More Star Wars Planets (by William)

Ahch-To

Ahch-to is an island planet.  It is located in the Unknown Territory.  From space, Ahch-To looks like a blue orb with green spots on the planet.  Ahch-To has two suns and one moon.  The atmosphere is breathable.  The terrain is ocean and rocky islands.  The fauna includes Porgs, Spetan Channelfish, and Thala-sirens. 

Images in this blog are from Internet

Master Luke Skywalker lived there in hiding from the First Order.  He spear-fished and collected food on this planet.  Rey arrived there to find Luke Skywalker because she needed to train with the force.  While Ray was with Luke, Chewie roasted two Porgs, but later on he made friends with some Porgs.  The Porgs even found a way into the Millennium Falcon and made a nest. 

Hoth

Hoth is an icy planet in the Outer Rim in Star Wars. The points of interest are Echo Base. Many Wampas and Tauntauns live there. From space, Hoth looks like a pale blue and white orb. The planet is covered with snow, ice, and glaciers.

A month after the rebels’ habitation, one of the probe droids built and programmed by the Empire discovered Echo Base. Many Tie Fighters and AT-AT walkers fought the rebels and the rebels fought back with their snow speeders.

In the end, many snowtroopers were caught and eaten by the carnivorous Wampas. The Empire received a crushing victory, but many AT-ATs were destroyed allowing Han Solo, Princess Leia, R2-D2, C-3PO, and many other rebels to escape Hoth.  

The Universal Language (by William)

Music is the universal language spoken/sung all around the world.  When spacecraft Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were launch 40 years ago in 1977, they each carried the Golden Record named The Sounds of Earth. 

The records included sounds, images, and about 90 minutes of music with classics composed by Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart, and ethnic songs from different counties.  Hope aliens will enjoy them someday.

The Golden Record (image from NASA website)

Music can bring people together.  Strangers can connect and become friends by singing the same songs.  My friends at Los Angeles Children’s Choir are from different cities in Southern California, and I may never meet them without music unite us together.

My Choir LACC Performing at Disney Concert Hall

We Are the World is a song united many famous stars to help people in Ethiopia who suffered from famine.  We performed the song with Winnie Hsin and Will Jay to raise fund for American Public Safety Association.

In My Life Charity Concert

Tattoo (by William)

I bet you have seen people with tattoos before.  Have you ever wondered why people want tattoos on their bodies, and what a tattoo really is?  Many people think it’s only a type of design, but that is not true.  Read on to find out more about tattoo. 

Photo from Natural History Museum Discovery Guide

Tattoo is a form of art applied on human bodies.  Big and small, short and tall, men and women can all get tattoos.  Tattoos are used to express emotion, show power, or maybe just for fun.  Tattoos may be in different shapes and sizes.  They can be all over the body, even on the private parts such as the buttocks! 

Why there are so many people with tattoos in Southern California?  This is because Southern California has very good weather so people can show off their tattoos.  Also, in the past, sailors would land in Long Beach and get a tattoo to mark where they had sailed, which started the trend for tattoo.  Not all people got their tattoos by choice.  During World War II, prisoners in the concentration camps were each tattooed a certain code for identification. 

Tattoos are found all over the world.  For example, Whang-Od Oggay is a master tattoo artist.  She lives in the Philippines and is one of the last tattoo artists in her tribe.  She says, “I like tattooing for other people.  It’s my hobby.  The money that I earn is used to buy more pigs and hens.”  When visiting the Philippines, tourists from different countries look for her to get themselves tattooed. Her tattoo method is called finger-tapping.  A thorn is inserted into a hollow stick, which is inserted into another stick, like my illustration below.  

The modern way to tattoo is using a tattoo machine.  The machine hurts less: the needle is dull and the speed of the needle is slower. 

When I finished viewing the Tattoo Exhibit in the Natural History Museum, my head was sent into a spin.  My thought about kids having tattoos was no, they shouldn’t because kids change their minds quickly.  They may be excited to get a tattoo on day one, and the very next day, they may regret it.  Also, it’s hard to get tattoos off.  What do you think about kids getting tattoos?