The Old Man and The Sea Vs. Call It Courage (By Ethan)

  If you’ve ever read “The Old Man and The Sea” then you should definitely know about Ernest Hemingway. His book made me ever so curious, especially when the old man went out alone to fish and battled for long, hard and sweaty days with a giant, purple marlin in the Gulf Stream near Cuba.

  Then there is Armstrong Sperry who is famous for his novel “Call It Courage”, in which a likewise male (but much, much younger) human figure named Mafatu also sailed out only with his dog, Uri into the ocean to fight and overcome his fear of the ocean. This fascinating story happened near New Zealand in the Pacific Ocean.

  Mafatu later landed on an unknown island and then met the evil eaters-of-men, these didn’t happen to the old man though. While he was trying to survive alone with his dog on the island Mafatu killed a wild boar, a shark and a giant octopus, and when he finally returned home he was no longer The Boy Who Was Afraid.

  The old man wasn’t so lucky. He battled of almost 16 sharks that left him with nothing but giant marlin skeleton. Hmmm, I wonder if he could feed those bones to his dog, if he had one.

  I have found out that the old man and the boy were both very brave and they gave me the feeling that giving up is never their plan and my brain will see in awe that it is certain that any of these two can conquer any challenge and I am dumbfounded by their courage and resistance, mostly because of the boy. If I were stuck in a very hard challenge I would put forth and deal with it!

  While I was working on this essay, Mom happen to be reading a book called “Grit The Power of Passion and Perseverance” by Angela Duckworth. When Mom told me what this book is about, I thought the most common and important characteristic of the old man and Mafatu is after all, grit.

Pixar (by William)

Pixar is an animation movie studio.  Yesterday I went with my dad to the California Science Center to see the newly-opened Pixar Exhibit.  I am going to tell you how Pixar makes its movies.

The first step to make a move is to draw the characters and scenes by hand.  Movie creators have to work very hard.  For one second of the move, some artists will have to draw over 30 different variations to make it perfect.  The next step is to rig a character.  To rig means to add joints to characters to make emotions or actions.  Then you add colors.  For example, in the movie Cars, McQueen’s bright red was added first, after that metal flakes were added using the computer to make the character shiny.  After that you make the character 3 D using the computer animation tools.  After a few more steps such as lighting, sound effects, story line development, you can finally sit back and enjoy your work.

I am inspired by how hard movie creators work, and I might want to help make a movie in the future ahead of me.  

Halloween Survey (by William)

Last night, I went trick-or-treating. While talking to people giving out candy, I got to know my community better. I went to more than 20 houses and some of them were really creepy.

When I was trick or treating, I asked two questions. The first one was “Why do you want to participate in giving out candy?” The top three answers I got were “It’s a family tradition.” “I like to see kids smile when giving them candy.” and “I want to be kind.” The second question was how much money they spent for candy and decorations. The answers were the budget ranged from ten dollars to hundreds of dollars.

When I was trick-or-treating, I saw so many spooky sights. There was a big screen showing a girl ghost saying, “Hey, you don’t belong here!” Another spooky sight was a spider jumping up with red eyes when you walk up in front of it. The most amusing sight was fog streaming out of a haunted house. I heard moaning and groaning sound effects.

I met three retired teachers while trick-or-treating. One of them gave me advice for improving piano. She said, “Playing the piano helps you organize things better.” Another retired teacher gave me extra candies so I could have more candy to sort and organize later in the evening. It was like she could read my mind.

I feel like Halloween is a chance to know my neighbors better. A lady gave me a research question. “17 years ago, candy bars were 3 times as long as current ones. They were sold at the same price as our candy nowadays. What happened?” I will leave it to you to find out the answer of the question.  

LACC Fall Retreat (by William)

On Oct. 22, 2016, I went with the Apprentice Choir of the Los Angeles Children’s Choir (LACC) to a retreat in Santa Monica. It was a very very cheerful and hard working day for me.

We arrived at a church in the morning and Treble 1 and Treble 2 split up. I was in Treble 2 so I got to learn and sing songs that involved Treble 2 with voice coach Ms. Wendy. After the Treble 2 coaching, both parts sang for a WORLD FAMOUS OPERA SINGER. She gave us tips and advice and we improved. After that she left.

