The Adventures of a Camp Counser

I've set a goal for myself to reach before I graduate high school. 500 service hours. Yup. I know it seems a little daunting but at my school, if you reach 500, you get to graduate with a silver cord (you know, those fancy cords they drape over your neck?) and some sort of a certificate or whatnot but I'm really interested in the cord (Gosh, I sound like George Clooney in Up in the Air with his ten million frequent flyer miles)anyway, to achieve my goal, which I'm like 355 hours short of, I signed up to work as a camp counselor this summer- and you would not believe how weird it has been (half-naked yoga hobos, a seriously disturbed little girl and an eight year old that looks like Damien from The Omen). So follow my blog and I'll tell you about the camp counseling job from Hell.

The Mysterious Power of Ancient Chinese Medicine in the Modern World By: Karam Atli

<---- 蛤蚧 (gap gui) (Texas Horned Lizard) used in brewing Ancient Chinese Herbal Medicines

Since summer vacation started I have been in Hong Kong for about 1½ months. The reason I have been here so long is because of my grandfather’s cancer.

The climate in Hong Kong is extremely humid and hot, due to many high-rise buildings built only a few meters apart from each other. In fact, I think Hong Kong may be even hotter than the sunshine state!

I am lucky that I recovered from jet lag around the 2^nd week, because I tell you, switching day and night is not easy. (Hong Kong is 12 hours ahead of Florida, meaning when it is day in Florida it is night here in Hong Kong. During the first week, I slept almost 18 hours a day, and while the Hong Kong people were sleeping I was roaming around my grandparent's apartment wide-awake.

My grandfather's cancer is at the terminal stage, and is still developing, but the doctor suggested not to do anything since he does not have any pain.

We can tell that his belly has been growing, but not from fat. His body's frame has shrunk. The local hospital's psychiatrist told him about what to expect and how to deal with his disease. Since then, he has not been as worried and upset as before.

My mom, aunts, and uncles, busily looking for other options, heard about a famous Chinese Medicine doctor that specialized in cancer patients, and took my grandfather to see him.

So far, the herbal medicines that the Chinese doctor prescribed to my grandfather seems to have given him more energy and strength. My aunts have even noticed that his face has become less pale. For our family, this has been like a light at the end of a tunnel, giving us hope even at this stage.

For me, this has been amazing, and has opened my eyes to a new type of medical treatment. I've studied in my middle school's Pre-medical Academy for 3 years, but have never learned anything about Eastern medicine. Some of the hospitals here in Hong Kong have developed a system of combining Western medicines and treatment along with Ancient Chinese Meditation Treatments ( such as tai chi, and chi gong- which translates into inner potential energy), and accupuncure to help the patients recover faster, especially for early-stage to middle-stage cancer, heart-disease, and stroke patients. I suspect that the tai chi that my grandfather has been practicing for more than 20 years is one of the factors that has let him have no pain. (Almost like meditating the pain away.)

I hope that one day I can have the chance to learn and further explore Eastern and Western medicine and treatments. That may enable me to become a doctor, and help people after I have completed medical school.

The End of An Era

With the hype over the latest Harry Potter movie, almost every one has become a fan. Those who aren't fans just believe Harry Potter to be another mainstream fad that will soon fade as time goes on and new books and new movies take its place.

However, I am one of those few Harry Potter nerds that will say that Harry Potter will stay in my heart forever. As cheesy as it sounds, Harry Potter is my childhood. I have known this book for half my life, and I've been one of the many Potterheads that has followed the series through every book and movie as soon as I hopped aboard the Potter train.

I picked up my first Harry Potter book when I was about 8, in the 3rd grade. It was also around the time that the Half-Blood Prince was released. I remember it was the first "big" book I'd ever picked up--one without pictures and over 30 pages. I was a little reluctant to read it, but once I started, I couldn't put it down. I had started the series from the Prisoner of Azkaban because the school library didn't have any of the other books of the series (a little odd, now that I think about it, but it wasn't the wealthiest of schools).

I still remember reading the book on Saturday morning. I had made myself a cup of coffee, because it was cold out, and I snuggled up with my book on the sofa right by the window. The sunlight was streaming in, it was my favorite type of weather, and I was about to be exposed to the wonderful world of Harry Potter (and along with it, the vast world of books).

I finished the book later that day, and begged my mom to take me to Barnes and Noble so I could get the rest. Unfortunately, we didn't get to go that day, but when we did go, I brought my savings with me. We bought all 6 of the books, mostly paperback and the total was all of my savings. I didn't care though, and I still don't. Usually, my allowance still goes to buying new books.

