Update on my life

Whoa, this school year has been busy! The school itself isn't too painful, but added with our chaotic life at this moment, and we hardly have any extra time!

This Saturday I will take the SAT Subject Test for Biology, because the UW requires homeschoolers to take an SAT test in some scientific area. But since I took Biology one and a half years ago, I really do not remember much about it, so I have had to memorize all of the info again . . . not too fun. Oh well. I'll have my test over with in a few days, and if I fail, I fail (although it makes me cringe to think about it).

My AP English Lit. class has been going well, but we have had to read some really strange short stories. It seems that all short stories are weird, because in order to affect their audiences in the allotted space, they need to be extremely concise and powerful. But next week, we will begin reading The Scarlet Letter, which should be a pleasant change (although I am not crazy about that book).

I have been having a lot of fun with my online AP US Gov. course. My teacher gives us a lot of interaction and potential extra credit, which definitely keeps me motivated. Also, the course load is not overbearing, which is relieving, especially in our current disorganized life.

Meagan and I absolutely LOVE drama!!!! This is our first year ever taking a drama class, and I only wish we could have begun earlier. We will perform the play Peter Pan at the end of the year, and Meagan received the part of Wendy and I am Captain Hook. Callie and Margaret, our close friends, are also taking it, and they have some really fun parts, including Mrs. Darling, a mermaid, an Indian, and a lost boy.

This year has turned out even better than I thought (and I had high expectations). It sort of makes me regret all those unsocial years I spent in Australia, but I'm trying to get over it. I know that God wanted me to be there then, but sometimes I just can't help comparing my life there to my life now.

I just wanted to inform you all what we've been doing. I will try to post some more after my Biology test this weekend.

Days 1 - 4 in Ucluelet

Last Thursday, Meagan and I traveled up to Vancouver Island . . . alone!! It was our first time traveling alone, so it was kind of exciting. We took the Victoria Clipper at 6:30 AM (so that meant we has to wake up at 5:15 . . . too early), and then once we arrived in Victoria (that's such a GREAT city! My family traveled there when I was 11, but I hadn't been there since), we took a bus to Nanaimo and then another one to Ucluelet. Our Grandma Barbara and Grandpa Harry own a little place here in Ukee (that's what everyone affectionately calls Ucluelet), so we're staying with them for a few days. We've had a lot of fun so far . . . we've been taking daily walks on the beaches, which, btw, I prefer to the ones in Australia. They're so much more dramatic with all the rocks and logs washed ashore. But I might just prefer them since I am tired of going to the Australian beaches a lot. (The dog my sister's playing with on the beach is Nina, my grandma's Australian Shepherd.)

Meagan and I have seen a lot of wildlife since our arrival: sea lions frolicking in the waves, a bear cub running along the beach, deer munching on the grass . . . . It's been a lot of fun. We haven't seen any bears close up yet (we viewed the bear through a telescope), but if I do, I'll be sure to take some good pictures of them!!

High School Musical 2

"I need fabulous." That is the main line of the second song sung by Sharpay in High School Musical 2, and I have to admit that the entire movie is not totally up to Sharpay's standards. And I know that I am not alone in this (*smiles at Madison*). But at the same time, the movie did target "tweens," not teenagers, and it wasn't wholly bad in that respect. I know that my little sisters, Madeline and Marina, are absolutely CRAZY about it (we've all been listening to the HSM2 soundtrack for the past three days . . . and the songs are SO stuck in my head). And, in some ways, I actually liked it better than the first one (which I liked a lot):

First, the cast would break into song and dance at random parts, which was kind of cool. In HSM1, most of the songs were only for the musical that's in the actual movie, and I rather like having the songs more incorporated into the story. I know that some people consider that a negative, but I think it's fun.

Second, it was almost so dumb and sappy that I couldn't help but laugh so hard. My mom, younger sisters, aunt, two younger cousins, and I watched it together, and all of us older ones would totally burst out laughing in certain parts (like when Troy and Gabriella broke out, and when Troy sung his solo :-)).