Then we all went downstairs. Ms. Landis (director of Apprentice choir) turned on “Masters in this Hall,” and we danced to it. My partner Meagan Hoffman and I danced together. We walked in a big circle and even strutted under a tunnel of hands made by countless number of kids.  It was very fun.

After that Treble 1 went to coaching with Ms. Wendy and Treble 2 learned the Alexander technique. The technique is using mental, physical, and emotional feelings to enrich the song. For example, Path to the Moon is song that is calm and gentle so you have to be calm and gentle. The song is about an adventure so your spine has to be straightened up. If you sing a song with the Alexander technique your audience will certainly want to hear it again. After that, we got to sing with the Intermediate choir and the Concert choir. They sounded like angels to me.

Finally, we went to the beach. I was waiting the whole day for it. My group was the boy group, “L.” When we got to the beach, I made balls of sand and threw them at the ocean, chased waves, and wade a sand fort. During the process of building the fort, my pants got soaked by seawater and I wore wet pants all the way home.

I had a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to the spring retreat to Newport Beach.

My Life in a Classic Kayak (By Ethan)

I have spent a year kayaking. 99% of my teammates are big, strong teenagers, but we get along well. We recently have a new team member named Troy, who is about the same age as me.

I have Coach Aasim as the boss, Krista and Allison are assistant coaches.

My view from the river is nice. Sometimes I see zip-line people soaring across the river and that makes me wish I was on it myself. Or, sometime I smell gloriously scrumptious food that turn my stomach into an inside-out earthquake. Once I saw a shoe and shopping cart (very unusual sights) in the water too.

There are 6 kinds of racing kayaks. The first is the Viper 55, the widest and slowest of the kayaks. Next is the Viper 51, then a Classic which is my present boat, the highest level contents 3 type; Vintage, V2 and V3. The higher the level the narrower the boat is and of course the faster the boat goes.

When the coach told me that I was ready for a Classic I was terrified. I would fall in the water for sure! But I tried it and now I have improved so much that I can coast 4km with a seat in the boat.

One day while on the move to my training I asked my mom: "What if I fell in the river?"
Mom:"Would that be the end of the world?"
Me:"No."
Mom:"Then get out of the water and try again. There is a saying, That does not kill us makes us stronger. It is a quote from a famous German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. You get stronger every time you overcome an obstacle."
After a few minutes I said:"I think that philosopher is kind of right. But for example, I haven't eaten for 3 days and I survived. Then I would be weaker not stronger."
Mom:"You are very correct. At that moment, you will be very weak. However, after you recover, your mind and body will not be afraid of that type of experience and your personal development will be enhanced."

Mom also said that she is always so proud of every drop of my sweat when I try hard at sports.

Mom and coaches have been encouraging me a lot and I think that has helped very much. They make me feel better to go on the river.

At first, being in a Classic was scary, but little by little, I improved. And now I kayak in a Classic with a seat without much problem.

Kayaking is a very, very hard sport. But I have practiced and I am a master of it. Practice makes mastering.

Why I should be considered for a member of the Junior Botball Team (By Ethan)

  I knew I wanted to be a robot builder the very moment I finished watching "The Magic School Bus Flexes It's Muscle" in which the kids attempt to build a robot that can do all of their chores. Maybe I think I could build a robot that would sharpen my pencils while I am writing this essay.

  I love, love love science!! I watch science videos on YouTube and read Horrible Science books. I also like technology and math. YouTube and math operations prove it. And also, I did a wind gauge project last year for the Science Fair and won the 3rd place!

  I fell very excited to join Botball. But first, I promised to my mom that I'll work extra hard on my kayak training and boxing so I would have time for the club on Thursday.

  I (if I can manage) will continue to join Botball. Robots are in my blood.

Rocks (by William)

On our trip to San Clemente, Mom took a few rocks off the beach after asking a lifeguard for permission first.  She told me later that she wanted to find out what kind of rocks were they.  I am going to tell you about the tools we used, descriptions of two out of all the rocks, and the rock cycle.

