On Olvera Street (by William)

My dad and I went to check out the Olvera Street today because it is the birthplace of Los Angeles.  

We arrived under the red morning sun and saw many merchants selling clothes, accessories, and lots of toys.  I thought my mom would like a set of farm animal finger puppets, but when I called her she said “No.”  The place was bustling with energy.

Olvera Street is a historic part of Los Angeles.  It is voted to be one of the top five streets of America.  The transition from a street to a market place was done by prisoners.  During the construction, a cache of whiskey was discovered and they had to take the convicts back to jail in a very wilted condition.
               

Picture from Internet  

After walking around on Olvera Street, we arrived at the Chinese American Museum.  The museum exhibits include Chinese settlers, merchants, and their life in California back then.  I learned how the Opium War started.  Britain tried to do business in China, but China was a locked-down country.  Britain sold a drug called opium made by a certain type of poppy seeds to Chinese.  The officials discovered it, so they imprisoned English merchants and burned off the stock of opium.  Britain sent troops and the Opium War started.  

Olvera Street is a historical landmark.  Some people think the landmark is fake and it was just made for tourists.  I disagree with that.  The majority of the people did not appear to be tourists because they were not flashing cameras based on my observation.  

Next time I go to Olvera, I will be sure to take mom so she can walk on the same street that Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy once walked on.

Water Polo Class (by William)

Splash!  

“Shriek!!!  Brr!”  It was my first day in Water Polo class at PolySummer.  My, was the water icy in the pool.  I immediately started warming up, swimming freestyle as fast as I could.  After a few minutes, I started to feel better.  

 Then the coaches, Mr. Katsuyama and Ms. Arredondo called us in.  They told us how to do an eggbeater kick.  This kick helps you stay above water.  They also taught us to throw and catch with one hand.  I got the hang of the eggbeater kick in three days.

During the class, the beginners including me practice the eggbeater kick and shoot easy goals.  Meanwhile the advanced go to the deep section and shoot hard goals with TAs.  Then we put on colored swim caps to be separated into teams for a Water Polo game.  The goal of the class is to encourage kids to have the desire to learn more about Water Polo and to like it while doing exercise.  

I like Water Polo a lot because the coaches and TAs are nice and patient.  One time, coach Arredondo took me aside and helped me improve my skills on the eggbeater kick and catching the ball.  The water in the pool is freezing cold and it helps me cool down when it’s really hot.  Water Polo is the team sport that I find most interesting so far.  

Three years ago, I started swimming.  I used to complain “mom, why do I have to swim?”  Now I see why.  Swimming opens windows like Water Polo that I immediately found interesting.  When you try something new, don't give it up too quickly.  You will never know if you can unlock new opportunities with it down the road.

For now, farewell.  

 

A Letter to Grandma and Grandpa (by William)

Dear Grandma and Grandpa,

How are you doing?  We are good.  My eyes, ears, head, legs, and heart all miss you.  Come back soon since my internal organs cannot hold up much longer.  

In the past week we went to Palm Springs.  There was a water park named Wet n Wild.  The first experience of riding a water slide made me thrilled.  The down slopes and sharp turns made my body fly into the air.

We also visited five museums recently.  I liked the Autry Museum of the American West and my favorite part was the Chinese community exhibit.  Many interesting things were on display including the mooncake molder and the ancient Yellowbook.  There was no phone number in the Yellowbook because there was no telephone back then.  

At home I learned how to cook many dishes including my new invention, Sticky Big Rice.  I added one cup of normal rice and one cup of sticky rice to the pot, add water to the appropriated level, put the pot in the cooker, plug it in, and press the cook button.  Delicious sticky rice will be ready in 30 minutes.

I hope you enjoy visiting relatives and friends and please tell me all about it when you return home.

Love

William