Third, I liked most of the songs. "Fabulous" is not my favorite, I don't really care for Sharpay's version of "You Are the Music in Me," and Gabriella sounds too nasal in "Everyday." But all the other ones are really catchy and definitely "feel good."

Fourth, I personally think that Ashley Tisdale (playing Sharpay) and Zac Efron (Troy) acted really well in this one. I know that Sharpay was exaggerated, but it suited the movie and its audience.

But, now for the negatives:

First, the whole plot was pretty much the same as HSM1's: Troy and Gabriella are doing great at the beginning, but then people interfere, and they break up, but eventually, they get together, sing a duet ("Breaking Free" or "Everyday"). At the end, they sing this huge "Together" or "All in one" song at the end with their friends. It seems like they just took that plot, spiced it up, put it in a different setting, and added a bit more of Sharpay's quest to win over Troy.

Second, when the cast begins to sing, you can totally tell they're doing it in a studio. In most movies, there is not this striking difference between voices, so it shouldn't have been too hard to improve . . . .

Third, the only people in the movie who are even remotely interesting or unique are Sharpay and her brother. Gabriella was boring and almost too perfect, and Troy . . . definitely too cliche.

Fourth, the movie was extremely sappy. Sometimes this was downright funny, but in the duet "You Are the Music in Me," Gab. and Troy were acting way too romantically, especially since little kids are watching this and perhaps imitating it.

So, altogether, I would say that the negatives outweigh the positives, but I still sort of enjoyed HSM2 (yes, I admit it . . . ).

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

"Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot." ~Mark Twain, intro to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

A few days ago, I finished this novel, which supposedly is the "first great American novel," in preparation for my upcoming AP English Literature class. If any of you are planning on reading this classic, I have to forewarn you: the beginning is extremely boring. If I didn't have to read it for class, I wouldn't have finished it, but thankfully I did. After a few complications, though, the plot (yes, I found a plot, Mark Twain! Ha!) begins to get interesting.

This story picks up after the end of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Huck Finn finds himself torn between the Widow Douglas, an older woman who volunteered to civilize the boy, and his drunkard father. Eventually deciding he would prefer to live without either of them, he fakes his death and runs away down the Mississippi River. But things soon turn complicated, when the Widow Douglas's runaway slave, Jim, runs into Huck, and they find themselves rafting down the river together. As Huck struggles with the knowledge that he is helping a slave escape, which he considers a great sin, he decides that he can't turn in his newfound friend--Jim--even if his decision is sinful (Twain really shows the ridiculousness of racism and slavery at this point, by making it seem a great sin to not turn in a friend). Up to this point, the story is pretty boring, but then, the two rafters meet two runaways, the younger one calling himself a duke. The older escapee immediately feels threatened and pronounces that he is the "Lost Dauphin," the rightful king of France. These two really add some humor into this book, as they will go to any lengths to receive cash, and frequently obtain it through deceitful and silly methods. Throughout this journey with Jim, the runaways, and other characters, Huck learns more about himself and finds his path in life.

I definitely recommend this book, but if possible, you should read it in a group. I haven't analyzed it yet in my online class, but I know that there is lots of depth and material for analysis in Huckleberry Finn.

2007-2008 School Courses

School's almost here!!! I am pretty excited for this year, because I'm taking some really fun-looking classes. Here's a list of my courses and extracurricular activities:

1. Precalculus -- it should be fun, but I've heard scary things about it! I'm really disappointed, because if I hadn't gone to school in Australia, I would be taking Calc this year, but oh well. I guess I learned a lot at school, even if it wasn't math.

2. AP English Literature & Composition -- I am taking this online, just like I did with last year's AP English Language & Composition course. And Madison will be in my class again, so that should be fun. I have heard fantastic things about this class, so I'm really excited!! It looks like it will be a lot of work though.

3. AP US Government & Politics -- at first, I planned on taking AP Microeconomics, but then I realized that some colleges (like Patrick Henry College) require a government course for admissions, so I changed to this one, and it looks great! I love politics, but don't know too much about it . . . yet! :-)

4. Physics -- I am really excited about this class, because I am taking it through a co-op called Homeschool Connections. And science is always tons more fun with other students than without! I took half a semester of Physics at Clayfield College, the all-girls school I attended in Australia, and absolutely loved it! It also makes it more fun if you have a dad who's a rocket scientist and who can answer any of your questions about Physics!

