears off my face with the sleeve of my shirt. “I’m going to give this to Russell’s wife. This was what I was meant for, right? To help souls go on. And as soon as I come back, I’m going to take that class for necromancers. My life won’t be normal anymore. But so what? This is my normal.”

Andrew smiled, “Let me get my keys.”

1. The basketball star shoots and, as if knowing he would, wears an arrogant look on his face when he scores.

2. I lied about who I was just to be with him, and now I can see the displeasure in his eyes as he turned and walked away.

3. I got startled when the little dalmatian ran into me, licking my calves, and I realized the lonely stray was benign, just looking for reassurance and a home.

4. She is the nicest girl ever; she accepts people no matter how they are and doesn't judge them. But she is intolerant of people who swear.

1. For a guy like Hitler, even if he is alive and caught, chances are that he will not rehabilitate himself.

2. I know he made a huge mistake, but he cried and begged for my forgiveness, and how mean would I be if I didn't give him clemency.

3. I strained my arms and legs to climb the tree, scrapes and bruises on my knees, but the butterfly was just too elusive.

4. The fight is over, and I just lost a friend, it is terribly a huge depressing anguish.

Simon Bae. His curly, brownish blond hair lay just below his ears. His crystal, blue eyes imitated the clear Atlantic Ocean, shimmering whenever light bounces onto the surface. His hard-rock shoulders complimented his stream-lined body. When he smiles, his teeth were so white they make pearls look dirty. His shirt was translucent, showing parts of his body, and when he walks, confidence seeps through him like a two-thousand dollar Calvin Klein cologne.

Hi Daddy,

     You have to come back to Vietnam soon. I know you are busy with your Japanese cooking with all the onion volcanoes and utensil tricks. But Vietnam’s a cool place too, and if you can start a new business over here, think of how much money you’ll be making! No one does that kind of cooking over here, and you’ll be starting a new trend. Everyone will want to do it, and you’re going to be one of a kind. Since you were born in Vietnam, you will find it easier to interact with the people over here. They will be interested in what you’re doing; where as people in America won’t be as much into it because most of them have that job in where you live.


     Having an unbelievable cooking talent like yours is a factor that every Japanese restaurant must have. And although America has the most resources and is more creative in ways of doing things, Vietnam is lacking that. So what you could do for OUR people is spread a unique way of making foods that we don’t eat here. Plus, we can be with each other more often. I miss you!

Your Princess,
ViVi ♥

1. The band only sang one song throughout the whole 60 minutes and with the concert so tedious, the audience left early.

2. On the dusty, archaic shelves, the books were stacked neatly and untouched.

3. Because her hands were trembling, she vaguely scribbled the word.

4. Lacking knowledge, he went around inquiring people of the science academy.

1. The sleepover is going to take up the whole night, and to kill time, my friend and I amiably paint each other's toenails.

2. It was presumptuous when he said he could win the Spelling Bee without even studying.

3. Credulity was a weakness that she couldn't overcome when the stranger took her into the dark alley.

4. The group home promised hospitality to the supernaturals.

5. As the rabbit grew old, its fur was gnarled and hard to comb.

1. The stage light shone on me unexpectedly, with sweat running down the apples of my cheeks, I made an impromptu speech to stall time.

2. Mr. Patrick was going on and on about how aliens look so different from us, and what they eat and do, so I was only tentatively listening to what he had to say.

3. I could feel the pupils in my eyes widen and my stomach fluttered with butterflies. I snapped out of looking at the guy intently when my friend slapped my arm.

4. Tears running down my face, ruining my make-up. So I went probing my bag for the compact mirror.

5. A thunder sounded. A lightning bolt struck. I looked up to see an ominous bank of clouds as precipitation falls.

I remember it all so clearly. People say it changed me. People think I’m crazy. But really, it happens to be a miracle, and I am perfectly fine; though I tend to talk more than I used to, way more. Until now, the accident seems so distant to me. But, every time I look in the mirror, it all comes back.

***

The wind blew in my face as I stepped out the front door. I wore a plain pink t-shirt with jean shorts and my aunt wore a simple green v-neck with white pants. She held a clutch (she wanted new clothes and being five years old, I wanted new toys). From the narrow road that our neighborhood was in, I looked out on the main street; motorbikes crammed each lane, polluting the air with smoke. I stared up into the purple-blue sky and because of the city lights, the stars were impossible to see.

My aunt started the engine and left her motorbike in front of our front steps. She said she forgot her helmet so she hurried inside and grabbed it off the shoe-shelf. As she adjusted her helmet, I reached for the motorbike. Climbing on with my right foot and swinging my left over, I held onto the handle bar for balance. At the same moment, I twisted it, and the engine began to roar. Hearing that, my aunt jumped on behind me and fiddled with the keys, hoping to pull it out. Unfortunately, everything happened in a blink. She failed to remove the keys out of the ignition and off I went.

