Konnichiwa from Texas! =D

I'm sorry that I have not updated since January. There has been a lot of things going on and I have not been on the internet much lately. School is pretty busy, and I have been doing a lot of choir stuff, too.

I now have a boyfriend =D We have been going out since Febuary 9th, and I have known him actually for 4 years since we used to go to school together. I have actually had a big crush on him since the first day I saw him, and then he dropped out of school 2 or 3 years ago, he got his GED though (basically a diploma that's not from school) and has been working ever since. I have always liked him and we tried to get together and hang out this past summer I think? but it didn't work out because of his schedule. I happened to be at an anime convention with my older brother and his roommate from college on Febuary 9th and I happened to just look out of the doorway and saw him go by. I thought I had seen him so went after him LOL and it was him, and we hung out most of the night and started dating then. His name is Jasper, and he's Korean. I have always liked him but once I told my friends that I was going out with him, they were accusing me of only going out with him because he's Asian. THAT is NOT the case LOL but anyways, it's almost been 2 months since we've been going out ^_^ and he's going to Prom with me ^.^ (actually I'm forcing him to go since he doesn't like dancing that much LOL but Prom is a dance that only the Senior high school class can go to unless a senior asks someone else to it that's younger or does not go to the school)

Let's see...I think that's all that has really happened, except that I went to Kansas City, Kansas for a choral director's convention, and it snowed while I was there!!! I was sooooo happy!! XD I love snow ^.^ I took a lot of pictures but I have not uploaded them to the computer yet. Though because of that choir trip I missed seeing Matsumoto Jun in Las Vegas where they were filming some of the Hana Yori Dango movie, which made me mad because it seemed that some fangirls got to see him pretty up close except the managers kept telling him and the other actors not to talk to them, shake hands, etc. =/ though he did some and so did Mao. I like Jun by the way and Hana Yori Dango so that's why I was mad that I could not get to see him/them filming.

ok, well here's an update from me and at least you all know that I have not fallen off the face of the earth LOL

Jya!

I hope everyone is having a great new year! ^_^

Sorry I have not written in awhile...

For Christmas I got a Japanese cuisine cookbook from my big brother, a new cellphone (a Motorolla W490 in purple -->
what my phone looks like
), and a rare out of print version of Tackey & Tsubasa's debut album that is known as the "bag" version because it comes in an envelope with Tackey & Tsubasa on it (sort of reminds me more of a vinyl record cover than an envelope though), the album, a poster, and 5 big pictures of Tackey & Tsubasa that come in a black bag thing ^^

I got perfume from my mom's mom, a $50 giftcard to Old Navy (a clothing store), and $100 XD

I also got from my dad's sister a $40 giftcard to Old Navy, a Japanese looking (I don't know if it's actually japanese or not) jewelery box that black and silver and the lid is silver with black cherry blossoms painted on it, and a sterling silver necklace with a heart pendant that has 2008 engraved in the middle (that's because I'm graduating this year in May or June...they have changed the school schedule so I do not know when we are getting out of school since we started later than normal).

lets see...

Yesterday I went ice skating twice, once with my twin brother then with my big brother, and I have not been ice skating before yesterday in 8 years. I think I did well, but the skates rubbed blisters on my right leg and it's bruised where the top of the skates hit my leg (the shin area and ankles) because I either tied them too tight or the shoe strings kept loosening up and the tongue of the skate would move and rub into my leg/ankles and the skates were leather. The first time I wore the wrong kind of sock because they did not go past my ankle so I did not have anything to protect my ankles/legs from the leather skate. The second time I wore long thick socks ;) I only fell twice but that was because my twin brother was about to fall and he stopped but we were holding hands so I twisted around a fell but it was not a fall fall, I just slowly went onto my knees then down on the ice. The second time there was a group of women standing in the middle of the rink and I was going one way to go around them while my brother was wanting to go the other way (we were holding hands still...for some reason it's always better to hold someone's hand while skating to help you balance) and the difference in going the other ways made me spin around, and I grabbed my brother but it did not help me from falling and slowly fell down again LOL and hit one of the ladies...more like pushed her some when I was falling =P Then later when I went with my big brother I almost had a collision with another girl and we were both like =oand she tried to stop but fell LOL and we were both laughing asking if the other was alright which we were, and I am guessing she was friends with the skating rink guard because he came over and said to her "I told you to skate, not to fall" =P Anyways, it was fun ^^

Tomorrow (January 4) is my big brother's birthday, he's turning 23. We got him some nice gifts but I do not want to put them here just in case if he were to read my blog, it might spoil it for him.

jya!