5. Worldviews -- Last year, I took an honors US History class taught by Mr. McKenzie, Callie's dad, and when he mentioned that he would be giving a Worldviews class this year, I was definitely on board! It will be especially fun since I can participate more easily in the class discussions, since I won't be on the other side of the world!! Yay!

6. Drama -- Years ago, I participated in two rather "unofficial" plays, so this is my first real drama production. The play could either be Little Women (we're praying for this one!!), A Midsummer Night's Dream (it would be ok . . . I love Shakespeare), or Peter Pan (Uh, I'm not crazy about this choice), but whatever one it is, I will still have fun, since Meagan, Callie, and Margaret will perform in it also!

7. Piano -- I have played piano since I was six, but in Australia, I really did not advance much in my musical ability, probably because I didn't practice much. :-) But I am determined this year to work hard and practice for 45 minutes a day.

8. Choir -- Hopefully, I will be able to join a choir through Homeschool Connections with Callie, Margaret, Meagan, and some other really nice girls I met at church. This choir could be all girls or both boys and girls. I actually would prefer the latter option, because songs seem to sound better with all four parts or at least with more than just girls singing.

9. I also might teach Meagan history this year!! How cool is that? You see, my mom was having trouble finding time for her to teach Meagan, and she doesn't want her to watch another course through the Bob Jones DVDs, so I offered to teach her! We'll see how it goes, but I am really excited about trying it. Btw, I will be using a curriculum, and will be more monitoring her work and deciding what books she needs to read instead of lecturing her. Hopefully it will work out!

I think that's all of the things I'm doing this year. Oh, I also will have to work on applications and researching colleges . . . . So, it will be a pretty busy year, but I'm so excited! I cannot wait for fall, for the cold weather (hopefully it will SNOW sometime this fall and winter!!), and for classes!!

P.S. Sorry about the spacing . . . I've tried millions of times to double space between the paragraphs, but it won't work . . . .

Pictures (what a creative title!)

Hi everyone! Here are some photos from our stay at the Spears' home. I know they're late, but they're some of the most recent pictures I have. As you can see, the Spears have an amazing rope swing and pond, which sure kept us all entertained!

Next week, Meagan and I are traveling up by ourselves to Ucluelet on Vancouver Island, where we will stay with our Grandma Barbara and Grandpa Harry. I have heard that their condo rests in a very natural setting, and that you can see bears roam around there daily! I'll definitely take some pictures up there and then post them. I'll write again soon!

Jane Austen Character Quiz

This morning, I was looking at a few different blogs, and one of them showed a Jane Austen character quiz, and I thought it was pretty cool. I personally love personality quizzes, so I tried it out and here's the result, which was pretty much exactly what I thought it would be:

"Emma is possibly one of the most loyal characters of Austen, always wanting better for those around her and doing all she possibly can to make it happen. Her motives sometimes get in the way of her good intentions and her own opinions can end up ruling her actions, but she has a good heart. She loves to be social and is welcoming to most, unless they are too silly to tolerate. While she sometimes changes her behavior to make others feel comfortable, she knows who she is and is always bettering herself."

Emma Woodhouse = 84%

Elizabeth Bennet = 63%

Marianne Dashwood = 63%

Elinor Dashwood = 56%

Lady Catherine = 47%

Jane Bennet = 47%

Charlotte Lucas = 22%

Here's the web address of the quiz, if any of you are interested in taking it: http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=41259 . It really doesn't take very long (it's only one page long), and I would love to know who you all turn up to be most like!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Hi everyone! So, as I'm sure you all know, the final book of the addicting Harry Potter series came out a little less than two weeks ago. And while I did definitely enjoy it, I have to admit that it didn't reach my high expectations, like most, if not all, of her other books did. J.K. Rowling is a fantastic author, but I just didn't feel that she put her all into this book, and here's why:

(EXTREME SPOILERS FOR HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS!!! DO NOT READ THE FOLLOWING UNLESS YOU HAVE READ THE LAST HP BOOK!)

