the bird on fire

The Bird is the Word: Sophisticated Schoolyard Shenanigans

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A Local’s Guide For Tourists: Kunming, Yunnan, China

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By Travel Guide Extraordinaire James Zheng

When we ask where is “Home”? James answers, “Kunming.” He adds, “It’s better than heaven.”

Where am I from? In terms of cities in China, most people have only heard of  Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou as these are popular spots for visitors. However, there are plenty of places worth visiting in the interior provinces, like my city, Kunming.

Kunming is the capital city located in the center of a province called Yunnan. This whole province is full of popular must-see destinations, but most of them are only known by local residents. I’m giving you the insider’s guide.

Here is a brief introduction to Kunming. Kunming has one of the most temperate climates and has the best air quality in China. The weather is not too hot or too cold. The season in Kunming is always spring; therefore, my city is also given the name “Spring City.” This climate has attracted many people who move from other crowded cities when they need a well-deserved vacation. Geographically, Kunming is located near some south-eastern countries, being closer to Burma, Vietnam, and Laos. But it is also close to Thailand, Bangladesh, and Cambodia. This makes it a place of international cultural exchange and a cultural melting pot.

Here are some of my recommendations for local foods and places to visit in Kunming:

Places to see:

  • Golden Temple Park: A palace that was built during the Qing Dynasty (1368―1644), it contains historical meanings everywhere. The main structure is yellow bronze, so it was also categorized as one of the Chinese grand bronze palaces. It is preserved as it originally was. There is also a huge mountain surrounding the palace, and with all the forests, it is tucked into a natural environment. You get to see lots of flowers as well.  
  • The ancient town of Guandu: Guandu used to be an independent region; now it is one of the districts within Kunming. The only thing you might be interested in here is the old-styled building and some exquisite handicraft. The initial construction of Guandu started from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and mixed with some culture generated from Buddhism. You would see some temples and towers as well. 
  • Southern-east-Styled City: This place does not have the same size as a city, but it is one of the most commercialized and well-developed areas inside Kunming. There is an exhibition called Southern-east Cultural Exhibition, which is held each year. During the exhibition, you get to participate in cultural activities and buy interesting gadgets from Southern-east. Even if it’s not for the purpose of going for the exhibition, you can also hang out there and find fun things to do. 

Food to Try: 

  • “Cross-the-bridge rice noodle”: This is a unique style of rice noodle invented by Kunming locals. You serve this rice noodle with hot soup. Along with separate fresh side dishes, you cook the rice noodles instantly by putting them into the soup. It is popular in Kunming.
  • Varieties of Mushrooms: The Yunnan province is given the respectful name “The Kingdom of Mushrooms,” since we have thousands of types of mushrooms. Most of them contain valuable nutrients. The mushrooms are a main incentive attracting tourists to visit Kunming. 

And that is generally all I would say about Kunming. Depending on the motivations of the travelers, you could discover more about this heavenly city I call “home.” I hope this helps you know more about China!

Editor: Renée Vazquez

How to Draw a House

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By PROFESSIONAL ARTIST AP ART STUDENT EXTRAORDINAIRE Chelsea Xu

Hello everyone!!

Today I’m going to show you guys how to draw a house based on the “home” theme for this week’s blog!! 

Before we begin, I just want to say this is different than the previous post when I taught you guys how to draw anime heads. Houses are mainly based on shapes and perspective. If you are good at drawing shapes and have steady hands, you’ll get the hang of drawing houses pretty quickly. And, if you don’t, all you need is some more practice. 

In the meantime, follow along, and let’s get started!!

Step #1

First, draw a trapezoid towards the upper side of the paper.

Step #2

Then, draw a rectangle right beneath the trapezoid.

Step #3

Draw a small triangle in the middle of the house; it’s also where the trapezoid and rectangle meet.

Step #4

Draw two more parallel lines and a bottom line that is a little below the rectangle.

Step #5

Add the door! Draw another rectangle (vertically) in the center of the front of the house. 

Step #6

Chimney time!!

This step is totally optional; it’s totally up to you if you want to add a little chimney to your lovely house or not. If so, please follow the instruction and do the best you can! You can add windows as well!

Step #7

Background! This is a simple background that you can try on. While simple, it adds complexity and perspective to the picture as a whole.

Step #8

Gently (if you are on paper) erase your helping lines, and ta-da!! You have completed your house!!!

I hope this tutorial helped you!! I’ll see you next time!!

Editor: Renėe Vazquez

James Jams to “Jay”

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By James Zheng

Hello, everyone. I know we are reminiscing about our time during summer, but do not forget to enjoy the new school year. You especially must check out our school blog every DAY! Last year I did most of my posts about anime, movies, and games. This year, I will try to bring new and more creative posts to readers.