I got accepted into Texas State University XD
Now all I have to worry about is the audition and music theory test that I have to take to get to major in Music (Music Business/commercial music/whatever it is called these days).

Work is going somewhat better, I have worked the cash register 3 times now ^^; I have been working weekends now and it's busier than during the week.

My grandfather is doing better =) He had knee replacement surgery, and he got an infection from it and he had a mild stroke after the surgery so he's been having trouble using his upper body strength. He's been in the hospital for 2 months, and on Thanksgiving he got to come home and watch the Dallas Cowboys football game. I got to talk to him a lot since the ones that usually talk to him were cooking and I always feel as if I'm interupting when he's talking to others. He went back after we ate dinner and I called him yesterday to tell him about me getting accepted into Texas State but he didn't pick up the phone, but he called me today and he said that I did not know how proud he is of me ^_^ (meaning he's really proud/happy) and that maybe in a few weeks he will get to finally go home. He's been walking with a walker and he has been getting more upper body strength so he can move around better.

Christmas is in 24 days XD I want to set up our tree and outside Christmas lights tomorrow ^.^

Crap...that means finals are coming up soon 0_o I better start studying I guess, though our teachers have not given us study guides/reviews for the finals yet.

I have also taken a lot of pictures that I want to show you, but it's midnight here and I'm tired, I worked today....I will post them later sometime.

I hope everyone is in good health and is staying warm if it's cold where you are ^_^

Jya ne

I have started training at my job at the cafe. It's pretty hard trying to remember all of the tea, smoothie, and coffee combinations. Hopefully I'll get better at it ^_^ On my 2nd day of work, I messed up on 2 drink orders -_-" I got scolded silently LOL I felt really bad about it, but the owner's son who was working there said that all of them mess up and that it will be okay. I tried answering the phone but the people that would call would talk in Vietnamese, which I don't know at all ^_^; so I'm having to hand the phone to Peter (owner's son) or the owner. I don't know how to work the register yet, and I don't know how to work the drink order list...the owner was trying to show me that they write down all of the orders so we know what to make and what size, with or without pearls, etc. but I can't really read her handwriting. I guess I'm goint to have to study her handwriting so I know what to make and not make the wrong thing or add pearls when they didn't want any. I am working Mondays and Wednesdays right now (they are closed on Tuesdays) until I learn how to make more drinks.

I have also been working on my college application. I wrote my essay for the application already, but I have not had someone else outside of my family read it and edit it yet. I have to have everything on my application turned in by December 1st to see if I can get a scholarship for college.

I took my SAT (it's a standard national test you have to take if you are going to college) 3 weeks ago. I just got the score back and I either got a 1570 on it or a 1630 because the rules are not very clear on how to add up all of the sections. The highest amount you can make on the SAT is 2400. I think I only needed to make an 1180 on the SAT to get into Texas State University based on my class ranking. But, I did make higher than half of the total score ^_^ so I guess that means I did pretty well for not having much time to study for it.

I will write later ^^

I'm sorry I have not written in about a month -_-" I have been meaning to, but just have not gotten to it...

I think I am now sick =( I don't feel too good, so I'm guessing I got a bug from school, or going to the elementary school to sing the National Anthem with my choir last Friday, or it's from stress.