This book did not contain as much suspense as the other ones. In fact, I found it slightly boring . . . . Of course, I still read it at every possible moment, but if I wasn't such an avid HP fan in the first place, I would probably have thought, "What's the big deal? Why's everyone crazy about these books? This one sure isn't that great . . . ." I didn't feel completely drawn into the story, except during those few action scenes or the parts that contained emotional trauma.

Secondly, the ending was pretty predictable, I thought. Before reading the book, I was pretty sure that Harry would live, and that Snape was good, and that he had loved Lily, etc., etc. I thought that J.K. Rowling could have thrown in a few more surprises. She did this in the beginning and middle, by giving us greater knowledge of Dumbledore's youth, but not enough at the ending. Of course, this would be hard to do, because the plot for this book was guessed at by millions of people, but still . . . .

Also, I sincerely missed having all of the familiar school scenes at Hogwarts. Maybe that's just because I desperately love school, but I think it's also because that's where I can really connect with Harry, Ron, and, especially, Hermione. I didn't feel as close to them in this book as I did in the others.

Fourthly, Rowling didn't develop her characters enough. Of course, it's not like she hasn't done it in her previous novels, but I would have enjoyed some more development. Actually, one person I thought she developed pretty well was Ron. I really noticed his transformation from the clumsy, lazy, and rather dumb boy to the emotionally stronger and more adept young man at the end of the book. But then, everyone else just seemed to have a minimal amount of character depth.

I also thought that Rowling could have included some more pathos. At the end of the story, when Lupin, Tonks, and Fred died, I didn't feel extremely sorry (ok, I did when Fred died, but the deaths of Lupin and Tonks could have been so much more dramatic, especially since they left their son behind. J.K. Rowling could have compared this to Harry's situation or something like that. I just would have appreciated some more emotional trauma . . . . Speaking about emotional trauma, Rowling did a perfect job of including that when Dobby died! I was almost crying in that part, because J.K. Rowling really emphasized his loyalty and devotion to Harry. That was a part where she excelled).


But I don't want to be too pessimistic . . . I really did enjoy the book and found many exceptional qualities in it. I especially liked the beginning of the battle at Hogwarts, when Rowling brought together all of the DA members, the Order of the Phoenix, and Percy Weasley (wasn't that a great part when he returned?? :-)). It just gave me goosebumps as they all joined together to fight against evil. That was probably my favorite part of the book.

Ok, so that's about all I'm going to write tonight. I would REALLY love to hear your opinions on HP7, so PLEASE COMMENT!!!!

Settling Down . . .

Whew, we have finally settled down!! After months of living a nomadic life, we have moved into our grandma's home in Bellevue, here to stay until the beginning of October, when we can move into our home. It is SO wonderful to know that we won't have to pack up everything in a few days and that we can really get organized!! I have found it a little difficult without any organization, but now I can actually make a schedule and abide by it!

Our time here has been spent buying necessities, like cars, cell phones, cold-weather clothes, reading (like Harry Potter . . . :-)), and being sick. It's really sad, but all of us, excluding my mom, have been sick at least once with a fever since we arrived here. Madeline started it, and now my dad is finally ending it (well, only if no one else gets it again!). We all suffered differently: Marina and Madeline mostly had a bad cough, and I contracted Walking Pneumonia. Actually, I didn't really mind being sick, because a. it's kind of a novelty experience, and b. I spent almost the entire time reading the first six Harry Potter novels. Oh, that was so fun!! And it really helped me understand the last book, which I finished on Monday. Well, I actually couldn't completely finish Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (the sixth one) before I started the last one, because I was busy with my new job at Nordstrom. My job will only last for a few more days, as it is only for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, when the company brings out its new clothes for fall. I have liked my job, but it will be nice to end it, so that I can focus on finishing my school (yes, I still have some left . . .), studying for the SAT Bioloy test I'm planning on taking in October, and preparing for my upcoming school subjects. So, it's not like I won't be busy!