There were three tools that I used.  One of them was a pocket guide called Rocks and Minerals from National Geographic Society.  When I looked in it, it has a lot of information about rocks.  My second tool was a magnifying glass.  It helped us look closely at the rocks.  We also used labels to label the rock names once we identified them.

One of the rocks I have is a marble.  Marble is a metamorphic rock.  It is hard and found likely in mountain areas.  You can see calcite crystals in marble but they are hard to see.  Another type of my rocks are slate.  Slate is a good material for roof tiles.  It is not easily worn out.

A volcano erupts sending lava into the air, then the lava cools and hardens forming igneous rocks.  Over time the rocks get compressed down into the earth and become sedimentary rocks.  Some of the sedimentary rocks melt back into igneous rocks, some remain as sedimentary rocks, and the others get heated and turn into metamorphic rocks.  The metamorphic rocks may be heated and turn into igneous rocks, some may be compressed and turn into sedimentary rocks, and some may remain as metamorphic rocks.  That is what happens in a rock cycle.

If you are interested in getting rocks and researching them, you may get rocks from many places (ask first if you are at a beach or national park).   If you are interested in the rock cycle, you may go online and search for more information. 

Thank you for reading Rocks.

Batman (by William)

In many stories, Batman has saved Gotham City (The city of New York) many times from evil villains. But have you wanted to know more about Batman? Well, Batman had a sad past when he was young, a criminal shot his mother and father. Bruce Wayne (Batman) trained and trained many days to become a super talented crime fighter who defeated many villains in epic battles.

Batman can travel on land, sea, and even air thanks to his trusty vehicles:  The Batmobile, Batboat, and Batplane. He uses the vehicles to transport himself to places where villains have been seen.

Batman has sidekicks to help him fight against villains and one does service for him. Robin was young like Batman when his parents fell from certain heights and died. Batman later adopted Robin and trained him to be a hero. Batgirl is another sidekick of Batman. She uses the same weapons as Batman, for example, the Batrang. Alfred is his servant. He helps Batman change clothes and make meals.

There are many villains in Gotham City. One of them is Mr. Freeze. His wife died and he turned evil and uses a freeze ray as a weapon. Catwoman is a professional thief and uses her razor sharp claws against good. The Penguin is a bird brain crook. He invents and uses his trick umbrellas as weapons. Bane is nothing but a strongman. He uses a type of venom to make himself stronger and can break people’s backs.

Batman uses the strategy of teamwork but the most valuable lesson I learned was in the end, love and good will always tale down hate and evil.

Thank you letter to the Lin family after camping at Leo Carrillo State Park (by William)

Dear Mr. Lin, Mrs. Lin, and Peter,

Thank you for inviting me to the state park to camp with you guys.  It was so fun!  Seeing all the creatures in the tide pools really made my head spin so fast.

Mr. Lin, your steak and spaghetti were really nutritious and delicious.  I also liked it when we toasted marshmallows.  They were sweet and warm. The egg, cheese, and ham sandwich was delicious.

Mr. Lin your snoring was a lullaby and I fell asleep right after that.  Anyway thanks for sharing a tent with us.

The camping trip was great and I hope you will invite me again next year.

Sincerely,

William

The Piano Guys (by William)

Last Saturday I watched an amazing concert by The Piano Guys.  It was hosted at the Greek Theatre in the City of Los Angeles.  Today I am going to tell you all about it.

The Piano Guys Live Performance at Greek Theater

My interest in The Piano Guys started when I was looking for Star Wars music online.  My search result was one of Steven, the cellist’s videos called Cello Wars.  It was so good that I had to watch it again and again.  Later I found more YouTube videos featuring the cellist Steven Nelson and Jon Schmidt, the pianist.  

After a few months of admiring The Piano Guys and watching their videos, Ms. Cindy my piano teacher told me that there would be a live performance at the Greek Theatre.  My mom saw my excitement so she bought the tickets for my family.

I enjoyed their show because they had a good sense of humor, and they really poured heart and soul into their music.