During my summer, I rediscovered a Chinese singer named Jay Chou. My only impression of him was from my childhood; the first time I listened to his songs, I  disliked his “lazy” singing style where you don’t know what he is saying unless you look up the lyrics. I did not have a good impression at first. However, one day I clicked on a video talking about the comparison between the top ten Chinese songs of 2005 and 2015. One of his songs was at number one in China 2005, and that made me interested in him again, and the things I used to dislike actually made him unique. 

Jay Chou’s career has always been marked by his dedication to the Mandopop (Mandrian Popular music) realm. When his first album came out in 1999, it was played everywhere on the street and soon made the top ten songs chart. Once Jay realized the opportunity was there, he charged up his music career and released more and more albums. His songs never get old, even though he has been making music for nearly twenty years. Each of his albums is still overwhelmingly popular nowadays around the whole of Asia. To give a personal comment on his songs, the complex level of lyrics and songwriting is still beyond most songs in recent years. 

So here are some recommendations. Some of them are more “James” subjective, while most of them are commonly recommended in the Mandopop realm. 

  • “Can’t Express Me (开不了口).” Released in 2001, this is the song I like the most. The change of the instruments adds a lot of improvement and meaning to the whole song.
  • “Secret (不能说的秘密).” Released in 2007, Chou also made a film with the same name. “Secret” is a light rock song.
  • “Common Jasmine Orange (七里香).” Released in 2004, this song is one of the most popular in Asia, awarded “Song of the Year” by the Asian music confederation. The lyrics are full of poetry and romantic meaning.
  • “Sunny Day (晴天).” Released in 2003, this is a charming song played with guitar. Nowadays, it is even more popular than “Common Jasmine Orange.”
  • “Nocturne (夜曲).” Released in 2005, this hit the top number one most popular song among the Mandopop realm. The rhythm is quite tranquil and smooth. Jay Chou also adds some Hip-hop into his vocal style.
  • “Silence (安静).” Released in 2001, the whole song remains almost the same speed and rhythm while being played with the piano. The song also has a strong emotional atmosphere.

And that is what I have for you guys. Chou still has tons of amazing songs to listen to, so check them out if you are interested. Try searching on YouTube, Spotify, Google Music, or Amazon Music. Lastly, I know that everyone doesn’t understand or usually listen to Chinese songs, but why not try it out just to see if you like the beat or the vocal style. You might want to welcome something fresh. New year, new music!

Editor: Luke Langlois

Forever Youth

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As we “welcome” everyone back, Quintus poetically reminds us time is fleeting and ephemeral. Enjoy the daily life of your adolescence because . . . it will be over soon.

By Quintus Ni

Time flies like flowing water

Youth departs with the water

You can’t catch

The steps of time

Like the sunlight that vanishes in the far

That cannot be chased

When

Wrinkles creep up on your face

When gray hair grows

Looking back

Youth is a river flowing forever

Searching in a daze

Chasing at a loss

In the distance

Is the paradise of dreams

Ethereal

And hazy

Cheap if you say it is beautiful

Far from being expressed in words

Unpredictable

Untouchable

It’s a mirage

Like passing time

The youth fades away

when you least expect it to

Desiring all the time

To meet each other

Saying goodbye

Turn around

And enter the lingering light

Of the setting sun

Everyone has his or her own youth, but youth is fleeting. Time flies! It fades away at every moment whether you catch or not!–Quintus

Editor: Luke Langlois

How to Draw Anime (Part 1)

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By PROFESSIONAL ARTIST AP ART STUDENT EXTRAORDINAIRE Chelsea Xu

Hey, welcome back to school everyone! 

This is going to be another stressful year, but I hope everybody gives their all to achieve their goals.

Drawing is a fun little activity that I think will help you relax and fill your free time. Since I’m an artist, I know some simple steps that can get you along the path to becoming a drawing pro. The lesson today will be how to draw an anime head. If you are into anime, drawing is a great way to introduce yourself into the realm of fandoms. This applies to both traditional and digital artwork, so feel free to follow my steps for either of these two.

Are you ready?

Then, without further ado, let’s begin!

Step #1  

Draw a circle (it doesn’t have to be perfect), and in the middle of the circle draw cross-shaped lines that intersect each other as shown below.

Step #2

Now draw two curves downward that mirror each other on the horizontal line. Then soften the edges with an eraser because you don’t want them to look like pointed rectangles.

Step #3

Draw another horizontal line on the bottom tip of the circle. Again, it doesn’t have to be perfectly straight. 