I want to drop my pre-calculus class because I am spending 3 hours a night on just my pre-calculus homework when I have other homework to do from other classes. I don't want my grade point average to drop because of this class. I am spending so much time on my pre-calculus stuff that I'm not doing as well as I could be doing in my other classes. I also don't have to take pre-calculus to graduate or for college since I'm not going to be a math major, so I really want out of that class but my principal won't let me >.< My parents back me up on dropping this class, and my dad works with complicated math all day for his job and the kind of stuff we are doing in the pre-calculus class he has not seen in 37 years. They are going to talk to the principal and if she still won't let me drop the class, they are going to go to the school superintendent. I don't need this class and it's considered an "elective" class (something we choose to take, but don't need it to meet graduation requirements). Also, if I fail any of my classes I won't be able to compete in choir contests or go to Kansas City with my choir to sing at a national convention we got picked to sing at (like 500 choir groups entered and 16 are picked). Anyways, hopefully this will all straighten out soon ^^

I got a job XD I start training on the 22nd, it's at a cafe that makes bubble tea/smoothies, sells ice cream and some Vietnamese food. I know everyone that works there so hopefully it will be okay. It's going to be hard to remember all of the different drink combinations and the difference in the sizes of the drinks. That's why I start training first so I can learn how to make them.



I have some pictures to show ^_^


This was at my highschool's football game ^^ My highschool is in the blue.

before the game started

Downtown Austin seen from the football stadium

we were playing the San Marcos Rattlers

this is the thing that the football players come out of when they annouce our school's football team at the beginning of the game

My highschool's cheerleaders

the cheerleaders

My highschool's drill team (dance team), the Trojan Belles

tackle

hut hut! =P

he's catching the ball! TOUCHDOWN!

The harvest moon during the football game ^^

We lost 21 to 24...it was a good game. Only if our team would catch the ball, we would have won ^^;

I took this picture early Saturday morning of the Moon and Venus

the sun's coming up ^.^

I'm still surprised I could see Venus after the sun came up

Sunday (today for me) afternoon after a rain shower and the sun is starting to set

the sun setting

creepy clouds to the west of the sun set It was weird, the light was hitting the top of the clouds and the bottom of the blouds had rain in them...it was sort of like the clouds you see when a hurricane is coming.

the sun set

Last weekend I went to the Botanical Gardens here in Austin for choir pictures for the Kansas City pamphlet, here are some pictures from there ^^

a little turtle!! kawaii, deshou? it was about 2.5 cm in diameter

water lillies

purple water lillies

a purple/pink-ish water lilly

the clouds

in the "oriental garden" area...it was a pretty pond

Bamboo...I felt like Yoshitsune near it =P

more water lillies

a rainbow over downtown Austin which I saw on the way back home

sunsetting

sun setting more =P

I think that's it for now ^_^ I will try to write more...I know I always say that, but I do mean it ^^

Sarah

The entry was too long apparently o_0

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x212/SarahskybirdTX/vlcsnap-496943.png
A screencap of Tsubasa walking on a show to show you a camparison between the 2 (the only difference is the head angle), he's the one in the solid gray-ish shirt and black jeans.


That's it for now...I need to put the rest of the pictures I have taken onto my computer from my camera, and hopefully sometime this week/Monday I will post them here ^_^

Jya!

Hi! Sorry I have not written in awhile -_-; School started back for me on Monday.

I have Pre-Calculus first period and it's the SAME math teacher I had last year that was really crappy >.< On the first day she didn't teach us what was on 2/3s of the homework and it was a new math technique thingie that I'd never seen before in my life and I didn't know how to do it. Well, I guessed wrong on it of course. She assigned problems 1-53 odd on the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 0.0 That's way too much, especially since she didn't even teach it to us! She said sorry the next day like this happens on rare occasion, but she does this ALL THE TIME. Thursday's homework she assigned 1-3 all (which had 3-4 parts to it, with figuring out the function, graphing, etc.) then 1-49 odd o_0 My brother only had 1-6 all in that same packet from a different teacher. I got to problem 19 and stopped because I'm NOT going to spend 5 hours on pre cal homework that I don't know what to do and I had 20 literary terms I needed to define, and outline on the orgin of English and bookwork for Government I had to do. She appologized again Friday, saying she "didn't do this before she assigned it to us, so she didn't know how long it was though she usually does the assignments before she gives it to us" >.<

