I’m so backlogged on anime it’s not even funny. (Almost two weeks behind, which is like 20 episodes. It would take me 10 hours to catch up.)
Alright, so I’m back. From Florida. Damn NASA scrubbed the launch. It was still fun though. I loved the exhibits at Kennedy Space Center, although the annoying sun made me have to keep swapping my sunglasses and my glasses whenever I went outside or needed to read something. We also went to Downtown Disney (they have one in Florida too). Before, I would totally call this trip a big waste of money, but it’s not good to be that pessimistic, and it’s not entirely true. I did have fun. True, the plane ride (I HATE AIRPLANE AIR) and the stupid alligator park was less than accommodating for me. But it was an interesting trip. I feel bad for my mom’s colleagues who came with us, spending money on plane tickets and all, and didn’t get to see anything. Well, we did see the launchpad, and random secret Air Force Base buildings or whatever. Friggin facility was bigger than LA. So that’s what they’re doing with my tax dollars.
You may have noticed that I have ignored the jubilant subject of US Physics Team. I’ll post magnificently later, I promise.
Anyways, got back last night at midnight. Very tiring. The airport parking lot shuttle was very late. Also, my phone GPS has been very stupid during the trip. It won’t hold a GPS signal in the car unless it’s like, taped to the window.
Other stuff… I was selected as the leader of my department in the hospital for next year (first thing during the interview: “Are you THAT Ben Li? That made it into International Physics Team?”). AP Chemistry this morning was fun. I had some time before the test, so my dad drove us to 7-Eleven to get some food, and I had some donuts. Alhambra HS still does not know where they will be conducting their AP Physics C exam as of today’s phone call. In fact, they just told me to ask at the gate. I’ll just go like 2 hours early then… I’m certain I will have extraordinary trouble finding the test site. Tomorrow is APCS and Wednesday is APBC. Interestingly, Ms. King is having a breakfast pre-AP party thing on Wednesday morning (which is great, I love American breakfasts). She also heard of my Physics Team thing and asked me if I was crazy. “Just a little.”
By the way, people, it’s not “International” Physics Team… although it’s fine really, I don’t mind (we are competing in the International Physics Olympiad/IPhO). We are the US team. Not the international team. I’m sure we could totally pwn the Martians at the Intergalactic Physics Olympiad.
I’ve been thinking to myself about my reactions to people congratulating me on USPT. I’m trying my best to not seem condescending or “of course I made it, I think I’m so smart and all, you guys are all dumbasses and losers”. Of course I’m probably totally overworrying and all. Re-rereading the post (and re-rerereading) to make sure I don’t sound like a stuck-up bastard. I really care about that too much.
Speaking of self-image, I practiced smiling for cameras in Florida. For USPT, we were asked to provide a photo of ourselves. I looked and looked, flipping through my family’s albums… and I could not find a single one where I was smiling. I don’t know, it’s not that I wasn’t having fun. They were pictures of my China trip, and that was one of the greatest times I’ve had in my life. I think I’m somehow unable to smile on camera, or my smiles don’t show up on camera somehow. I try to smile, I do, yet I never look happy in the photos despite my extreme excitement in China. Which is why I devoted myself to studying the art of smiling for the camera in Florida. I improved significantly, according to my mom. My smiles are very stunning and natural, she says.
On launch day, there were so many spectators in Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center watching the launch from a big LCD screen. The parking lot was completely full, and the Visitor Center was packed. I don’t get it — you’re watching it on an LCD screen anyways. Why come all the way to Cape Canaveral? Just watch it on YouTube later.
That’s what I’m going to do.
I’m so backlogged on anime it’s not even funny.
I find it quite funny.
I loved the exhibits at Kennedy Space Center,
Yeah, I liked it when I went there. That was a long time ago, I don’t even remember what grade I was in. The souvenir I got was a baseball with the NASA logo that says “Failure is not an option.” My dad told me to keep it on the shelf above my desk so I could look at it every day, but apparently that hasn’t been working…
although the annoying sun made me have to keep swapping my sunglasses and my glasses whenever I went outside or needed to read something.
Yes, the annoying sun. Let’s go nuke it or something.
AP Chemistry this morning was fun
AP…fun…? …
By the way, people, it’s not “International” Physics Team… although it’s fine really, I don’t mind (we are competing in the International Physics Olympiad/IPhO). We are the US team. Not the international team. I’m sure we could totally pwn the Martians at the Intergalactic Physics Olympiad.
Do that many people really make that mistake? Lol. Hm, do they have like, an international all-star team at the end of the competition? Probably not, but that would be cool.