Step #4

It’s eyebrow time! Draw two semi-arcs on the top horizontal line. You can draw them differently to add some more emotions in your character. 

Step #5

It’s time to draw eyes! Eyes are obviously located below the eyebrows. Since eyes have many shapes and sizes, you don’t have to follow my art style to draw eyes. Feel free to come up with your own!

Step #6

Alright, almost there! Here’s my way to draw anime noses. It’s easier to draw for me because it takes less time, but feel free to try other styles of noses as well.

Step #7

Smile! Just add two curves a distance below the nose, and you will get an amazing smile for the day!! I also added ears. For beginners, just worry about the shape and not the details. It can be really hard to get the sides equivalent to each other.

Step #8

It’s time to add hair! This is just a simple hairstyle that I’ve chosen to demonstrate. As you can see, every hair’s direction is different. But remember, each hair section must follow the pattern; do not draw them randomly without direction.  

Step #9

Erase the base lines that guided your drawing. If you are on paper, do not draw the base lines too heavily, and you can softly erase without touching any important parts. Ta-da!! Congratulations!! You’ve successfully drawn an anime head!!!

I hope this tutorial is helpful, and I’ll see you soon for PART 2!!!!

Editor: Luke Langlois

Not Sure About AP Classes? Here’s Why you Should Take Them

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By Luke Langlois

As a student progresses through high school, one of the most monumental decisions they have to make is choosing which classes they want to take. Most of the time, classes in high school are pretty streamlined. But, as a student gets to junior year, sometimes sophomore year, they are presented with more choices. Usually, a student gets the choice of whether or not to take an AP class. Today, I would like to present the knowledge I have of AP classes, being relatively experienced with them. I do not intend to FLEX my classes. Rather, I would like to offer some advice to those who are going to be making these tough calls soon. Let us begin!

  1. College credit – If you’re a student who intends to go to college, an AP class can help you get college credit. College credit can be awarded for a score higher than a 3, though some colleges will only take scores of 4 and 5. It depends on the school. But, in general, a high score on an AP exam will save you time, energy, and money in college, probably the most valuable resources. This is the most straightforward benefit, but it is likely the most important one in practicality. In addition, if a college allows an AP course to fill a general education course, you can get a jump-start on your major and quickly start on work that you are passionate about. If you are unfamiliar with how many classes/credits you need to have to get a college degree, I’d look it up. You need to take a lot of classes! If you are given the early opportunity to fill up a college’s requirements, DO IT!
  2. Majors – On the topic of majors, AP classes can help you narrow down what you potentially want to major in. Large colleges these days can have hundreds of possible programs, so you probably do not want to go into college with zero ideas on what you want to do with yourself. If you turn out to be absolutely awful at AP World History and are not able to remember historical facts to save your life, you’d know that, just maybe, history isn’t the direction for you. And, of course, doing well in an AP class could drive you to a certain major. Personally, I have been completely steered straight. No biology majoring for me. Just kidding, I have no idea what I want to do with my life. But, I do have a much greater understanding of what I would be getting if I decided to major in Biology. The same goes for all of my AP classes.
  3. Up your game – AP classes, conducted well, will challenge you and push your academic limits. When classes do not have a well-defined deadline that they are approaching (like an AP exam), they can take a good amount of time to make sure the class understands the material. This is not something that’s bad about non-AP classes; a slower pace is the better option for many students. But, if you are looking for a “thrill,” take an AP class. In AP classes, the class has a test approaching. There is no time to take breaks. For example, the AP Biology textbook we went through this year contained 43 comprehensive chapters. Some chapters were shorter than others, but none of the chapters were ones that you could just get through in a day or so. In classes like this, students are forced to up their academic game if they want to stay on top of the workload.
  4. Colleges love it – Colleges are like parents. They want students that can make them proud and give them a good name long after graduation. When you take AP classes, you are giving colleges a concrete way to view how you challenge yourself. Essentially, AP classes show colleges that you are willing to dedicate more effort to your academics. Course rigor is important.
  5. Be humbled – This sort of ties in with my third point, but AP classes are going to be harder than any other non-AP class you have taken. You may think you’re ready for it, but you’re probably not going to be. There have been two specific AP classes that I have taken that hit me like a TRAIN. That would be AP World History and AP Biology. AP World was my first AP class. When we started taking reading quizzes in that class, it was the end of my dignity. It’s easy to get lost in textbooks when they detail the history of the entire world. Then, a year later, I started with AP Biology. The first AP Bio test hit me like a fighter jet going faster than the speed of sound. In both of these cases, I was rocked. AP classes challenge you and show you that you’re not as great as you think you are. It’s tough to swallow, but when you believe you have a lot to improve upon, you improve.

