A look back at 2014, and Welcome 2015!

2014
I reflect back at 2014 and remember the times where I learned great lessons and chose to share with others:

• losing the chance to be on the chess team. Pride hath a fall. 
• completing grade 5 Math was most fun this year!
• in my basketball clinic, I learned that you should never hold back (read about it in my fabulous post!) 
• from the Big Apple Circus I learned that the human body has a lot of flexibility, stay fit!
• from the fiction stories I have written, I have learned to be creative. I enjoyed every moment of it

2015

• I plan to finish Precalculus  (after Grade 8 Math, Algebra I, II, and finally Precalculus)
• Learn 40,000 new spelling words
• Became a 1500 in chess.com. Also get on the travel chess team
• Read 4000 page books
• Become more mature

Even though I am thinking positive about the new year, who knows what surprises and challenges await me?

I will love to grow and celebrate my birthday and I want to welcome hard work too. 

Wishing you a Happy New Year!

New Year's Resolution : Help my parents stop fighting but focus on my self too. 

Writing Girl (WG)

Quotes from the Writing Girl

As I sat on my desk to reflect on the passing by year 2014, these quotes below and just my raw thoughts influenced my year. Hope some other people will be able to relate to these as well!

1. Always love being yourself

2. Always think positive, but know the truth                            

3. Never hold yourself back
4. Never give up
5. Make fun of yourself, it feels good afterwards
6. When you make mistakes, don't defend them. Instead look back at them and improve
7. Always be thankful
8. Always stand up to a bully. Never be quiet when dealing with one, stand up for yourself
9. Never be scared of anything
10. Take care of your body. You'll look good and feel good if you do so
11. Be creative, it will keep you unique
12. Enjoy life, live in peace and have fun. Anyway, life is too short to fight
13. Be flexible, it will take you to unknown paths in life
14. Be open to new surprises and challenges that await you
15. Let work feel like play. That way, one will always be playing and loving life
16. Think big, bigger, best; you bet!
17. Help yourself before you help others
18. Be confident
19. Believe in yourself
20. Don't brag or boast
21. Look for problems around you, then do your best to solve or help solve
22. Don't make excuses, its 100% your loss

I think I should stop here, I'm thinking way too big. But hey, it feels good and my stuffed head feels so much lighter now.

Swimming

Swimming is a very challenging sport. First, when you do a flip turn you have to watch out because you can get water up your nose. It’s hard to hold your breath too long. Second, it takes a lot of time to learn to dive properly. It took me seven weeks to learn to dive because I usually do a belly flop. Third, it takes a lot of time to learn your strokes. There’s Breaststroke, Butterfly, Freestyle and Backstroke. In Butterfly I keep my hands inside the water when they are supposed to be out. I make mistakes in Breaststroke too. Even though swimming is a challenging sport, it’s all worth it after you finish.

Holding back..

This past weekend, I was at a basketball clinic where high school varsity players would coach the elementary players. I was excited and was looking forward to the clinic where I would meet varsity players. Soon I was in the the gym; I looked around and realized I was  the only girl. What? in grade 3 and grade 4, 70 students signed up, and 69 of them boys? I looked around and not only there were no elementary girls, there was also not a single girl varsity player. Thinking I was in the wrong gym, I ran out to find where the girls clinic was. I soon learned, I was in the right gym and was terribly disappointed. Because I was the only girl who signed up, I would be playing with the boys team.

At that moment of realization, I had a feeling I should go home. I was so lonely. I tried to shoot with the boys during warm-up when one of the boys took my ball and wouldn't give it back. With wet eyes, I started walking towards my mom standing far away. The boy came running from behind and returned the ball which got me back into the court. Shortly, one of the coaches lined up the players and the drills began. I enjoyed the running, pacing, dribbling, but something in me was holding me back and I still wanted to leave.

By now I had made a couple of friends around me waiting in the queue. Soon I realized we were all just people playing a game and having fun. Why should it matter if its girls or boys? I followed my feelings and stayed, I thought it was fun.

I think girls should not hold themselves back and do what they want no matter what. It may be difficult and lonely in the start, but then if we continue to love what we do and are having fun, it wouldn't matter who is around us.