And then came the summer of 2007, which was the big Harry Potter year. The final book arrived that summer, on July 21st and the 5th Harry Potter movie was released as well. I remember getting the book at midnight, and reading all through the night.

My parents didn't always approve of this--I was now into reading and in this mystical, magical world. They would constantly remind me that it was all fictional, that I should read other books, that I was wasting my time. But the truth is, none of that mattered and having Harry Potter helped me through a lot.

When there was fighting in my house, I'd grab a Harry Potter book and curl up somewhere; I've always loved that about books. I can grab one and as long as it's interesting, I can get lost in the world, lose tune with the world. My mom knows that she has to call me a couple of times while I'm reading a book to get my attention.

When I read the Half-Blood Prince and the scene with Dumbledore arrived, I threw the book against my bed. I couldn't bear to go on. I hated Snape with a passion. The books had become my friends; what happened in that world, happened in mine. I remember signing up to dumbledoreisnotdead.com and rereading the series to find some hint of the initials that could be R.A.B.. When I still new to the series and had just finished reading the Chamber of Secrets, my parrot whom I was very close to died. I remember googling phoenixes, and where to buy them, and asking my mom if we could go to the bird shop to find one, because the thought of having a bird that died only to be reborn again was a bright light that shone in my naive eight-year old mind.

Harry Potter has been my life for half my life. I went to the midnight premiere of the last movie, and I realized there would be no more of this. No more being huddled in lines outside the theaters, with the respective book in hand, or waiting outside Barnes and Noble for midnight to purchase the latest book. No more whispering and guessing of what the newest installment, whether movie or book, would bring. No more freaking out about a poster that was just released or the teaser trailer that sends chills up your spine. No more sitting in a theater with true fans who whoop and scream and clap and laugh and cry at the right times. No more having a best friend like Ron to say the right thing to make you laugh at the tense moment, or Hermione with a revelation or Harry with his bravery and courage.

It truly is the end; while Harry Potter will not die, it will be the end of the releases, the end of looking forward to something more, something else, the end of an era.

So, sitting in the theater last Thursday night, I was trembling. Trembling, because truly, my childhood does end with this. I was there with Harry through his first letter from Hogwarts, and now I part ways with him as the story has been told.

It was a phenomenal, breath-taking, life-changing and magical era. And I am proud to say I was part of the Harry Potter generation who grew up with each release of the next book and stayed in line for each new midnight premiere of the next Harry Potter movie.

So, farewell to the Harry Potter generation as we say goodbye to our childhood.

A Day in the Life of: A Rock of Ages Extra

When I received an email invitation to participate as an extra in the new Rock of Ages movie, I could not resist. Immediately I gathered a group of my friends and we decided we were going to rock out like it was 1983. So, on Monday, July 18th, my two friends and I made our way to Sun Life stadium where we heard the first, of many interesting, news: no cell phones, no exceptions. While having my phone wouldn’t typically be a problem, it was after we heard piece of interesting news number 2: you’re going to be taken to the Hard Rock Casino on a school bus… and oh, wait, you’re going to be there until 9 p.m. The news came as a shock to both of my friends and I, as we were expecting to be out of the stadium by 5 pm! Without being able to contact our parents, and somewhat worse not being able to update my Twitter (#totallyfreakingout), my friends and I boarded the bus to see what awaited us at the fabulous Hard Rock. As we made our way into the theatre, none other than Tom Cruise was singing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” with co-stars Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta. After an intense day of Rock and Roll, watching Tom Cruise sing shirtless, and prize give-aways, my friends and I left at 6pm after calling someone to pick us up (thank you, payphone!). Rock of Ages opens Summer 2012, with an all star cast (members include Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Mary J. Blige, Kevin Nash, Catherine Zeta-Jones and more!) .

lets talk?

3 years ago: "Oh okay no problem, just email me later."
2 years ago: "Awesome, myspace me and I'll let you know."
A few months ago: "Fine, just facebook me the information."
Today: "What do you mean? I tweeted you.."
Tomorrow: Lets talk about it now..

Wishful thinking, huh? But not impossible.

Right now, a lot of people pretend to be busier then they actually are.

We imagine everyone is consumed in their own filled lives and we decide even if we don't have that yet, we'll make it seem as if we do.

So when your friend Jackie asks what you did last Saturday, of course you answer, "I went to the beach with some friends after I cured cancer and made chocolate calorie free." But only because she'll cooly respond, "Oh cool. Well I have to go, I'm really tired. I ran a 3k marathon today."

But in reality, you went in your pool for 1o minutes last Saturday, then decided it was too hot out and spent the rest of your day lying in bed. And we all know Jackie didn't run a marathon today, she didnt even run. She went on a 15 minute fast walk around her block and spent the rest of her day google-ing "cute exercising outfits."