They joked about how The Piano Guys started.  A few years ago, Jon went to a piano store and asked the owner/manager if he could practice the piano to get ready for a concert.  The owner Paul was kind and let him play.  When Jon was practicing the piano, Paul observed him and asked Jon if he could videotape him playing the piano to make a commercial for selling more pianos.  Steven later helped making the music videos but Paul didn’t sell a single piano and the store was soon closed (because they were too busy making music and had no time to sell pianos any more).  They became known as the famous Piano Guys.

When Steven was a little boy, he was easily distracted while practicing the cello.  His Do-Re-Mi practice was mixed with “squirrel” and all kinds of other distractions.  But his parents pushed him not to give up.

During the show, I felt Jon and Steven really poured their heart and their passion into the music, and when I inhale the music that was simply floating around, I could sense it.

Another Piano Guy Me!

I am starting to get interested in learning the cello.  I want to practice my instruments well.  Next time when The Piano Guys have a tour in LA, I hope to go to the concert again and get their autograph on my Piano Guys CD.

P.S.: My piano teacher Ms. Cindy read my blog and made a book!  Please feel free to read, and my mom order a hard copy.  (Please click on the following link -  Concert review by one of our little piano guys. Music arranged and performed by The Piano Guys)

**************

Dear William,

I really enjoyed reading your post regarding the Piano Guys' Concert.  In fact, I liked it so much I decided to make a slide show based on your writing.  Take a look!

Ms. Cindy

Henri Matisse (by Ethan)

Henri Matisse was one of the brightest and greatest artists in the 1900s. He always sought new ways of painting and fought against darkness throughout his life

He was born on December 31, 1869 in Le Cateau-Cambresis and grew up in Bohain-en-Vermandois. His family owned a shop that sold seeds, grains and household goods to the people. At 21, appendicitis struck him and forced Matisse to lay in bed for one year. Mrs. Matisse, his mother, gave him a set of water colors so he would have something to do. The moment he used them, he didn't feel bored anymore. He found out that painting was something he'd been dying to do!

Soon he was painting tons of pictures. Heaped up in his mind were tons of bright, beautiful colors and simple pretty shapes. Brighter and brighter his paintings got until they were stunning as the view one sees on a fine sunny day.

Henri Matisse is so famous because of his bright, immense beautiful paintings and paper cutouts. When he was old, ill and too weak to pick up his paint brushes, he discovered that he could "paint" with scissors. This type of work of his is done by cutting out brightly-colored paper painted with gouache, then arrange the paper shapes onto a large sheet of gouache-painted paper(sometimes without gouache) and, Tada! You have your very own Matisse paper cutout!

Matisse first started Fauvism with his friend and painter, Andre Derain. Soon, Fauvism was spreading to other artists. People were insulted by the bright, unusual colors. Fauves means "wild beasts" in French, which is what makes it such a suitable name for this painting style.

Later, Matisse's works were greatly admired by people all over the place. If it wasn't for Matisse, modern art wouldn't be like this! A big salute to Matisse.

Matisse also got along with his other fellow artists and often painted like them. Sometimes Henri's art work looks like Picasso's; sometimes like Derain's and sometimes like Georges Braque's, another friend of his.

Just like Matisse, I like to cut stuff, and I think his works look brilliant. If you like paper cutouts, give me thumbs up!

The Sky (a sky poem by Ethan)

When I look up at the sky,

I see mythical creatures that have mythical features.

Such as a goldfish biting the tail of a winged elephant

as he flies with all his might.

Or I might spy(if I look hard)

10 fleas trapped in an hourglass.

Oh, the sky, the sky, the wonderful sky,

so full of beauty and mythical life!

My Piano Teacher (by William)

Ms. Cindy is my piano teacher and I am going to introduce you to her and her studio.  I have been learning piano for two years and I feel inspired by Ms. Cindy.  Her studio is called Piano for Children located in Arcadia.

Ms. Cindy passes her love of music down to me.  She taught me how to play great piano pieces that touched my heart.  One of them was Star Wars Main Theme.  When I play it I feel like I am in outer space with Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa fighting the First Order.

Since I started learning piano, Ms. Cindy has always taught me in a very kind, positive and gentle way.  Her attitude in teaching really woke up my sense of music.  Every time after my piano class, I would practice playing piano and that gladden the ears near and far in my family. 