I could go on all day about how much I adore AP classes. I promise I’m not a College Board mole, but I do think AP classes get an unnecessary negative reputation. If you have not taken an AP class yet, take one. The AP exams are stressful, but we get the privilege of taking them at THE PALM VALLEY SCHOOL (unless you take something weird like Latin). You may hate taking the class with all of your being all the way up until June, but in the end you’ll look back and say “I learned.”

Editor: Hannah Hall

A Review of “Never Gone”

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By Movie Fan Blogger James Zheng

I hardly ever watch Chinese films, but I found a Chinese movie that I really want to talk about. I have several reasons for not watching Chinese movies; the majority of them are really awful.

But not all of them are awful.  While most are low quality products, you can find that ten percent of Chinese movies are exceptional works.

The movie I am going to talk about in this post is a romantic movie that has a simple story. It is mainly about the torturous experience of a couple, the disharmony they have and how they work it out. Well, do they eventually work it out? My answer is watch this film yourself and find out.

The part that draws the most attention is the preparation of actors. Kris Wu, a Chinese Canadian musical artist, is invited by director Zhou Tuoru to perform as the major character in Never Gone. I went into the movie wondering why a director would let a popular music idol be in a film. The director might just as well focus on how good looking the actors are rather than how skilled they are as actors. Two days ago, before I watched Never Gone, I read many negative comments saying how Kris Wu ruined the movie.

After seeing these pathetic comments, I finally chose to watch the movie to give it an “authentic” review. Here it goes–every setting being used in Never Gone has been used at least a thousand times. I could even say that if you are a romantic movie person, you can tell what will happen in the next second; you can see where the plot is going without questioning it. And, dialogues between the characters always give me a sense of being … embarrassed since the dialogue seems improper in that situation or just too generic. And, most times, Kris Wu’s acting just collapses; in other words, his acting is just extremely terrible or over-exaggerated.

So, overall. Is it a worthless film? Just wait: here are some positive things I have to say about it. The story of the movie is really similar to our daily life and reality; it isn’t that dramatic, which is the common flaw the director avoided. In that sense, he rejected the traditional style of romantic movies. In agreement with the negative reviews, I also think that Kris Wu’s acting is truly amateur and inflexible. However, his performance still left me an un-erasable impression. His emotion is real. He expresses his sentiment in the most explicit way. He conscientiously integrates himself into the show; he strives to present to us what the character should be feeling. After all, if you only take it from a single perspective and follow the majority opinion, you may only describe how bad it is. You would never observe Kris Wu’s achievement.

In the end, I am still not sure if I should recommend this movie. If you are interested in a romantic movie, you should try to watch it and see what comments you have.

Editor: Makena Behnke

*Available on Amazon Prime.

Liberation

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By Hannah Hall

Some days I need to just lift my spirits and set myself free. The one cliché people say is “go to your happy place” and all will be well. Do you know what I say to that? I say alrighty, and I head on out to my happy place. You may have thought reading that question I was about to bash the whole idea of happy places ‘n such, but actually I just wanted to bring you along to my happy place to experience it…you know, in case it is one of those days.

“The Happy Place”

Imagine yourself waking up to the peaceful aurora and its warm, pink, glow glistening upon your cheeks. You go to open a window; the cool breeze prances upon your body as if you were the sky. You are breathing in the clean, fresh air, letting it fill your lungs, and then you exhale–it leaves your body along with any tension you have hidden within you. You listen to the trees as birds sing and leaves crinkle. Take a step outside and feel the earth beneath you. The ground is not harsh, but comforting and supple. Feel the space between you and everything around you; embrace it and allow yourself to flourish. It is just you and the world, man, you and the world.

Doesn’t that feel nice? Personally, I am not a morning person, but this scenario just makes me want to be woken up by the sun naturally with no uhhhhhh blaring alarm clock. Sorry for making you think of that dreadful device, but at least now you have a happy place to go to! I am interested to hear your happy place and how mine made you feel. Thanks for coming along the journey with me. Peace out, my free birds.

Editor: Luke Langlois

How to Make the Transition to Adulthood: Using the Catcher in the Rye as an Example of What Not to Do

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By Holden Hartle, who takes his namesake from Holden Caulfield

This spring break, I took a trip to the East Coast in which I traversed Massachusetts and Rhode Island completely by myself. Everything from transportation to food was accounted for by me. It’s scary, needless to say. But I had a friend during this time, Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye.

