Mexico Adventures.

Two nights ago, I returned from my service trip to lovely Iowa. I was in a village called Xicotepec (hee-koh-tuh-peck) in Mexico.

I could write one really long post about my entire experience, but I think that would be extremely long. So I'll just start with something I did the first night in Xicotepec.

To refresh, this is my second time on the same trip. I was attatched to the Dental Team, and we brought toothbrushes and toothpaste to children in schools around the village.

The first evening of our stay in Xicotepec, we traveled to an orphanage, about 30 minutes away. I do not speak Spanish, but I really wanted to connect with the people there anyways. We arrived, and the kids came out and greeted us. They were smiling, but visibly nervous. "Hola," one girl said and she shook my hand and kissed my cheek. This is the standard greeting for females in Mexico. I can confidently say that I don't think I've been kissed so many times in one week before, and possibly never again.

I tried to disperse among the children with my friend Chucho(choo-choh)- he lives in Xicotepec, and his father is very involved in helping with the trip. I tried to say hello to several kids. I failed moderately, but eventually started pushing a little girl on her swing. I kept trying to make her laugh, but failed miserably, and embarrassed myself in the process. After that incident, Chucho would make a joke that I try to make them laugh, and they cry instead.

Later that evening though, we started drawing pictures with a group of kids. It was still really awkward, but it was better than nothing. I drew a picture for the little girl who didn't laugh at my jokes, and gave it to her. She said thanks, but I'm starting to think maybe she really was just scared of me.

One of the better parts of that evening was me joining a game of soccer(they of course called it football). For the first five minutes, I had no idea which team I was on, still lacking in knowledge of the language. However, there were some college students who traveled with us on the trip, and they seemed to be studying Spanish, and I picked up on quite a bit.

Oh yes, and I did fall. But it was a graceful fall. Which was unfortunately caught on video.

As it got dark, we went inside the orphanage, and had a little casual ceremony. While we were there, the deworming team (students at the University of Iowa) gave a deworming pill to each child. They were finished, and now we were delivering each orphan a pair of shoes that was donated by someone who adopted a child from that same orphanage several years ago.

The really cool part of that, though, was that each of us there got to give the shoes to the child in person. My box was labeled Ricardo Ramos. We each walked into the center of the room, called out the name, and the boy or girl walked up to receive it, sometimes hugging or shaking hands.

As I walked out, I called out the name (attempting not to butcher it with my American accent), and a boy close to my age walked up. He was smiling, and very thankful, but it was also slightly awkward, because we both hesitated and ended up not shaking hands. That made it a less warm exchange, that I wish I could have changed. It was still a very cool moment though.

As we left the orphanage, I dreaded the thought that it would be a year until I saw any of them again, if at all. Sometimes the broken and difficult connections you make with people who are different from you are the ones that are closest to your heart. That sounds way more cheesey than I meant it to sound.

How about this: a half-connection to people of a different culture is more rare and sometimes more enjoyable than any 'average' connections to people around where you're from. Yeah that sounds better.

Peace out.

Nothing special!

Recently, something has been bothering me. Yes, I suppose this is another pet peeve post. Alliteration not intended.

My particular generation was born in the mid-nineties. Meaning that between now and then, there have been some special dates. The turn of the century, 9/11/01, 6/6/06, 8/8/08, 11/11/11, and now the upcoming 12/21/12.

My first exposure to what I'm about to explain, I came across on Facebook. There's always these little groups you can join or like with fun (or stupid) categories, groups of people, quotes, etc. A few months ago, I had scene one that said, "I was alive on 11/11/11." The generic trend was to like if that also applied to you.

Well as I see it, people join because it's cool. I'm not going to lie, 11/11/11 is a pretty cool date. But does that make anything about that day special? NOPE. Many people liked this cliche Facebook fad, and it really started to bother me. At the time, 11/11/11 had only taken place on the previous week.

"So you were alive yesterday? Congratualations, I'm so proud of you! You are truly a hero."

No, I'm sorry, but the special day doesn't make you particularly special. I could definitely see generations from now, when you're old and have grandkids, then yes, you could say, "In the year 2011, I went to school on November 11th. That's pretty cool, isn't it?"

But really? You're celebrating life when some cool numbers line up. Celebrate life everyday, but don't get too big-headed about it.

"Oh, you were alive on 11/11/11? That's cool, so were seven billion other people. Still feel special?"

Now that's only part one to this post. Part two intiates now.

This part all started maybe a couple weeks ago. I was surfing Memebase (one of my new favorite sites, thanks to one of my friends) when I happened upon a lovely little meme.

Oh really? You survived all those daaangerous days when nothing catastrophic happened? You did? I'm so proud of you.