I’ve been thinking to myself about my reactions to people congratulating me on USPT. I’m trying my best to not seem condescending or “of course I made it, I think I’m so smart and all, you guys are all dumbasses and losers”. Of course I’m probably totally overworrying and all. Re-rereading the post (and re-rerereading) to make sure I don’t sound like a stuck-up bastard. I really care about that too much.
Maybe, but I guess we all care about our own self-images too much.
I looked and looked, flipping through my family’s albums… and I could not find a single one where I was smiling.
My dad never smiles in any of his pictures, ever. Even at his friend’s wedding where he was the best man, and in his own wedding pictures, people got mad at him for not smiling. In all the pictures I’ve seen of him, from the 60’s to now, there’s like, one, maybe two that I’ve seen where he’s smiling. But I guess that’s just the way he is. Well, I guess if you changed it, that works too.
I seem to be having a problem now of not being able to focus on the camera. I don’t know why, maybe it’s just something with my eyes, but now it seems my eyes seem like they’re not looking at it, even though I am. And I guess it’s that way looking at people too.
The parking lot was completely full, and the Visitor Center was packed. I don’t get it — you’re watching it on an LCD screen anyways. Why come all the way to Cape Canaveral? Just watch it on YouTube later.
So they can say they were there.
Haha, last year when I failed the AMC, my mom made me write “Never make the stupid mistake again in my life!” on my whiteboard in my room (bad English somewhat intentional). I still stare at it every day. It hasn’t worked by the way, I still make stupid mistakes, haha.
On the to-do list, after the research project and the band and the movie script.
It was actually surprisingly easy to change, although it seemed really artificial at first. That’s interesting, about your Dad. I guess it’s good that I noticed my frowny photographs this early in life — it would be pretty depressing to stare at a graduation photo or something with this guy with a big frown in the back.
Practice next time you have a camera and somebody willing to shoot you. I haven’t noticed that about you (although I guess we don’t really make eye contact a lot? idk).
Ahahaha~ well… I was there.
Oh shoot, I forgot to talk about Obama in the last 2 posts. Oh well.
Haha, last year when I failed the AMC, my mom made me write “Never make the stupid mistake again in my life!” on my whiteboard in my room (bad English somewhat intentional). I still stare at it every day. It hasn’t worked by the way, I still make stupid mistakes, haha.
It was actually surprisingly easy to change, although it seemed really artificial at first. That’s interesting, about your Dad. I guess it’s good that I noticed my frowny photographs this early in life — it would be pretty depressing to stare at a graduation photo or something with this guy with a big frown in the back.
Lol, yeah, my dad is just like, “I’m not good at faking smiles.” I used to always smile in my pictures, and everyone said it looked really good (except my dad, who just starts on a rant about faking smiles). But after I got my braces on, I didn’t smile anymore in pictures, because I didn’t want to show the braces, which looks stupid. But now even after I got them off, I don’t smile anymore, partly because I’m used to it now, and partly because it’s harder to fake smiles now…(Random cynical comment)
1. Practice next time you have a camera and somebody willing to shoot you. I haven’t noticed that about you (although I guess we don’t really make eye contact a lot? idk).
Lol, my dad and I tried to figure out what it was and how to fix it, but nothing’s really working. I don’t even know what it is, my dad checked some older pictures, and it didn’t start until around 7-8th grade, so idk, we were thinking maybe it has to do with lack of sleep. Maybe I’ll have to see a doctor or something if it keeps like this. And yeah, I don’t make much eye contact with people. I guess it’s something I need to work on. Well, my dad also speculated that maybe because I never make eye contact, and my eyes are always spacing out or whatever because I’m thinking of other stuff a lot, I can’t focus on anything anymore. Idk.
Formatting on this is probably going to be messed up, because I’m typing this in word because my computer keeps being stupid and backspacing me off the page.
Yeah, my braces might be a big reason why I don’t smile — I don’t want to open my mouth lol.
Let’s practice tomorrow at lunch. Or, actually, ask a girl to help you practice making eye contact. You can stare into each other’s eyes and fix that problem. :p
Yeah, I wonder what’s wrong. Try a different browser maybe?
And lol I’m not going to bother fixing formatting anymore.
Let’s practice tomorrow at lunch. Or, actually, ask a girl to help you practice making eye contact. You can stare into each other’s eyes and fix that problem. :p
That’s a great idea, except for the actually doing it in real life part.
Yeah, I wonder what’s wrong. Try a different browser maybe?
No, it randomly clicks places in word too, it’s just my computer, I think.
@eyecontact: just do it. or practice with justin or tim.
@computer: remind me to fix it for you next time your computer and I are within thirty meters of each other