On Saturday September 26 of 2009, I attended an event called "Gathering of the Unashamed" that took place in San Jose City Hall. It was an event where Christian high school and college students came together for a time of worship, listening to speakers, and prayer. The event started at 5:00 PM with some music to get the people in the mood. Then some speakers volunteered to share their experiences of how God has changed their lives. At the end, we joined in prayer for the schools, our government, and all the nations of the world. The event ended around 8:00 PM. Overall, I would say that this event was worth attending.
After that, I got together with some of my friends from church and went to Round Table Pizza. I did not eat much that day, so I was really starving. Since it was eight of us, we ordered one extra large pepperoni pizza, twelve hot wings, and drinks for everyone.
To end the night, we played three games of bowling. The special of the night was $3.00 per game. Only five of us decided to play, while the rest just watched. The last time I bowled was a very long time ago, so I knew that my skills we going to be rusty. I started the first game with two gutter balls. After that, I recovered nicely and ended up in second place, while my cousin Adriana got first place. For the second game, I played a lot better and was in the lead from start to finish, as I won the game. Finally, the third game was a race between my friend David and I. After 10 frames, David and I tied for first with 87 points.
Since we came all together in one van, my cousin had to give rides to everyone back to their homes. By the time I returned home, it was 12:45AM. I had a great time though, from City Hall all the way to the final game of bowling.
Vocabulary Words
Exacerbate: to increase the severity, bitterness, or violence of (disease, ill feeling, etc.); aggravate.
Surreptitious: obtained, done, made, etc., by stealth; secret or unauthorized
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Quinceñera
On Saturday September 19 of 2009, I was part of a Mexican tradition known as a Quinceñera. It is the coming of age 15th Birthday party for teen girls of Mexican descent and very similar to a Sweet 16 party that Americans usually celebrate. This is an important stage of a girl's life because it marks the transition from a girl to a young lady. The event starts with a traditional ceremony, where the teen receives words of encouragement and gifts that symbolize different stages of her life. Gifts such as a doll, a Holy Bible, and a crown are some examples.
After the ceremony, the celebration really starts with a party where family and friends are invited. During the party, the teen is accompanied by a group of couples known as Chambelanes and Damas. They perform what is known as a Baltz, a dance that celebrates the girl's special birthday. That is followed by a toast to wish the girl a bright future and best of luck in all her future aspirations. Finally, the dance floor is open to everyone who wants to show off their moves and have a good time with the Quinceñera.
I was asked if I wanted to participate in the event for a girl from my church. I decided to accept the invite and help out. After 3 months of practicing, the day finally arrived for us to perform at our best. Not only did we have to do the Baltz, but the birthday girl also had us practice two surprise dances. In the end, I believe we did an excellent job. My only complaint was the malfunction of the CD that was used, which kept skipping while one of the three songs was playing. We kept our composure though and kept dancing until the song was over. As much as I enjoyed being part of this event, I would like to say that I am officially retiring from participating in Quinceñeras.
Vocabulary Words
Pernicious: highly injurious or destructive
Ameliorate: to make better or more tolerable
After the ceremony, the celebration really starts with a party where family and friends are invited. During the party, the teen is accompanied by a group of couples known as Chambelanes and Damas. They perform what is known as a Baltz, a dance that celebrates the girl's special birthday. That is followed by a toast to wish the girl a bright future and best of luck in all her future aspirations. Finally, the dance floor is open to everyone who wants to show off their moves and have a good time with the Quinceñera.
I was asked if I wanted to participate in the event for a girl from my church. I decided to accept the invite and help out. After 3 months of practicing, the day finally arrived for us to perform at our best. Not only did we have to do the Baltz, but the birthday girl also had us practice two surprise dances. In the end, I believe we did an excellent job. My only complaint was the malfunction of the CD that was used, which kept skipping while one of the three songs was playing. We kept our composure though and kept dancing until the song was over. As much as I enjoyed being part of this event, I would like to say that I am officially retiring from participating in Quinceñeras.
Vocabulary Words
Pernicious: highly injurious or destructive
Ameliorate: to make better or more tolerable
Monday, September 14, 2009
Church Fundraiser
On Saturday September 12, I participated in my church's fundraiser that included a flea market and a car wash. The main reason for this fundraiser was to recover the funds that were used to reconstruct the pathway at the front entrance of the church. This event was initially planned to take place at the end of August, but it had to be delayed due to availability of people wanting to help.
The fundraiser took place at church and was scheduled to be from 9:00am-2:00pm. We agreed to meet at 6:00am to begin setting up the stands and posting signs. It was a huge challenge for me to get up at this early in the morning, especially on a Saturday! I decided to help out and pass fliers around each block near the church. The youth group, which I am a part of, was in charge of conducting the car wash. We set up different groups with the simple assignment of either washing or drying the cars. Being one of the few licensed drivers, I was in charge of moving the cars from the washing to the drying area.