But seriously. There was a fear or superstition about all of these dates (Except for 11/11/11...as far as I know that is just supposed to be lucky?). The world could've ended in 2000. Y2k could've killed us all. 6/6/06 was the devil's day. 11/11/11 is a lot of ones (I still don't know how they perceived that to be dangerous...?), and now 2012 is when the Mayan calendar ends.

You are truly a warrior.

I couldn't resist that last bit of sarcasm. On a more straightforward note: NO, you didn't survive these days through any special reason. Because...*drumroll*....NOTHING HAPPENED! Yes, there is the chance that you could have died. You could choke on your lunch, get in a car accident, be a sideline victim of a horrible crime, and lose your life. But that could happen EVERYDAY. It's not special.

So MAYBE 2012 is special. In my personal opinion, I don't believe the world will end. And being alive this far into your life doesn't make you any more agile to potentially conquer the end of the world. You're stuck with the rest of us, oh humble human.

That was my rant. I hope you enjoyed it.

Oh so exciting trips.

Coming up very soon, I have the wonderful opportunity to go on a mission trip. Destination: Xicotepec, Mexico.

In a few short weeks, I will be packing my suitcase full of toothbrushes and toothpaste, and flying to Mexico City. This is through a club I am in at school.
Interact Club is something I joined my sophomore year, persuaded by my friend Christine, who was starting it. Since she was just establishing the club, she got a few close friends together(including me) to form the board. I didn't know what the club was until our first meeting, but I eagerly called dibs on vice president, which happens to be my postion today.

Our main goal of the club is to provide international as well as local service. Our international focus is to bring dental supplies to school children in Xicotepec, a village in Mexico. We raise the supplies through the school year, and bring them on the annual trip in early March.

Last year was my first time on this trip, and it was amazing. The thing that sticks with me the most is that we were able to play with the school kids. I spoke no Spanish, and most of them spoke no English. But besides this, I was still somehow communicated and had a lot of fun.

Going on this trip again is very exciting. I will see a lot of familiar faces, and meet even more new ones. The children are playful and lovable, and the adults are extremely kind. Not to mention, it was absolutely beautiful there.

The primary school we were focusing on was about a half an hour away from where we were staying. The way to get there was a long and winding road, that was on the side of the mountains. We were up high, and there was a valley below us. Clouds were underneath us. It was an spectacular sight. Not to mention, my two school friends and I sat in the bed of the truck(there weren't enough seats, and it wasn't against the law), so there was nothing between us and the scenery.

I am very eager to go back. I plan on video-blogging while I am there, talking about everything I do there. I will also post normal blogs about it when I get back. Stay tuned.

He is We

He is We is a band I have recently become attached to. The band originates from Washington state, where Rachel Taylor and Trevor Kelly met and started jamming together. They have been described as a sort of Indie Pop.

Typically, Rachel writes the songs, and Trevor writes the music.

The first song I heard of their's was, "All About Us."

A very cute song. Personally, I think it has the potential to be a first dance song for a wedding.

This band's music has pretty original lyrics, which I like a lot. There are lines in verses that sometimes wow me, because they seem so novel. Rachel has a beautiful voice, but I have not heard Trevor accompany her in singing. It would be interesting to hear them sing together. Maybe that's not his thing, but I still remain curious.

Some of my other favorite songs of their's are as follows:

^Another potential wedding song.

One of the things that crossed my mind about this dynamic duo: are they in a relationship? Well as it turns out, no. Rachel is actually married. I have no more information on that bit, unfortunately.

Well that's all for now. I shall delve deeper into the world of muscial Youtube, and hopefully make another music post soon. Farewell.

Style check.

I don't do these very often, but here's a post about fashion. In particular, a certain trend I am very fond of.

I don't even know if I should call it a trend. I wouldn't be able to confidently tell you how popular it actually is. But I like it, so I am writing about it.

Leggings under shorts. Typically, shorts are worn by themselves, and leggings are thrown under a dress or skirt for an extra boost of warmth when it's chilly(or if you forgot to shave). But I am loving the combination of the comfort and casualness of shorts, with the versatile and refreshing pair of leggings.

One major bonus is that I can wear shorts in the winter, without exposing my legs to the brutal weather. Another plus? You don't have to be as careful as when you are wearing a skirt or dress. Obviously, if you wear a skirt/dress, you have to be classy about it. Knees together, or legs crossed. That's nice and all, and necessary when you wish to wear a pretty dress, but it can get tiring. There are certain days where my laziness causes me to absolutely refuse crossing my legs, so thank the Lord I happen to be wearing pants.

I am also not the type of person who can sit still for a long period of time. Pants and leggings meet that requirement much easier than skirts. And leggings add a whole other piece to the outfit. You can choose different colors, textures, or patterns. I personally find the urge to buy every unique pair of leggings/tights I lay my eyes on, sure of myself that I could find some way to make it work.

