To me, love would seem to be when you are ready to share your whole life with a person, let them know all of your secrets and express yourself in ways you yourself didn’t even know how.  So I want to know, what is true love?  How do you know when you have it?  How do you to look for it?  Is love something you may come just across once in your lifetime?

This is where the waiting comes in.  I can’t stand waiting for the dreadful letter to come to my mailbox.  I want it to come now!  The anticipation of that letter and the joy it may bring may be even more exciting than my first day of school.

But it’s not here yet.    I will wait for however long it will take to get my high school letter.

Living without both of my parents is a struggle.  My brother and I have to travel from place to place and it’s kind of challenging. My parents are divorced.  Sometimes, I wish that it never happened.  Sometimes, I think it was all my fault, but I know it isn’t.  But I really don’t understand why they divorced.

This is a serious matter that everyone should recognize because it seems to be happening to every happy couple I know.  Some days, I cry because it’s like half of my heart got sucked in by a deep, dark, black hole.  It’s crying out for help but no one can.  It’s REALLY hard!  Here I am now, crying, writing this story.  Some people don’t know how much it hurts when I see a family of four when my family only has three.

It hurts the most when you meet a new member of the family.  It feels like your parent forgot about you and isn’t trying to help you to get out of that deep, dark, black hole.  You may think it’d be fun to have different families, but to me it’s not.  I love them all but sometimes I wish things could go back to normal.

I want strong families to stick and stay together…forever!!!!  Love them like I love mine.  Trust them like I trust mine.  Be nice to them like I am to mine.  And always, always hold on to them and don’t let them get sucked into that deep, dark, ugly, dull, black hole.

You may call me mean for thinking that.  But it seems this is what everyone is secretly wanting to say but like me, don’t have the guts to say it.  You may love those friends for life but you always will mark them as the friend who brags wayyyyy to much.

The other day during school, I went up to my friends and exclaimed, “Yu-Na Kim was pretty awesome last night!”  I was met with an awkward silence and a timid, “What?”

How do kids my age feel about the Olympics?  Personally, I love watching them.  They inspire me to work hard for the things I really want, and are just fun to watch.  But as I asked around, I found that some of my friends didn’t even watch the Winter Olympics.  Curious, I began asking other Olympic-related questions:

Do you watch the Olympics?

“Of course, I do.  The Olympics give me such a sense of hope and love.  Watching them always makes my day.”

Why?

“Well, the things the athletes do sometimes give me the feeling that they’re superhuman.  It’s like watching stunts in a movie.  I mean, Sean White was AMAZING!!!  His half pipe tricks are just mind blowing!  And to top it off, he is beauuutiful.”

What is your favorite thing about the Olympics?

“The fact that the world can put aside all of its troubles, and just have some fun.  I believe that the Olympics help to establish peace.  You get to see the best of the best performing.  You’re able to watch the limits the human body be pushed to a point no one has ever gone before.  And I get to see it on my TV for free!”

What’s you’re least favorite thing about the Olympics?

“What I don’t like about the Olympic Games is the fact that there’s only one “winner.”  Every time a skater falls, every time a skier wipes out, I feel their pain.  That’s why I don’t like watching the games.  Even though one person’s Olympic dream comes true, everyone else, who has worked just as hard for just as long, will not be rewarded.  I guess that’s what games are made of, a winner and a loser.  But I wish the other athletes would get some kind of recognition as well.”

Do the Olympics inspire you?

“Most definitely.  To me the Olympics exemplify the rewards of following your dreams.  These people have worked their butts off to get to this point, and are now finally getting what they worked for.  This makes me realize that I can do anything if I really work for it.

If I want it bad enough, I can get an A+ in Geometry, I can get on the soccer team, I can marry Hugh Jackman!”

YES!!!!!!

The latest buzz in Chicago is surrounding the Auto Show.  What’s new?  What’s cool?  What’s really the BEST?  Really, all the companies are fighting tooth and nail to try and get our parents’ business.  With everything from bright, showy colors to unique designs, all dealers show off the best of their best.  But, they all seem focused now on one specific quality: green energy.

Walking into the Chicago Auto Show, I was shocked.  It was so big, wall to wall cars.  With bright, shiny lights on the polished cars, you wanted to go home behind the wheel of any one of the new models.  But, when you start to investigate, you see what’s really lying behind.

I started with Toyota.  I tried to talk to a representitive about the recent recalls, but they seemed very reluctant to answer questions.  (Maybe because I’m a kid?)  They sent me to another group of representives.  They said they were open to questions, but when I asked about how Toyota was planning to move forward after the recalls, they told me I should speak with regional.  At that point, it became too complicated.  I left but noted the display seemed pretty popular.  So maybe Toyota’s recalls haven’t affected their popularity.

The Ford exhibit caught my attention because it featured two robots from their factories.  They were picking things up and moving them.  I was drawn to Volkswagen by its virtual driving course.  To be honest, it was pretty hard.  I crashed in about 45 seconds!  But I think the most impressive display was by Jeep.  They had an entire, rugged course set up where you could take a ride and see what a Jeep could do (driven by professionals).  They even had mini Jeeps for the younger kids to drive around in an enclosed circle.

Althought Toyota wouldn’t even answer a few questions, I did talk to a few other representitives.  When speaking to a rep from Mini Cooper, he said that the cars you are able to sit in at the show are opened and closed roughly 200,000 times a day!  It all takes quite a toll on the vehicles (and there were A LOT of vehicles you could sit in, including a sports car and a concept car with seats like lawnchairs!).