I really should get going now . . . it's almost 11 PM, and I need to get up early tomorrow for a debate workshop. Have a great day! And, I thought I should let you know that the frequency of my blog posts will probably be a little irregular, but I'll try to fit them in.

Our last vacation at Noosa...

These past few weeks have been full with our move, my tests, and everything else. So, I'll try to back up and write about our last days in Australia, and then once I'm finished with it, I'll explain what has been going on here in Seattle.

A couple weeks before we actually moved, we spent the weekend up at Noosa with the Grzesiaks. It was a nice way to spend some quality time with them before we left. On Saturday morning, they drove to our home so we could carpool up to the Eumundi Markets. This collection of booths and individual sellers only opens on Saturday mornings and early afternoons, and it offers so much more than the Sunday Markets in Brisbane. Meagan bought a bracelet, I found this really cute blue scarf, and as a family, we bought a cool didgeridoo (a didgeridoo is a long cylinder of wood with the middle carved out; the Australian Aborigines use it as an instrument). We all wanted one just because it is so authentically Australian. You can't find any of those in America!

Later that night, Mr. Grzesiak, Ryan, Connor, Sarah, my dad, Meagan, Madeline, and I attended an Oka concert. This small, rather unknown band takes the Australian didgeridoo and uses it to create a kind of jazz or new age music. My dad especially enjoys the music, and in Australia, he would frequently turn it on while we cleaned the kitchen, and then we all danced to it. It was kind of a tradition, and it certainly made cleaning more enjoyable! Some of the songs are pretty nice--if you ever look at Oka on iTunes, the best one is Elements. When I first heard it though, I thought it was a little strange, but once you get used to it, it's lots of fun. Meagan, Madeline, and I (and probably the Grzesiak kids) had never attended a concert (unless you count classical music . . .) before, and we are not positive we enjoyed it much. At the beginning, a young lady entertained us by playing the guitar and singing along, but she didn't display much musical variety at all! She seemed to use a few notes from the scale and she constantly repeated phrases and tunes so that she bored us all. And the hard thing was that she never seemed to stop!!!! She was on stage for about an hour at least until Oka finally took over. I kept on thinking, "Oh, I just know this will be her last song," but she never finished until I had thought that almost a million times! My dad said that some of the more prominent bands allow other less well-known musicians to display their talent before the actual concert. I think that this is just so that they will seem even better than normal, because the audience will hear them after listening to some people who are probably not so musically talented. The concert itself was ok, but we all found it extremely loud. We even had to shout so that others could hear us!!

We spent the next day hiking up Mount Coolum and boogie-boarding in the ocean. On Monday, we drove back home and all agreed that we all greatly enjoyed the little weekend getaway. That would be our last time to visit a beach in Australia, and I'm glad that it was such a fun time.

State of Origin

I'm sorry, everyone, for being such a pathetic blogger!! I have had to study for two tests (one will take place the day before we fly back to America, and the other is two days after we arrive in Seattle) and we also have to organize a lot. On Monday, the packers will come and begin the moving process, so we will move to a hotel for the last week. So we only have two nights left in our home!!!! I can't believe it! But I'm SO excited!!!! I really am ready to get back home.

Last week, on the 23rd, Meagan, my dad, his secretary (or personal assistant, as they call it now), Mr. Adam, Noah Adam, and I went to the first game in the State of Origin. This is a set of three rugby games between Queensland and New South Wales. Queenslanders and those from NSW make a big deal of this game, because only the best players from each state play in the game. So, even if a Queenslander plays for the NSW team, in the State of Origin, he will play for Queensland, which makes the games very competitive between the two teams.

We all had a great time at the game. I have never seen a rugby game before and only went to one football game back in America, but I absolutely LOVE them!!! Rugby is actually very similar to football, except it goes quite a bit quicker. First, the clock does not stop during the game, except for halftime. Second, once the player with the ball is tackled, the quarterback quickly passes the ball to the running back.