I'm thinking of dropping it all together because my dad said you don't use any of it in the real world anyways (he works with math and numbers all day and makes programs, etc.) and that I don't need it to graduate, it just looks good if you take it. What I see is would having pre-cal on my college application thingie look good though it lowered my grade point average (GPA) or having a higher GPA and not having the class? Grrrr...I talked to my counselor today about it, saying I can't "grasp" her teaching technique because she isn't really a bad person, but she just can't teach it right and I'm not the kind of person to get teachers in trouble cuz quite frankly, I'm scared they are going to fail me or something of that nature if I do. She told me I can't drop unless I go through the new principal because I "didn't change my schedule before August 1" so I have to take it (new principal's rules). I can write a complaint to the head of the Math department, but like I said I'm scared of doing that kind of thing. I also don't want to switch to another class because my schedule other than the pre cal is absolutely perfect for the first time. Everything is timed so well, and I have at least one friend in each class. PE is my last period before my off-period so if I'm hot and sweaty, I dont have to take a shower in the locker room or go into my classes sweaty and smelly. I also asked her if she could see if there was another pre-cal class for first period with a different teacher but she said that she couldn't switch my teachers because others will come in wanting to switch their teachers and she doesn't want 5,000 kids coming in wanting a different teacher.

I told Ms. Wheat (the math teacher) that I'm having a hard time with the homework and grasping her technique and that I wanted to drop, then she said that she doesn't think it's her technique because "(you) did well in my class last year" ummmm, I don't consider making C's DOING WELL o_0 (between 0-100, 100 is the best (A) and I made 70s (C's) in her class)but she said she'd understand if I dropped. I wanted it to seem that it wasn't really because of her, because I don't really like doing that kind of thing, and I'm afraid she would feel guilty about it because she is a nice person, just not a good teacher. My big brother loved her when he had her a few years back, but apparently she has changed. My mom says that she's going to make them change teachers or drop the class even if she has to go through the principal. One talk from my dad and I'm sure to have a different teacher/dropped out of it ;)

Anyways, on to good news!!!

I found out the Korean kid's name!!! XD Finally!! I had worked up the courage to talk to him in the lunch line last year and I found out that he was from Seoul and came here because of his dad's work, but I never got his name. He is very shy. Want to see my shady vid of him I took in the lunch line?? LOL he was soooo much cuter though because he had poofy fluffy fufu hair back then but he's keeping it short now =( (he's the one in the white and red jacket...he's sooooooooooooo skinny!!)http://youtube.com/watch?v=cyDXg74oe8o

So how I got his name... He was in the same gym class period (all the classes meet/are in the gym) as me, and when they made roll call I could not hear his name because it was at the other end of the gym so I thought it was Tom or something. Then on Thursday I didn't see him there! and at lunch I had seen him because me and Shawna were in the lunch line that ran next to the Asian table and he was RIGHT THERE next to us sitting at the table =^_^= So I got worried that somehow he knew about me stalking finding info on him and that I scared him away LOL I didn't see him today, either, so I felt sad....then after walking out of PE (I was staying for the pep-rally for the football game Friday) I was going to the choir room because I wanted to ask Mr. Dill if I could stay with him before the pep rally since it was my off period and who do I see walking out of the class? WHO??? the one and only Korean kid XD He's in beginning choir! kyaaaaaaaaa!!! I asked Mr. Dill what his name was and it's Tong XD I was grading quizzes for Mr. Dill and I graded his and he got a 100 XD I asked Mr. Dill how good of a singer he was and he said he was really good and that he would totally make region (it's a singing competition between people that live like 30 miles around this area...just to let you know, I've never made region in HS LOL I did in 8th grade though...I get too nervous because they are not allowed to see you when you sing so there's a curtain in front of you and it freaks me out)He's Tenor 2, so he sings pretty high (the equivalent of a soprano 2 but 1 or 2 octives down the scale) XD ahhhh I wanna hear him sing now!!! This is the perfect opprotunity to talk to him now though because the choir retreat is coming up on the 7th ahhhhhhhhhhhh~~~~ My friend Michael was saying that I should threaten Mr. Dill to make him my little (choir) brother (we do a thing where we pair with first year choir kids and help them out with choir, peer stuff, just hang out, etc.) ^_^
ooohh~~ I can't wait for choir dodgeball at the retreat!! Last year that's how I talked to the foreign exchange student from the Philippines (who I liked after talking to him) because he got hit in the face and had a bloody nose and I helped him LOL. 3 other people got bloody noses that night, too, from dodgeball ^^;

I also met this guy in Speech class that is dominican/panamaian (? he was just born there though)/filipino and he lived in Okinawa for 6 1/2 years because his dad was stationed there ^_^ I knew a lot more stuff on Japan than he did LOL I think I scared him a little because of that =P But he told me he would move back there if he could, he really liked it there and the beaches were really pretty and the people were nice/polite there. He said the only thing he regreted was that he never learned Japanese there. He also said he still sometimes walks to the left side of the car to get in ^^; and that when they first came back to the US his mom would drive on the wrong side of the road LOL

Here are some pictures that I have not put up yet that I took and have been meaning to show you all:

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x212/SarahskybirdTX/DSCN2036.jpg
I took this through my sunglasses...