Overall, the auto show was pretty impressive. The selection is very wide from a fancy $100,000 Lotus to a simple, green energy Chrysler.  But it also made me realize something I never thought of.  There is a car for every personality. With such a wide range of cars for a wide range of people, cars can reflect you and your perspective on life.  So, whether these car companies want to make you feel happy or  just want your money, it seems our cars will just keep getting better and better.

Chicago is obviously a thriving metropolitan area.  From the city to the suburbs, we are definitely not lacking in parks, museums, hospitals, and animal shelters.  Each of these places have a common need for helping hands.  Twice a month, I devote my time to a hospital in my area.  I am able to create a comfortable environment for the hospital’s patients and families, and help the nurses with anything they have to do that they just don’t have time to get to.  I would encourage anyone to find an area of interest in which they can volunteer.

There is a satisfaction I get when stepping out of my comfort zone.  I am no longer doing something for myself, or even for my friends, but rather for the people in my community whom I don’t even know.  Somehow, I am able to make a difference in their stay at the hospital, even if they don’t notice.

Not to sound cheesy, but seeing smiles upon the faces of those stuck in hospital beds is very gratifying.  Furthermore, I work in the Maternal and Child Care level of the hospital.  So, I get to ensure that a baby’s first moments in the world are as comfortable as possible, by keeping their cribs supplied with clothes, blankets, diapers, etc. as well as keeping new mommies happy by running errands for them, providing them with snacks and beverages, or baking fresh cookies for them and their guests.

Perhaps volunteering at a hospital doesn’t interest you.  In that case, there are plenty of other places that need your help!  You can volunteer at animal shelters, camps, libraries, museums, and all kinds of places.  I now know it is quite a learning experience that benefits to both you and your community.

Is this the right thing to do?   Is charging 12 and 13-year-olds with sexual offenses the solution to the laws that are supposed to protect them? Teenagers have been and always will be making stupid mistakes.  But now, the consequences are life changing.  Instead of being lectured and grounded, kids could be convicted as criminals.  I don’t believe this is fair.  Why should one blunder, a moment of frivolous bad judgment where no one was hurt or killed, affect the child’s whole life?

According to the Chicago Tribune report on the incident, four percent of cell phone-owning 12 to 17 years old admit to having sent nude or nearly nude images of themselves via text, and 15 percent say they’ve received such images.  If all of these kids were convicted for child pornography and exploitation, there would be hundreds of thousands of “sex offenders”.

True, many teenagers don’t realize the severity and consequences of their actions.  But isn’t that part of growing up?   Instead of prosecuting teenagers, authorities should focus on educating us.  Educate us first and give us the opportunity to make better decisions for ourselves.   If we were sufficiently warned about the consequences for doing such things, the number of young people sexting should decline.

These laws are here to protect teenagers like myself and should not punish us for being naive.

I walked into consumer science (cooking class) to find everyone neatly in their seats and ready to make that day’s recipe.  ”Why are all of you so quiet?” I asked, still slightly in shock.  ”We have to be quiet so we can make the caramel rolls faster!” one of my classmate’s exclaimed.  I sat down and follow the crowd – not due to peer pressure, those caramel rolls are good!

This week, I’m the chef of the kitchen.  I like cooking and baking and preparing foods.  It calms me down and fills my stomach!  Since I have more cooking experience due to my mom and grandma, the recipes don’t seem too difficult to me.  I think it’s good to have a consumer science class. Next year, I’ll get to learn how to sew things like pillows, blankets, hats, etc.

As I sit down start to take my first bite of a caramel roll, I hear some of the kids whispering, “Why didn’t I make these yesterday?!?!”, “These are amazing!”, “They should call them heaven rolls!”.   I understood what they meant soon after I got my first taste – a yummy combo of doughy goodness and brown sugar!  I look forward to the rest of the rotation and making more yummy treats.

Caramel Roll Recipe (courtesy of my consumer science teacher):

1 Tube Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons whipping cream

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Mix brown sugar and cream in bottom of round cake pan.

3.  Sprinkle with nuts.

4.  Cut each biscuit into quarters with kitchen shears and place on top of  brown sugar/cream mixture.

5.  Bake for 10 to  15 minutes or until brown on top.

6.  Carefully turn pan upside down on a plate to serve.

CAUTION: HOT CARAMEL!

Everyone’s talking about one movie right now – James Cameron’s Avatar. It’s only been in theaters for a couple of months but it’s already broken the money-making record of Titanic, another Cameron film.

Avatar is a movie like nothing before it.  It’s already won Golden Globe awards for Best Director and Best Drama/Action.  People are still lining up at theaters everywhere to get tickets.  But why does everyone want to see it so badly?

Avatar is a movie with a plot that features both action and romance.  Taking place on the far off planet of Pandora, Cameron created an entirely new line of creatures, plants, and people.  The surprising part?  It’s not actors in makeup, but all animation.  There are only a select number of scenes that are shot with actual actors.

One of the most interesting things about Avatar is that it’s available in IMAX 3D.  Honestly, seeing the movie in 3D makes a huge difference.  It makes you feel like you are actually on the planet of Pandora, too.  At one point, I reached out towards the screen to make sure it was just a movie. But the truth is, for two and a half hours, you leave earth and join a place truly out of this world.

Avatar is setting a bar for all movies to follow.  In itself, it is different from anything anyone has ever seen.  These imaginary blue people could be the future for film everywhere.  Maybe someday there’ll be another Avatar-like movie or something like it.  But for now, we have a great movie to enjoy.