Almost all the spectators wore these special jerseys, maroon (which they pronounce "muhr-own") for Queensland and blue for NSW. My dad had received a Queensland one for his birthday, so he was set, but Meagan and I felt rather left out without those shirts. After seeing that everyone else had one, we planned on buying some, but immediately changed our minds once we realized they cost $170 each!!!!!! Isn't that ridiculous????? But sorry . . . you probably aren't reading this to hear me complain about prices . . . .

Another thing I found annoying about the game was that everyone drank beer. How sad!!! Now, I'm not saying that beer is bad, but people drank it a bit too much, and one time, when Queensland made an unexpected touch-down, some people above us spilled beer on top of us. Lovely! Just what we all needed. :-)

And QUEENSLAND WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wahoo!!!!!!!! We were all SO glad!!!! Meagan and I were pretty loud . . . we enjoy cheering . . . . :-) There was this one older man behind us who kept giving his opinion on what moves the Queenslanders should make . . . it was pretty funny!! And whenever these people behind us started saying "Let's go Queensland," or "Queenslander," we all would start screaming it too.

I had better talk more about the scores now. At halftime, QLD had 6, while NSW already had 18, or something like that. We all were pretty concerned!!!! But then the game ended with QLD: 25, NSW: 18. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!! So fun.

Now the hardest part of the night was walking to our car. The pathway was completely packed, so we could barely move. It seemed like we moved at a speed of 1 inch per hour. And then, whenever anyone pushed someone else, it would start off a chain reaction, and everyone would be pushed around. My dad kept on pushing me, and then I had to push Meagan--not like I meant to, but we barely had any room to move!! It was pretty funny though.

Well, I need to go to bed now. Have a GREAT day!!!!

Marina's Birthday!!!!!!

Today was Marina's 4th birthday!!!!! I can hardly believe that she is already 4 years old!

She's a real cutie. She has an extremely expressive face, and her different looks always make us laugh! Marina also has grown a lot over the past years. Whenever I look at the backs of Madeline and Marina sitting on the couch, I can barely tell the difference between them! Marina is only a little bit shorter than Madeline, and she already fits into some of the clothes Madeline wore when we first came here to Australia! Out of all of us girls, she will probably end up the tallest! (Some of the pix shown are what my dad calls "angle shots," so that's why they look a little different . . . :-))

I can't always spend enough time with her because of my school and all, but she's a lot of fun to play with. Sometimes she comes up to me and asks me to play with her and her doll . . . it's absolutely adorable!! (But it doesn't happen much . . . .) She also loves to play the game Hi! Ho! Cherrio!, which I don't find extremely interesting, but is pretty amusing with her. She never plays it completely according to the rules though . . . . :-)

This last picture is of Marina attempting to do her "fitness ball workout."

We had a great time celebrating Marina's birthday . . . except we didn't get any cake for her. Poor thing. She really wanted cake too. But we have been really busy getting ready to move and all. We are planning on doing a family birthday party later, so hopefully she'll be fine with that. Have a great day, everyone!

Personality Types

This afternoon, Meagan and I attended a seminar at our church, Christ Community. I forgot the name of the speaker (which is pretty sad . . . . ), but whoever it was did a fantastic job. He currently lives in a small town in Alabama and was just visiting Australia for a few days. The lecture was focused around how our personalities relate to God's individual purpose for our lives, and some of his points were so good that I just had to share them here.

First, he said that everyone's purpose is to know God and to appreciate Him as God, but that within that general purpose, we all have our own individual purpose. He went a step further, and mentioned that God has designed us for that specific purpose. God fully fashioned you and gave you the gifts and abilities He knew you would need to fulfill His ultimate purpose for your life. So, when God made you more scientifically inclined or gave you fantastic social skills, or even gave you limited social skills, He knew exactly what He was doing. The speaker also said that we should accept how God made us and not wish we have others' personality types, gifts, etc. I found that particularly challenging. Sometimes I wish I was more like so-and-so, or didn't have to spend so much time on my history homework, which I'm sure others in my class can accomplish in a shorter period, but it's so comforting to know that God made me that way just so that I can fulfill a purpose that He has chosen for my life! Isn't that just amazing? It kind of reminds me of the inspirational Bible verse from Jeremiah 29:11, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" I find that verse incredibly encouraging. God actually has a specific purpose for us.