They are casual, but can also be very dressy, considering what type of shorts you are wearing as well. So be cautious, but test your adventurousness too. Maybe you'll find this trend as pleasing as I do.

Vlogbrothers. :D

There is a Youtube account called "Vlogbrothers." If you've heard of them, and follow them, then yay.

For most of you that probably haven't, they are two brothers, John and Hank Green. They are full grown adults, married, have jobs, and one has a little boy. They post 3 videos a week, directed at each other, talking about...everything.

They are pretty cool adults in my opinion. As you may have seen in the above video, John is a novelist, and Hank the creator and manager of Ecogeek.com. Their general interests include, but are not exclusive to: video games, literature, Harry Potter, music, politics, miscellaneous, and everything you can think of.

Hank also plays guitar and writes songs, which he often performs in his videos. Occasionally, there is a question video, where they answer viewers' questions. John has read from his own books in the past.

Recently, John has had a new book release, called "The Fault in Our Stars." This has been long-awaited, considering lots of his videos have included him just finishing the book, naming the book, finding a cover, and signing the preorders.

John had vowed to sign all copies that were preordered, which include about 100,000 copies (I own one!!!). He indeed succeeded, but with a pained hand.

I read "The Fault in Our Stars"(TFiOS) when I accidentally got an early copy(lucky me, only a thousand of those) in the mail. I found it to be amazing, but their was a new experience that came along with it. After following the Vlogbrothers for over a year, I have come to know John and Hank's style of speaking/writing, so reading TFiOS was strange considering I felt like I sort of knew the author. It was definitely a weird thing to think about.

These men have come up with their own jargon that pertains to everything about their videos. Everyone who follows their videos are Nerdfighters, and DFTBA(Don't forget to be awesome) is a general greeting. The description box is always referred to as the Doobly-doo.

Hank has a second channel, HankGames, where he solely videotapes himself narrating himself playing video games, sometimes with his wife, The Katherine.

I admire these two individuals because they have very distinct and awesome personalities. They are excellent speakers, and have very good taste and input on social issues. They are fun people overall, and I believe I would be pretty starstruck if I ever had the chance to meet them.











Post-Valentine's Day loveliness.

Yes, if I was writing a post about Valentine's Day, it would obviously make more sense to post ON Valentine's Day. My bad.

Valentine's Day. What has become of another commercial holiday is society's set expectations for men to give their ladies flowers and chocolates. Minimum. So if you're single, sucks to be you.

Well I disagree. I don't know a whole lot about the history of Valentine's Day, and I don't plan on explaining it all in this post, but what I do believe that Valentine's Day shouldn't just be about couples.

Think of EVERYONE you love. Family, friends, significant other. I think Valentine's Day should encourage you to go to those people you care about, and tell them you care about them. Simple as that. But of course, jewelry stores, chocolate companies, and flower shops thrive from their sales on this oh-so-special day, because people are pressured to do something extra special on that day.

Well, what's wrong with that? Nothing. But certain people tend to really take advantage of it. You want an excuse come mid-February to do something romantic for your man or lady-friend? Well, how convenient for you, because we have this holiday...

I have also heard many arguments against the practice of Valentine's Day.
"It's stupid. I don't need a holiday to tell my wife I love her, I tell her that every day!"
Quoted directly from one of my teachers this previous Tuesday. And I agree. Bits of gifts and romance are often most appreciated when the receiver is taken by surprise.

But doing NOTHING? What does that say? I think it should depend on your relationship. If you both agree to boycott the holiday, then go for it. But don't ignore him/her JUST because you think the holiday is meaningless. For one thing, they could actually be wanting something. Don't think of Valentine's Day as an excuse, think of it as another opportunity.

Personally, I would want to do something on the weekend around Valentine's Day. But something much more creative. If you know me, you know I tend to go against what's generic or traditional. Romantic dinner and movie? Naw, let's go on an adventure. Now THAT would be some serious bonding.

Maybe you're single? Big deal. If you're moping, stop. Having a special holiday doesn't make your relationship status on that particular day an accurate predictor of whether you're going to be forever alone or not. So get over it, and enjoy yourself. Don't get hopeless, because that's just silly.

That could be expanded into a lot more meaningful discussion about love and finding "the one," but I shall not get into that.

To conclude: Valentine's Day should be when you tell the people you love that you care about them. Like every other holiday(almost). If you are in a relationship, consider doing something special, but don't feel obligated to. Make sure whatever you decide to do(or not do) is well communicated with your partner. And if you are flying solo, enjoy yourself. Single time isn't necessarily time for looking for an opportunity to not be single. It's a time to learn about and grow to love yourself.

Happy Thursday. :)