For the first two to three seconds, the wind was blowing harder, and my gut went flying through my throat as if I was going down the highest and steepest roller coaster every! It was an experience I’ve never experienced before; like I was controlling the machine, which was ten times bigger than me. But as I was enjoying myself, my aunt thrashed and kicked. She jumped off to the left side, which physically adds force to the motorbike, sending me off to the other direction. My aunt let out a cry, and I took a quick glance. She landed on a heap of bricks that were used to build a house opposing ours, her watery eyes wide.

The motorbike's speed started slowing down, and it lost its balance. I crashed into one of my neighbor’s wall and the motorbike went down with me, crushing my legs. Big, heavy parts of the wall descended on my head, and my face was buried in the ground. My tongue tasted of pennies and blood, and I tried to swallow. My throat ached, and my eyes were wide open in the dirt, stinging my pupils. I blinked.

It took me exactly four seconds until I cried… of not pain, but fear.


Arms were wrapped around me, embracing me onto what felt like a bed. The arms were trembling, and I heard a woman’s voice screaming; my aunt. For a couple of minutes, I laid there. My eyes were closed, but I was as awake as ever. The ambulance alarm sounded, and I knew right then that everything was not okay.

I realized that I was on a portable bed and was being pushed. My eyelids were heavy but I braced myself to open them, even if it was just the slightest bit. Everything was white. It was all so unfamiliar to me. Where am I? I remembered thinking. I opened my eyes fully then, even though the smallest movement of muscles hurt me. I saw my aunt and a male doctor looking down at me, still pushing.

“Everything’s going to be okay. We’re going to get you fixed up,” he said.

I was stimulated. My lips parted and a whimper escaped. I didn’t want to be fixed. I wanted to be normal again. A hand rubbed my arm.

“I want… a female… doctor!” I finally got the words out, whining as I said them.

“Everything’s going to be okay,” he repeated, and that made me more frustrated.

I didn’t know what to say. It took every fiber of my body just to say something and I didn’t want to say something so unintelligent. I was pushed through more doors; double doors. When the portable bed stopped, I figured that I was in a room. There were many more doctors, all male. That frightened me.

The main doctor smiled and put on his mask. He held a huge needle, and that caught my attention. I was totally awake by then, but I was still weak. I managed to say, “Doctor, if you do a good job, I promise I’ll take you out for Pho.”

I felt the needle stabbing into my delicate skin, and before I could get the tears out, everything went black.

When I woke up, I lightly slid my fingers over my forehead. The room was empty and quiet, the only sounds being the steady footsteps of doctors outside. Three quarters of me wanted to grab the nearest object and started telling every single detail of what happened to me. The other quarter felt lively, and I was more than ready to spring out of bed and get back home. I felt different.

***

Now, I easily accept the harder things in life. I see the world differently, knowing that the most horrible things can happen to even the most normal people. I have learned that even when I was unconscious, the world was still constantly moving; with or without me. I am just one person and it was just a small accident; compared to those who didn't survive. The selfishness that was in my before is here no longer, because I am grateful of what happened. I am alive, and that's what matters.

I think that Charlie's situation is very similar to that of Adam and Eve's. Before Charlie was just this innocent and positive guy who's always honest about things around him, he listens to other people. Then just because he wants to be smart, he decides to do the operation. Just like Eve, she didn't listen and then she ate the apple of knowledge. Like Charlie just wants to be full of knowledge and he decided to do the operation when Ms. Kinnian said she wasn't sure if it was permanent or not. When Charlie became smart, the people around him doesn't think he's fun to mess with anymore, because he's not the naive guy he used to be. "If not for that none of us would ever have to grow old and sick, and die." If that's compared to Charlie's story, it means that if Charlie never got smart, everyone would still be making fun of him and having fun teasing him, and now they're just bored. Eve blushed when she saw that she was naked, and when Charlie lost his naivety, he blushed as well because he finally saw that the world wasn't all that nice.  To my opinion, I think it's kind of wrong because it's not right to make fun of low IQ people, so when they ignored him because he's smart, Charlie shouldn't really take it personally because he's finally figured out they're not his real friends. And without Adam and Eve, we wouldn't have clothes on and we would live forever and that would be really boring. That's what I think (:


-xoxo-

You're probably thinking of me if you're reading this :)
The name's ViVi & probably the only ViVi you'll ever know! ♥

Birthday? November 30th.
Where? Raleigh, North Carolina.
Why? Just because (:
Ethnicity? Half American/Half Vietnamese [: Aren't we soo RARE?!

Me, GIna, & Ami on the bus to Dam Sen.

Love to be colorful ♥ ~
& annoying.
& special in a way that no others are (;
in other words - UNIQUE! ♥

Hobbies? dancing, singing, shopping, reading, writing, and swimming.

No sibbys. thank God.
Daddy & friends are my family! [;

Currently writing a book (:
an UN-published book. it will be, soon :) ♥
Dream jobs? Part-time author & full-time orthodontist.

Big dreams I've got.. But i'm almost there ♥ (;

Me & Ami - Year end partayy!

Contact me at;
damnx_iloveyu@yahoo.com
EMERGENCIES ONLY!

-xoxo-


♥