Second, we all were given a little quiz based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to find out our personality. I don't know about you all, but I absolutely LOVE personality tests, finding out more about myself, and finding out more about others. It's not like I want to be a Psychiatrist, but I find personality tests fascinating.

So, we all took the quiz, and I ended up with the same personality type that I have received in all my other tests (yes, I have taken more than one . . .)--ESFJ. That means I'm an extrovert, that I think along lines of facts and data instead of abstract ideas, that I base my decisions on my feelings, and that I like things to be organized. It was actually pretty funny, but Meagan turned out with almost the exact same result; she "happens" (of course, it really doesn't just "happen"; God decided & planned it all) to be an ESFP, so she is more flexible than I am.

At this point, the speaker shared with us some different personality types of the authors of the four Gospels. Matthew was an SJ (this was taken from just two parts of the personality test) and called "The Guardian"; Mark was "The Artisan," with an "SP" personality; Luke was an "NT" and "The Rationalist," while John was "The Idealist" and an "NF." The speaker divided the audience into these four groups, and spoke about a few traits of them. He said that the group I was in (the Matthew group) was almost always the largest. And people in the group Meagan stood in (the Mark one) were generally more athletic than those in other sections. Isn't that cool?

I just thought that it was really interesting and wanted to share with you all what Meagan and I learned. Have a great day!

What I'm Reading Tag

Traci (actinggal) tagged me for "what I'm reading." Yeah!! Thanks, Traci!


Just finished: The Grapes of Wrath (a classic about a family moving to California during the Great Depression)


Just began: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (I'm sure you all know about this book . . . :-))


In the middle of: A Purpose-Driven Life (a Christian book that emphasizes that we need to make honoring and loving God the ultimate purpose of our lives; I'm reading it with Meagan at night)

Chosen by God (about the controversial topic of predestination . . . fun!!)

A Chance to Die (a biography about Amy Carmichael)

The Red Badge of Courage (a novel about a young soldier in the Civil War; I started this ages ago, and need to pick it up again sometime soon . . . .)


I tag Madison & Karyn.

Spider-Man 3

So, as I mentioned in my last post, my mom, Meagan, and I saw Spider-Man 3. We all thought it was a fantastic movie! The special effects amazed me and the acting was great. Tobey Maguire really has some strong acting ability--I just didn't notice it as much before, because his part in the first two movies afforded him little room for change in attitude and personal qualities. Kirsten Dunst did a beautiful job, so did James Franco and all the other characters. I would go into more detail, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone . . . .

I especially loved the redeeming qualities portrayed throughout the movie. This movie's main point is that we all have a choice--to do good or to do evil. That theme was prevalent throughout the whole movie. Also, forgiveness played a major part.

This Spider-Man carries the strongest morals compared with the other two, but at the same time, it has the most violence. There isn't much shooting, but the characters often punch and beat up each other.

The movie is rated PG-13 mostly for the violence, but there also is some inappropriate behavior that adds to it. But I really can't go into any more detail without ruining the movie . . . .

I definitely recommend this movie, but only for teenagers or adults. My mom, Meagan, and I found this movie enjoyable, entertaining, and surprisingly moral.

SAT

Yesterday, I had to wake up at 4:30 AM to take the SAT. You see, the nearest place the SAT was offered was in Toowoomba, a little city two hours west of Brisbane. I found that pretty strange and annoying--I think the majority of the seven people taking the test lived in Brisbane, so they should have offered it there . . . . Oh well. So, we left really early, about 5:15, and that was probably a good thing, because my mom and I got lost a few times. When we arrived in Toowoomba, we searched for New England Highway, and saw lots of signs pointing in different directions, supposedly all leading to this street. But then once we followed these signs, we couldn't find any other ones that assured us we were on the New England Highway--instead, the street that we assumed was the New England Highway was called something else. It was really confusing (Australian street signs are not very clear :-)). After talking to two other people, we finally found someone who knew the street and the school (Toowoomba Christian College) where I was taking the test.