I had never read the book before, despite it being the book I was named after, and I couldn’t have read it at a better time.

The book follows Holden, a sixteen year old who has just been kicked out of yet another prestigious school because he is unmotivated to complete his schoolwork. The angsty teen only passed one class at Pencey, his English class, and this was because he had read all of the books in previous years. His struggles in school stem from his hatred for adults. All adults with few exception are “phonies.” His teachers are no exception.

Because Holden is the narrator, and a pretty snarky one, you have to take everything he says with a grain of salt. He will state that a certain adult is a phony, but as the reader, you have to ask yourself why he would say something like that. Is a character actually a phony, or is he just a phony through the eyes of Holden? My brief background in AP Psychology tells me that Holden is displacing his fear of adulthood onto all adults, instead of accepting the transition.

The book gets it title from Holden describing his fantasy of being a “catcher in the rye” to his younger sister, Phoebe. He explains the scenario in which he is in a rye field with his back facing a cliff with a sheer drop off. In this field, children are running towards the cliff, and Holden is picking them up, and placing them further away from the edge.

Pretty weird fantasy, right? Not when you understand the consciousness of Holden.

To me, the bottom of the cliff is adulthood, and these children are conforming to what society wants; they are making the jump to become adults. Holden is desperately trying to keep these children in their current state, but he can’t save everyone. The reader learns that Holden has almost a quixotic factor to him. He has the idea that he can save everyone, but obviously this isn’t the case.

Towards the end of the book, Holden is watching Phoebe on a carousel. Holden cries happy tears as he watches Phoebe going round-and-round, stagnant in her childhood. She isn’t headed in a straight line to adulthood, she is stuck in her childhood, and that makes Holden happy.

So what does this have to do with you? Well, don’t be like Holden. The inevitable tide of adulthood is coming, and you can’t stop it, no matter how hard you or Holden try. So adjust. Humans are amazing at adapting to new social environments. Whether you are going to college or getting your first job, you can adjust to that new environment. If you completely immerse yourself, you mold yourself to match that situation. Holden couldn’t adapt; thus he clung to childhood with all of his being. This ultimately was his downfall. Don’t be like Holden.

Editor: AJ Patencio

Undercover–Another recommendation for a party game.

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By James Zheng, with Expert Party Advice

When Editor Holden asked for submissions that “spice up everyday life,” James went back to party games and how to spice up your party life, or how to be the life of the party. (This joke was made by Ms. Zachik, not Holden, for the record).

I did a post about the Werewolves game, and, then, soon after I found more excellent recommendations for party games. The game I am going to introduce in this post is less difficult to learn and more entertaining to play.

Undercover, which is also called Who is the Spy, was generated from a game that appeared in a Chinese variety show consisting of guest interviews and gaming interaction. It became a really popular party board game, and then a game developer created the online version Undercover.

The recommended amount of players is five to eight with one moderator. The most significant part of this game is that the moderator needs to decide on a “major” word and a “minor” word and write them on the paper to hand out later to participants. The “major” word and “minor” word represent the identities of the players. The player who holds the major word is the “civilian”; the player who holds the minor card is the “undercover.” And, to decide what the major word and minor word will be, the moderator needs to find two words that have similar meaning. The words can be anything as long as they are similar. If the amount of civilians is no more than five, the amount of undercover will just be one.

The gameplay of Undercover has the same feature as the Werewolves game–players need to talk during the game process. The players’ ability to express themselves is an important factor in deciding the result of the game. At the beginning of the game, each participant is given a pre-written paper as their identity–civilian or undercover. Then, each of them has to describe what their word is or means. After everyone finishes the description, everyone has to vote for one person who they think is the undercover. When the person is out, the moderator needs to check if that person holds the major word or minor word to decide if the game is still on or finished. The winning precondition for the undercover is when the amount of undercovers is the same as the civilians.

Basic Gaming Rules and Hints:

  • The person who holds the minor word does not know that they are the undercover, so the only way to find out is to listen to everyone’s description to see if they are holding the same or different word, then to guess what the major word is to mask themselves.
  • You CANNOT put the word that you are holding into your description. A person’s description cannot be too short or abstract, but it could be long if the person wants to speak more.
  • If you are playing as a civilian, of course you don’t want to spoil your word too much for the undercover. But, at the same time, your description cannot be too short or abstract; you can be just a little bit specific or try to find the characteristic that the word has. Try to organize your language at a perfect length to let other civilians trust you.       

Depending on what words the moderator comes up with, the game can be played at different levels. Undercover is really easy to learn; the preparation is also pretty simple. Play with your friends and enjoy it!

Editor: Holden Hartle