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x212/SarahskybirdTX/DSCN2040.jpg
a spider web.

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x212/SarahskybirdTX/DSCN2054.jpg
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x212/SarahskybirdTX/DSCN2052.jpg
a weird spider I had never seen before...I hate spiders by the way LOL I almost ran into this one when I was mowing the backyard.

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x212/SarahskybirdTX/DSCN2072.jpg
a picture of a heart-shaped cloud I took ^_^

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x212/SarahskybirdTX/DSCN2104.jpg
Omurice I made XD

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x212/SarahskybirdTX/DSCN2110.jpg
Raspberry Bavarian pie I made =)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/redheadrocks/1tsubasaspotted2.jpg
Picture Tsubasa in Osaka that I took with a webcam, I'm like 98% sure it's him, he was in Osaka for his World's Wing 翼 Premium shows.
# by SarahskybirdTX | 2007-09-02 03:05

If you have been reading online/newspaper you might have read that Tropical Storm Erin is going to hit Texas tomorrow. I don't know what they call a Tropical Storm in Japan, I think it still might be called a typhoon in Japan. The sustained winds are 64.3 km/h (40 mph) and it's going to bring a lot of rain to Texas (also in my area) that's already had too much rain this summer. I think everything's going to be okay here, just a lot of rain. Here's a satellite picture of the storm:
http://news.yahoo.com/photo/070815/480/4332e733284f48f792fd5713b1c437c2

I sort of wish I could see it coming on shore but I know that it's dangerous and that everyone's going to jam the highways trying to get out of its path. I have seen pictures of tropical storms/hurricanes coming on shore before, and the clouds look really neat.

There's also another disturbance in the Atlantic ocean heading towards the Gulf of Mexico that can possibly turn into a Hurricane/typhoon and they're thinking it could possibly hit Texas, too o_0 It'd have to become a category 5 hurricane to affect Austin with hurricane-like winds/rains/tornadoes though, other than that we just get a lot of rain from them (sometimes some strong storms with winds).

Jya! I'll write later ^^

Gomen!! I keep meaning to post, but then something comes up and I forget ^^;

I got my Tackey & Tsubasa Samurai CDs on the actual release date =o I've never had them on the release date before, it's usually 3-4 days after the relase, so I was happy ^_^ If you don't have Samurai yet, I think you should buy it because it's a really good single =D

I've been sick lately due to allergies -.- but I'm getting better ^^

I think I spotted Tsubasa in Osaka (where his dance performance "World's Wing 翼 Premium 2007" is being held) by using one of the online webcameras!! XD I didn't see his face, but I took some pics of him though the camera wasn't moving as fast as he was walking -_-; I'm pretty sure it was Tsubasa because it was the kind of clothes he wears, the way he walks, his pose while waiting, his watch, etc. ^___^ I think I spotted him this morning, but I'm not so sure on that ^^;

The 18th is coming up XD That's the day 24hourTV is and Tackey & Tsubasa are hosting it!! so please watch! ;) Takki's also a lead role in the drama for 24hourTV, he plays the father of a boy with cancer, it looks like it's going to be really good/tear jerker ^^ Takki has also said he wants families to watch the drama together =)

I'll write later, and post some pics, ok? Mata ne!

Is everyone okay?? I hear that there's a Typhoon going through Okinawa right now and that it could go into the Tokyo region by tomorrow -.-' Please be safe and take precautions! also listen to what the authorities are telling you all. Do not go outside if there are high winds because debry can hit you. Don't cross water covered roads either, though it may look like it's just a little flowing water, it doesn't take much to move you or your car off the road into the flood waters.

Stay safe!!!