But lets not waste anyone's precious time and get straight to the point.

The next time you need to talk to someone, go talk to them.

Don't wait until they're far away, making them physically unreachable.

And if it gets to that point, don't text them or email them.. call them.

Because hopefully that call will act as a gateway to a world where people talked to other peoples faces.

Not to a slim smart phone or an online blogging website.

To Bake or Not To Bake

Often times during the summer I find myself wandering around my home trying to keep myself busy. Waking up at half past noon, settling into the deep and dark crevices of the couch, and boring my eyes into the screen of my computer that's discovering information that will never in my life help me is not exactly the model of a productive summer.

I've never been one to join week-long camps, and if I ever travel, it's only for a day or two, or in my case a momentary distraction from my ever so boring summer. For the past few summers, my "vacation time" has hardly seen beach, sunlight, or travel but rather library visits, 16 hours of Tivo to watch, and a forever disheveled bed.

After two weeks of this nonsense during this current summer, I decided to make a change.

One day while in the dark depths of my living room couch, I came across Food Network. After watching thirty minutes of Paula Deen's fantastic southern cooking ( and of course, quietly laughing to myself about the amounts of butter found in her recipes ) did I decide to try the culinary crafts myself. I quickly climbed out of my coffin, I mean couch, and pulled up a recipe online for Cinnamon muffins. Before you know it, I was actually using my legs and creating the creamy, brown batter that I promptly poured into the baking cups.

Only after I had sprinkled the last bits of cinnamon and placed the muffin tray in the oven did I realize how much I loved working around the kitchen. My parents has always been great cooks, always preparing a home made meal even if it was past the regular dinner time, but it had never occurred to me to try to cook or bake myself. You couldn't imagine my joy when my family complimented my work on the muffins when I offered them as a little after dinner treat! I was beyond delighted, and I swore to myself at that moment that I would never return to the sluggish and lazy state I was in earlier that day.

Today i've mastered various recipes, from blueberry pie to cinnamon roles, and i've enjoyed every minute i've spent in the kitchen. I have finally found a hobby that I genuinely love, and apparently other people too! My mother can't stop asking me to bake, and I'm always happy to oblige to her request.

Now, I've had my eye on Paula Deen's recipe for strawberry & cream pie and I intend to master it today! But first, I'm gonna need to do some math to reduce that butter measurement . . .

Rated M for Most People

Now-of-days you may hear of children being hurt or sent to jail for repeating things they’ve seen on video games, but should the fault for their behavior go to the games or just to the people who play them. For some odd reason, many people believe that video games have little cultural value and contribute to aggressive, violent behavior, but in reality, or how I see it, it actually is helping the world move along.

Video games are just a misunderstood art form that brings out the truth in our hearts while “having a good time.” These games no longer deserve to be considered a “child’s diversion,” as many teachers call them, but they should be seen as a valuable educational tool. That explains why video games are being used as part of a course at UCLA that involves observing artificial realities in hopes of gaining a glimpse into our anthropological beginnings.

As I see it, the games of today are rarely one-sided. They all aren’t just telling you to shoot this person and steal that car, but they run more on a system of morality. They don’t just force you to do all bad or do all good; instead they let you make the decision, choosing a path of good or evil, whichever suits you. You have the choice to help people out as you go about your adventure or to kill anyone in your way just because you needed to blow off some steam. These games aren’t brainwashing the youth of today, they’re unmasking the evil in their hearts.

I understand that there are games out there that are pretty much one-sided, for example the grand thief auto game series, that is all about doing bad and all you do is bad things. But think about how your children are introduced to these games; is it the game companies allowing the children to play? No, it’s their job to make the game and provide a label that suggests the age limits for these games, not to keep them from your children. It’s the job of the parents to keep whatever they don’t want in their child’s life out and if they do a bad job at it then it’s just oh well, deal with it.

Many workers benefit from video game training since video games can enhance visual-motor skills, hand-eye coordination and visual attention. One of these jobs is being a laparoscopic surgeon, who is a surgeon who uses a technique in which operations in the stomach are performed through small incisions. It has been proven in an article, “The Cognitive Neuroscience of Video Games,” that surgeons who played video games more than 3 hours per week had 37% fewer errors, were 27% faster with using the drill and 33% better at task than those who didn’t play video games. That shows that better video game skills equal better work skills.

Video games have proven they’ve done more good than bad in its lifetime so far. So do games have little cultural value and contribute to aggressive, even violent, behavior like many believe? Looks like the answer to that questions just might be no.