So, we eventually arrived at the school, but couldn't find anyone there, except another mom and her son who was also going to take the test. We waited there a few minutes, until the administrator of the exam arrived at 7:45, when we should have been registering for the exam. This administrator didn't seem to know what he was doing (he turned on the alarm at least two times! It was kind of funny). We entered the test room around 8:45, and started the test a little before 9. The test went fine, but I don't think I can say any more about it--it's supposed to be kept secret for a while.

After the test, my mom took me to this adorable little place. It was comprised of about five little countryish shops with a large grassy area in the middle. We ate at this nice little cafe, then browsed around some of the shops. One of them was a cute scrapbooking store, so I bought a few stickers there (I have just started scrapbooking, and find it lots of fun . . . but expensive also).

We arrived home around 5 PM, quickly ate some takeaway Thai food (I love Thai food!!!), and then my mom, Meagan, and I set off for Spider-Man 3 . . . which I will talk about in my next blog post.

Australian Term

I'm going to post my Australian term today instead of tomorrow, because I'm going to have a big day tomorrow. First, I will take my SAT (Ahhh!! I'm pretty nervous . . . if you think about it, I would appreciate your prayers. If I don't get a good enough score this time, I will have to take it again this October--not fun), and then afterwards, hopefully we'll watch Spiderman 3!

Ok, so here's the word (or phrase)-of-the-week:

Australian term: aerial pingpong

American equivalent: Australian Rules football

I thought that was pretty funny! I have actually never been to an Australian football game, but in a few weeks, Meagan, my dad, and I will go to a rugby game (rugby is actually more similar to American football than Australian football), the first out of a group of three games called the State of Origin. For these games, Queenslanders and people from New South Wales (a state south of Queensland) play for their states, instead of whatever team they play for normally. Then, these two new teams play against each other. Australians, at least those from QLD and NSW, go absolutely crazy for this game, so it should be a lot of fun to see it.

What we will miss most about Australia....

My mom had the great idea of interviewing everyone in our family to find out what we all will miss most about Australia when we return home. So, here it goes!

What We Will Miss Most About Australia:

Marina:

1. Grzesiaks (a family we met through Boeing who attends our church; Lukie Grzesiak is about her age, and they are close friends)
2. Replay (a place where one can play video games at the mall)

Madeline:

1. Sarah Grzesiak
2. Replay - surprise, surprise :-)
3. New Zealand (we had a fantastic trip there in the beginning of 2006)
4. Beaches
5. Hot weather, or, as she put it, "the sun"
6. CityCat, a public ferry that stops at different locations along the Brisbane river
   

Meagan:

1. Beaches
2. Grzesiaks
3. Our Queenslander home, including the backyard hottub & pool
4. Unique, tropical flora and fauna
5. Dreamworld (an amusement park we've only been to twice)
6. CityCat

Me (Michelle):

1. Beaches
2. Family trips
3. Grzesiaks
4. New Zealand

Mom:

1. Tropical climate
2. Laid-back lifestyle
3. Walks to Racecourse Road with my dad (they desert us girls for this ritual at night at least once a week ) :-( No, we really don't mind; it's great that they have a chance to get away.
4. Weekly trips to the grocery stores (here, the shopping is more European in that you go to one store for meat, another for produce, another for bakery items, etc. . . but most of the stores are right next to each other, so it's not too difficult)
5. All the fantastic people she's met, many who have lived abroad
6. A wide variety of fresh produce
7. Getting by with only one car - we can do this because my dad takes public transport to work . . . very environmentally friendly, at least compared to Al Gore's private jet! :-)
8. Beaches
9. and of course...the Grzesiaks! :-)
   
   

Dad:

1. Tropical climate
2. Short commute to work (it only takes my dad about 15 minutes on a bus to get to work, compared with 45 minutes or more in America)
3. People he works with (I think this corresponds with #5)
4. Fun family trips
5. Easy-going lifestyle (Australians are not so rushed as Americans)
6. Walks to Racecourse Road with my mom
   
   
   
   
   

So, some other time, I will post about what things we are most excited to go back to. I hope this gives you all a good representation of what our life is like here, especially when combined with my next one!