from the beginning..
i was born on august 22, 1987. my birthplace was hong kong, back when it was still great britain's property. therefore, i am british nationality-wise. but my parents just got u.s. citizenship, so i am getting rid of british nationality and becoming american. (darn.. i want to be british, just like dan! *pouts*) i am full-chinese, even though i wish to be mixed. doesn't matter. i immigrated here to the u.s. in the middle of third grade. i realized that i tremendously miss my family in hk. i really miss how we go to my grandparents' house every sunday for dinner with the whole family. when i was younger, and before my grandparents moved to the place they live now, i used to go to the playground with my mom, my aunt, and my older cousins. this was before my little cousins were born. i would go on the slides and the swings, and then i would go play catch with my cousins. as i got older, i started to have a choice. before dinner, i would either stay at my grandparents' with my little cousins and play video games (sometimes my older cousins would stay too, just for the video games) or i'd go with my older cousins to this computer mall to look for pc games. then we would eat and play cards after dinner was over. i have to thank my older cousins for my cool deuces skills. ;)
i haven't realized how much i missed that place until i came back from vacationing hk during the christmas '02 to new years '03. hong kong is so amazing. everyone should go there at least once in his or her lifetime. the food is just incredible. everything is so delicious. we actually made a list of what to eat when we get back there, seeing how we want everything but only have 2 weeks to get them.
anyway, i still remember the exact date that we took the plane and came here. it was jan. 19, 1996. i started school in caroline wenzel elementary 4 days later, on jan. 23, 1996. so it was 7 years ago when i came here, and i was 8 at the time. i still remember who was at my little table-group thing in mr. schlossberg's class. it was me, maria, kenny, marcus, amanda, and i think chris. fine, maybe i don't remember. but i do remember getting an F on this worksheet because i don't know english that well, and i couldn't write cursive. (ironically, cursive's the only way i write now) i remember how during the first recess that i had here, we were playing jump rope. that was the good ol' days.
older.. but wiser?
years and years past, and i've met a lot of people during these years. some of the closest friends i've ever had i've met in elementary school. i tried to keep in touch with my friends from hong kong, but i've only managed to keep contact with one. it used to be two, but then one of them moved away and i didn't get her online contacts beforehand. but last time i went back to hong kong, which was the winter of '02-'03, i've met some of my friend's friends. thankfully, i still remember how to speak cantonese, or else there'll be some communication problem.
when i was in 6th grade, i started playing the violin. the reason why i got into it was pretty peculiar.. my parents didn't force me (for once) like they did for piano (which i quitted after two months). i think the scenario went something like this:
[setting: summer before 6th grade. hong kong. times square in causeway bay. window shopping.]
(my mom, my aunt, my cousin, and i passed by a music store)
me: mom, look! [points to a white violin]
my mom: [looks] what about it?
me: i want that!
my mom: you don't even know how to play.
me: can i learn?
[my mom drags me away, not saying anything]
next thing i know, it was october. i'm back in school in 6th grade. there was an anouncement about after school orchestra lessons. i was psyched about it. i went home, begged my mom, and she gave me the $10 (or was it $20?) for my lessons for the year. she then warned me that i better stick to it. and i'm proud to say that i have. why? i realized that i was actually good at that. for once, i was good at something. i remembered i self-taught myself "twinkle twinkle little star" the second day after i got the instrument. the sense of accomplishment was amazing.
what?
so anyway, we went from elementary school to middle school. for the years of 7th and 8th grade, i've attended sam brannan middle school, like most of my friends. i've met even more people there, but lost a couple as well. my best friend in 6th grade (and still is one of my best friends) went to a different school. that was all i could think about after 6th grade promotion. but soon i've adapted to the new school and environment without her. we've kept in touch, which i'm really thankful for because i get to go to the same school with her again.
i haven't realized how much i've missed middle school until we went back to visit one day during 9th grade. i missed everything about it. three out of four of my favorite teachers ever were in middle school. there were mrs. higgins for 8th grade english, mr. barrick for 8th grade pe, and ms. pella for 7th grade history. (the other one, if you're actually interested, was mrs. bassette from 6th grade)
isn't it crazy how you never realized how much something means to you and how much you'd miss it until after you've lost it? that, kiddies, is the lesson i've learned in my 15 years on this planet.
now..
after graduating (and trying to purposely fail) 8th grade, i've came to high school. freshman year went by awfully quick. i don't even remember what happened? i guess it's because i was gone for the summer before 9th grade, and so many things happened then. when i got back, i felt like everyone's hiding stuff away from me. i felt so lost and everything. i tried to ask what's going (being my nosey self), but no one would tell me. it sucked. and when i eventually find out little by little, everything was over. until now, i'm still always the last person to find out about everything. blah.
i think 10th grade is going to be influential on my life. (at least, my high school life) i think this is the year when i find out what i want.