Measuring knowledge.

Source of Stress Reliever: 天仁 (Ten Ren)'s 水密桃綠茶

The Ten Ren restaurant in our area seems to lose quality as the months go by. Not only have the drinks become so sweet that the drink is practically syrup going down my throat (well to tell you the truth, kiddies, it is syrup), but I don't taste that distinctive yet subtle green tea taste that I should normally perceive. My mom also noticed that her Rose Black Tea was too sweet and bland and began to complain to the Ten Ren's employees for its poor quality. It's good that Ten Ren gives pretty decent service by replacing our drink free of charge. Well since we did have to pay at least $3.00, they're bound to give some sound service.

I really really really dislike Elite. Ugh. The weather is just unbearable too.

Life just seems to be utterly simple yet complicating and boring now. Like school, summer school and SAT Prep is just a routine that I undergo nonstop from Mondays to Thursdays. I learn almost nothing in each class but to understand simple Algebra and Geometry that I learned some three or four years ago, some grammar here and there, oh and being bribed with candy. I guess the only thing I will find useful in preparing for the infamous and overrated SAT is the vocabulary. However, since I cram about 100 words per two days for a mere quiz, I've realized that I have no other purpose of learning these words but to avoid getting a demerit, nothing more.

Preparing for the SAT made me realized how unprepared I am for the real world out there, not to mention it just shows how mediocre my knowledge is. After looking at my scores, I just stare at it and contemplate whether or not I can even survive in the universities that I'm aiming for. In college, students learn more than just simple math or reading that the SAT gives. Instead, students are required to write pages of extended essays and reports from varieties of subjects. Staring down at my menial four paragraph essays that I write about propositions that are impossible to prove as absolute is simply useless. What kind of intelligence does the SAT measure? It cannot measure how smart one is in math since most of it is reasoning, and not straight-forward math. Writing just seems like a pattern of just looking for the same repeated mistakes that appear endlessly. Essays also follow in the same pattern, just decorated and elaborately ornamented with pretty words in which half of it is rubbish. Reading is full of passages that seems to be unanswerable and can be answered in different viewpoints.

What exactly does SAT prepare us for? Definitely not for college. The test appears to be just too elementary to measure our intelligence for college. Is it the only thing that can potentially determine where most of us will go? Sadly, most likely.

After getting a straight 4.0 unweighted GPA, I'm appalled that I still cannot surpass a score that many people in my age can achieve for the SAT Reasoning Test. Not only is it embarrassing, but it's also somewhat shameful to not be able to measure up to the scores of others. That's what's so pitiful about high school, the competition is so high in our school that we cannot help but know our classmates grades and hopefully surpass them in the next exam. You know who you are.

I'm just going to close it here. Sorry if I end up offending anyone. Constructional criticism is welcomed.

Concocting is good

Wonderfully colored.

I find that utterly amazing that I made that all by myself. Gosh, it took me two tiresome hours to stir-fry, chop, and beat all those ingredients to two large dinner plates. But boy was I proud of how it came out *smiles*. I never knew that a few dashes of white pepper can skew the flavors into different directions! I like that. I was a little sad that we ran out of tomatoes since it would give the dish a nice warm color along with it's beneficial vitamins and antioxidants. I was freaking out while I was cooking the rice since there was too much rice and too little of the combinations. Without thinking, I just hurried and sliced three more slices of bologna and corn into the concoction to compensate for that imbalance. Then to finish it off, I sprinkled ever so gingerly the extra green onions that I saved for the last touch.

Not only that, I spent another two hours cleaning around the house (tables, floors, etc.). Boy, was I dead after those hours of cleaning/cooking. It was kind of worth it since my mom gave me $20 for all that work (bleh, even though it's under minimum wage, it's better than nothing). Yay, I was pretty happy that I got that $20 and spent that for my sister's belated present since I haven't had the time nor the opportunity to go to the mall. I also helped out get Jono a pair of Puma shoes since his K-Swiss shoes are waiting to "retire".

I'm beginning to resent my summer. Not only is it simply boring, but it's simply busy. From Mondays to Fridays, I leave home around 10:00 AM and come home around 7:30PM. Because I was forced to enroll Elite Boot Camp, my schedule during the week is increasingly hectic by the day. After surviving just one week of torture and boredom, I don't know if I can handle it. Are daily homework is roughly:

• Critical Reading: Read a 7-page article and pass the quiz full of analysis question the next day, memorize 100 vocabulary flashcards and get quizzed every other day, and occasional practice SAT questions.
• Writing: Quizzes every other day and 20+ problems due the next day.
• Math: 40+ questions due the next day.

All that and I'm not really worried about the writing and math sections as much, but more of the critical reading. One can say "oh, I can just BS all the work and fail all the quizzes." No you cannot. You have to have at least a 90% in most quizzes or you can get "demerited". Get demerited four times, and they may consider expelling you from the program and not even refund the tuition. Pretty strict no? Because of the ponderous amount of homework, I normally sleep around 1:00-3:00 AM depending on the amount. Nice. I'm was pretty upset that we don't have a holiday on July 4th. Great, I won't even have the time to really enjoy the barbeque nor cherish the fireworks. Nope, I have to sit and read either about politics or literature.

Since my parents knew that I had to get a car someday, we began searching for our family's future car. I was pretty bummed out that I couldn't get the Lexus IS250. Although it's within the price range that we were saving for, my mom was convinced that the new Camry is alot better since it's named "America's best sedan". Also, the back seat in the IS is extremely squishy, even a person my size would have a uncomfortable ride. Since I have to take my brothers to school next year, it would suck sitting in the back. One can barely fit his/her backpack in the back. To top it off, I didn't want my dad to fuss over the fact that we got another luxury car. The moment my sister drove in her new Mercedes C240, my dad was yelling his head off.

Since my mom wanted to look at the Honda Accord, she, my sister, and I drove over to the Honda dealer in Diamond Bar and test drove it. My my, the brake and gas pedal was extremely sensitive, even more reactive than my sister's Mercedes C240. The back was quite spacious though.

Well, even though I won't get the car of my dreams (that we potentially can afford), there were some reasons that made sense after some thinking. Besides the reasons two paragraphs above, it's also the self-image. Getting Lexus IS would show one is pretty spoiled. Also, getting a really nice new car also means keeping a "low-profile". I guess getting a typical car like the Honda or the Toyota will keep one from getting pulled over numerous amounts of times because of the discrimination. Also, I wouldn't have to feel too guilty for crashing it (after crashing my mom's Mercedes S500, I was VERY guilty finding out how much the accident cost).

So, help me out here. I have the choice to either take my sister's C240 or get the new Camry. You wanna help me choose? Reason why I don't really favor the Camry is because it looks like a bulging rhino. I heard from my sister and Clarice that it's very roomy and quiet. I really like my sister's car since I'm already used how it works and it has a nice spoiler in the back.