Ms. Cindy organizes recitals and community concerts for senior citizens.  After a recital there are lots of snacks.  There is also a chance for kids to play together.  That is how I made friends with other kids in the studio (moms too)!  I teamed up with other kids to do duets and trios.  Ms. Cindy once said “I can count on you to do duets and trios” and that made me proud.  

Ms. Cindy’s studio feels like home.  Her studio is very neat and organized and she has her own library full of music books, CDs, and videos that you can borrow for free.

Ms. Cindy is my angel of music and her love of music will always be part of me.

P.S.

• Welcome to visit Piano for Children:  https://www.facebook.com/piano4children/
• If you want to listen to our recent trio: https://www.facebook.com/piano4children/videos/1143733015686864

Piano for Children 2014 Winter Recital

********Letter from Ms. Cindy (I read many times)********

Dear William,

What a wonderful blog post you wrote about me and my studio!  I appreciate all the nice things you mentioned about my teaching and our facility.  I find myself very lucky, I get to do the thing I enjoy the most (playing the piano) and be with the most fun, curious and genuine group of people (children).  You write very well!  I hope you don't mind if I share your writing.  

When I said I can always count on you to play duets or trios, I really meant it!  Besides playing all the notes correctly, you also paid extra attention to details such as dynamics and articulations.  You have solid memorization on your own part and know how to adjust and balance with your partner(s).  You perform with confidence and cheerful manner, I've enjoyed watching you on stage and listening to you perform.  

Continue to practice, build up your repertoire, explore, sing and write.  I look forward to our third year working and growing together!

Ms. Cindy         

Tom Sawyer Camp (by William)

In the past two weeks, I have been going to TSC. To my point of view, it is very very fun.  It is in the Hahamongna Watershed Park close to NASA-JPL.  These are the activities in TSC.

Horseback riding is a calm activity.  All of the horses have names, for example, Lee, Huggy, Sugar, Pepper, Mack, and Max.  Yesterday at the horseback riding, I learned how to go up and down slopes.  When I got to the bottom of the slope, Huggy, the horse in front of me started to pee.  “Potty break!”  Shouted a horse staff.  When Lee, the horse what I was on saw Huggy peeing, she started to pee too.  “Double potty break!”  Shouted the horse staff.  After that I just couldn’t stop laughing.

In TSC we do a lot of hiking.  My favorite hike so far was hiking in the Angeles National Forest to a waterfall.  During the hike, we were warned about poison oak (a plant) and what it looks like.  I also saw deer.  When we reached the water, the kids including me tried to catch tadpoles using caps and hands.  After a while of observing, we released the tadpoles back to the wild.  When I got home I told my grandpa my hike and he said, “Oh Santa’s reindeer must be taking a vacation.” 

I really like TSC because it brings me water, mud, and the really taste of nature. 

Coming to the camp

Leaving the camp

B&B Letter after Sleepover at Auntie’s House (by William)

Dear Auntie and Uncle,

Thank you for inviting me to your house for a sleepover.  It was so fun!  

I got to feed Coco without him biting my hands.  I was very handy with squeezing orange juice and orangeade for you guys.  I also got to walk Coco through the sounds of the night.  The most fun part of the sleepover was making a swing for Auntie under the guidance of Uncle. 

I wish you will invite me for another sleepover.

Love,

William

The Adventures of the Purrington (Rich Cats) Family on Cat Island (By Ethan)

In the center of San Whisker Ocean lays an island called The Cat Island. Its capital is St. Catty Town. There is a nice big lake  - Claw Men Lake which is the natural water feeder on the Cat Island. Next to it is the Glamour Bay, Fluffy Desert, Lappy Rock Garden and Pan Paw Hills. The hills are surrounded by the Clash Buttes and Mesas. On the northeast corner is Hell Mice Woods and Cheese Mouse Dips then comes the Meow Canyons. McPurr River calmly flows through St. Catty Town and wraps Gumbie hill and Mount Cindy. On the far south, Tabby Feast, the main plain spreads.