Overall, I would say that this event was a success but very tiring as well. The car wash group raised $378, which was a very satisfying amount. I do not recall how much money the flea market raised, but it was near or more than the car wash group. At the end of the day, I was glad to be able to help out for a good cause. The event ended up finishing around 3:30pm. After a very long day of hard work, I went home and thought of nothing else other than going to sleep.
Vocabulary Words
Nuisance: one that is annoying, unpleasant, or obnoxious
Enigma: a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation
The fundraiser took place at church and was scheduled to be from 9:00am-2:00pm. We agreed to meet at 6:00am to begin setting up the stands and posting signs. It was a huge challenge for me to get up at this early in the morning, especially on a Saturday! I decided to help out and pass fliers around each block near the church. The youth group, which I am a part of, was in charge of conducting the car wash. We set up different groups with the simple assignment of either washing or drying the cars. Being one of the few licensed drivers, I was in charge of moving the cars from the washing to the drying area.
Overall, I would say that this event was a success but very tiring as well. The car wash group raised $378, which was a very satisfying amount. I do not recall how much money the flea market raised, but it was near or more than the car wash group. At the end of the day, I was glad to be able to help out for a good cause. The event ended up finishing around 3:30pm. After a very long day of hard work, I went home and thought of nothing else other than going to sleep.
Vocabulary Words
Nuisance: one that is annoying, unpleasant, or obnoxious
Enigma: a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation
Monday, September 7, 2009
Wisdom Teeth
The highlight of my weekend was the removal of my bottom wisdom teeth on Friday. This event was more than two years in the making, as my dentist kept urging me to have my wisdom teeth removed. My wisdom teeth were not even fully grown out, but the sooner the procedure was done the better. The main reason dentists recommend to remove wisdom teeth is overcrowding. Since I already had braces in the past, I did not want to risk having my teeth unaligned once again.
My dentist referred me to another oral surgeon to remove my bottom wisdom teeth. A week before the surgery, I made an appointment for a consultation to do all the paperwork and get a preview on what I was in for. My initial plan was to have my wisdom teeth removed before the fall semester at San Jose State University began. My procrastination got the better of me and I ended up calling the surgeon's office three weeks before school began. The next available appointment was on the 28 of August. When I met with the surgeon, I told him that I wanted the surgery done before a holiday to have extra days of rest. Another reason for this was to not miss any days of school. This worked out perfectly, as Labor Day weekend was coming up. I scheduled an appointment for September 4.
As I was on my way to have my surgery, I was somewhat nervous, not knowing what to expect. Last year, I had surgery to remove an infection that developed on my left leg from a soccer injury. I thought to myself: "If I can handle the pain I went through in the hospital for a week, this surgery shouldn't be that bad." This surgery was not a pleasing experience. First of all, I was not put to sleep like I was in the previous surgery on my leg. They just gave me anesthesia shots on my mouth to numb the area that was going to be worked on. I could literally hear the cracking of my teeth as the tried to pull them out. The drilling and cutting of my gums was endless. To make things worse, I could even smell my own blood, which is not the best smell in the world. At the end of my surgery, my lips were very swollen I could not speak at all. My gums began to swell up and are still like this as I am typing this blog. To make up for the pain I went through, I requested to keep what was left of my wisdom teeth.
Vocabulary Words
Alchemy: any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.
Interim: a temporary or provisional arrangement; stopgap; makeshift.
My dentist referred me to another oral surgeon to remove my bottom wisdom teeth. A week before the surgery, I made an appointment for a consultation to do all the paperwork and get a preview on what I was in for. My initial plan was to have my wisdom teeth removed before the fall semester at San Jose State University began. My procrastination got the better of me and I ended up calling the surgeon's office three weeks before school began. The next available appointment was on the 28 of August. When I met with the surgeon, I told him that I wanted the surgery done before a holiday to have extra days of rest. Another reason for this was to not miss any days of school. This worked out perfectly, as Labor Day weekend was coming up. I scheduled an appointment for September 4.
As I was on my way to have my surgery, I was somewhat nervous, not knowing what to expect. Last year, I had surgery to remove an infection that developed on my left leg from a soccer injury. I thought to myself: "If I can handle the pain I went through in the hospital for a week, this surgery shouldn't be that bad." This surgery was not a pleasing experience. First of all, I was not put to sleep like I was in the previous surgery on my leg. They just gave me anesthesia shots on my mouth to numb the area that was going to be worked on. I could literally hear the cracking of my teeth as the tried to pull them out. The drilling and cutting of my gums was endless. To make things worse, I could even smell my own blood, which is not the best smell in the world. At the end of my surgery, my lips were very swollen I could not speak at all. My gums began to swell up and are still like this as I am typing this blog. To make up for the pain I went through, I requested to keep what was left of my wisdom teeth.
Vocabulary Words
Alchemy: any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.
Interim: a temporary or provisional arrangement; stopgap; makeshift.
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