Chapter 1: Nice, Purrrr-fect Life

The Purringtons lived on the very edge of St. Catty Town in a nice little house. They had plenty of catty coins and bills to take care their 10 youngens. Mrs. Purrington had named them all Purry. To find out which kitten was which, Mr. and Mrs. Purrington called them Purry 1, Purry 2, Purry 3 and so on. (Purry is short for Purrington) Mr. Purry was a postman and Mrs. Purry was a teacher.

Chapter 2: "Nearly Goners"

One chilly Tuesday night, as the Purrys were eating supper, Mr. Purry came home with grief.
"We have a robber at the post office." he hissed. "A package of cutlery that was supposed to be sent to an old fluffy feline who lived in Hell Mice Woods was stolen at midnight." he continued.
"We'll tell the police tomorrow." said Mrs. Purry.
"I'm done, Mama." said Purry 3.
"Good" said Mrs. Purry. "Take your bath and brush your teeth and off you trot to bed!"
"Good night Mama and Papa." said the Purries.
"Sweet dreams. my dears."

Chapter 3: The Second Theft

The next afternoon as the Purries went into the house after school they saw Mrs. Purry slumped over an armchair, sobbing. "What's wrong, Mama?" asked Purry 4.
"One of my students was robbed." said Mrs. Purry. "The thief climbed in, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and off he pelted cross the McPurry River." muttered Mrs. Purry.
"Did the police know?" asked Purry 5.
"Yes, we called them right away." Mrs. Purry answered.

Chapter 4: The Big Search

When the police heard the news, they were horrified. "Stolen student and cutlery?!" "We'll show those thieves!"
After one whole day and night of searching on Tabby Feast they went en route to Gumbie Hill, then walked several miles before they found the two robber's hut on Pan Paw Hill 1. The police pawcuffed them up, threw them into the police car, and recovered the stolen treasures.
Now life has returned to normal for the Purringtons and everyone is purrr-fectly happy.

Flying Solo book report (by Ethan)

Have you ever had or met a teacherless class? What did it feel like? Did you still learn anything?

"Flying Solo" is a book in which a class is suddenly left teacherless for a whole Friday. The class is in sixth grade, and they are going to prove that they can run the class by themselves. One of the classmates, Tommy Feathers died in October. Rachel White, another classmate, has been communicating only by writing notes since his death.

The author is Ralph Fletcher. He writes in a style that I love. He replaces simple words with more interesting phrases to describe people doing actions. For instance, when Ralph wants to say "he/she walked quickly out of somewhere" he says "he/she wheeled out of somewhere".

The part of the book that I thought was the most exciting(and a little bit funny too) was the rock (closure) ritual which starts at 1:40pm. The way it goes is a departing student chooses a rock and all the others take turns holding that rock and share a memory about that departing student.

One of the personal connections in this book was when Tommy died. In 2015 my great grandmother died. We celebrated her 95th birthday the year before. It was a piece of sorrowful memory.

"Flying Solo" is one of the best and funniest books that I've ever read! I may keep this book until the very last day of my life.

Rio 3: Blu’s Trip around the World - Part 4 (Written and posted by William)

So there they were in Fairview, Pennsylvania.  A few days before, Blu and his family evacuated from Norman, Oklahoma to Fairview, Pennsylvania from a massive EF-5 tornado.

Jewel spotted something round and flew down to see, she immediately flew up again.  “That’s not a Brazil nut.”  Just then, Bia saw something swimming in Lake Erie.  “Fish!” shrieked Blu excitedly.  He swooped down to claim his prize.  In a few minutes or so, Blu and his family were feasting.

A few minutes later, Kevin walked out his door and saw Blu and his family.  He took photos and notes about the Blue Spix Macaw family and even threw them a few Brazil nuts.

With all the happiness going on, Kevin’s older brother (a hunter), stepped outside.  Kevin’s skin turned pale.  Kevin’s brother spotted them and threw a net up.  All Kevin could come up with was “No.”  Blu and his family few away just in time.  They took no chances in America anymore so Blu said, “Let’s go to Canada.”

A few days later, they perched on top of Duo Duo’s house in Toronto, Canada.  They could rest just for now…