OC Unraveled

On May 18, 2019, three of my classmates and I created an Instagram account named Oc Unraveled for our English project. Originally, we had so many marvelous and complicated ideas that we didn’t really know where to pin our minds. At that point, we decided it was best to brainstorm out ideas out on a piece of paper … and so we did. After doing so, we came up with making a “foodie” Instagram account. We all shared the common bond of trying new, delicious foods! We decided to name the account Oc Unraveled because our posts would be dedicated to the different food, drink, and specialty places locally in Orange County. After creating the account, we were onto our next step: growing a large platform and posting our new food adventures!

“Wow, yeah … I really like that idea. OC Unraveled is a good username, I like that too.” – Mr. Theriault

I happened to be the first person to post on the account and I started the account off with one of my favorite places to eat at … Banzai Bowls in Huntington Beach! I took a photo of my delicious “Maui Sunrise” and added some filters to make it more appealing to the public eye. From there, I wrote up a caption describing everything about Banzai Bowls, the food they offer, their service, prices, and much more! Off the bat, I gained likes through the use of hashtags and tagging Banzai Bowls. Best of all, they liked our photo which I believe aided in more insights to our new account! Things were looking up, and it was only one post.

As time passed on, my partners (Alexis Ly, Michelina Nguyen, Chloe Nguyen) began to post about their food experiences as well. We turned out to have a lot more fun than we initially thought we would because the input from our followers and the public were very kind and uplifting. We got some comments reading “Insightful caption”, “Yum!”, and “Wow!”. We proceeded to do the same thing back to other food accounts to not only grow the following on our account but also to see the style of other people.

“Aww that is so cute, I’m going to follow it right now! The food looks so good omg” – Ivy Le (my best friend)

Mr. Theriault eventually had us make a slide about the 5 why’s on our project and to give a little information on it. It is summed up in the picture below:

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As a group, we had a lot of success with this account. Thinking that it would just be a fun and small little experience, it genuinely grew into something much larger to us. We’ve found a lot of respect for the food community and are motivated to post more when we get positive reactions from our followers. As of now our most-liked post is of Cauldron Ice Cream with 65 likes!

With this project, we have not encountered many problems, if anything, none at all! That is probably the most rewarding part of this account because the success of it just depends on us. It depends on if we continue to consistently post and try to institute a more public outreach through hashtags and interactions. And so far, we have been doing just fine with that! There is nothing I would change about how we have taken on this project because everything seems to have been working out in our favors. The only struggle I can think of is the hassle of having to go through many steps for one single post. In doing so, I must first crop the picture and add filters to make it look for aesthetic. I then have to do research on the place and write up a substantial caption in hopes of informing our followers! It is a lot of work but at the end of the day it is worth every second we are spending. The most fantastic part of this project is that we have not only done it for a grade but we want to continue this for as long as we can, outside of class/school. We have discovered a sort of joy and passion for merely sharing food places we have tried within the county. Thank you to Mr. Theriault for enabling us to think of this great account and go Oc Unraveled (don’t forget to follow us on Instagram)!

All Is Not So Quiet on The Western Front

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Throughout the eye-opening novel, “All Quiet on The Western Front”, by Erich Maria Remarque, there were multitudes of situations where a stream of emotion evoked within me. Whether it be fear, delight, or hope, the book has had a profound effect on me and most definitely with other readers too. The story takes place during World War I at the German front lines. The life of a man in war is thoroughly showcased through the whereabouts of the protagonist, Paul Baumer. Remarque provides a sense of what daily life looked like for these soldiers, such as meals, lack of sleep, rest, relationships with one another, and of course, death.

Within the book, I personally believe that the strongly presented themes nurtured a lot of feelings within me. For the most part, I think that the underlying theme throughout all the text is how young teenagers must adapt to the harsh conditions of war. This includes Paul, who is only nineteen years old at the time, and the rest of his schoolmates. For me, thinking about the extreme obstacles that these teens had to face at such a young age, when they would normally be in school, was very eye-opening. I can not imagine the multitudes of mental, physical, social, and spiritual casualties that each man had to face. Limbs are lost, horses are slaughtered, soldiers deprived of food scour through garbage for food, the troops are targeted by poison gas and artillery bombs, and only a lucky few will make it out alive.

One of the most heartbreaking scenes in the book was the death of Paul Baumer. After inhaling poison gas, Paul is given fourteen days of leave to rest. He feels a stream of intense desire to return home, but he is frightened because he doesn’t really know anything other than war. To add, he knows that if he and the remaining soldiers return home now, there will be no glory for them to shed. After this realization, Paul valiantly stands up as if he is suddenly ready to face death, he is hopeless and fearless with such a frightening notion. After several years of fighting, Paul is ultimately killed in October of 1918, on a serene and peaceful day. What really stood out to me was what was written in the army report:

“All quiet on the Western Front.”

Whilst Paul is passing, his face is said to be calm, as though he was almost satisfied to know that the end had come. Those who witnessed his presence could see that he couldn’t suffer anymore, and how tranquil his appearance was. Another aspect was that Paul dies shortly before the armistice was signed, he was so close yet so far to the feeling of accomplishment and the success that comes with sacrifice. Although he had already passed, my heart went empty after reading these last few lines of the book, because from the beginning of the book to the very end, we’ve been through the ups and down with Paul. To feel the sensation that Paul never got to experience the ultimate result of this gruesome war, was just sorrowful. To conclude, I think the preface of this book does great justice to sum up the ideals on this incredibly written novel.

“This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war.” – Erich Maria Remarque

A Global School Day Dedicated to Play?

On February 6, 2019, I was given the rare opportunity to go outside and simply play with my classmates for one whole period. The “Global School Play Day” movement took place throughout the world, with one primary goal: to promote the importance of unstructured play in schools. Amidst, the one hour we had to run wild, a vast expanse of emotions emerged within me. I not only encountered multiple moments of nostalgia but also I came to the realization that taking just a small amount out of my day to play made all the difference. As we walked down to the front of the gym, Mr. Theriault laid out all his toys and games, as my classmates began to toss their volleyballs and badminton rackets around. In no time, we were all transported back into the days of pure glory and happiness: elementary school. Nothing was on our minds, it was just us, our friends, and free time to do as we wished. Genuine joy was so tangible yet all a mere image because after one hour, we’d be going back to the burden of stress in our next class. It’s sad to think that just a little bit of time to play for us high schoolers was viewed as the greatest award and happiest we’ve been all year. It comes to show how severe of an effect school as on the average student, constantly yearning to succeed yet be conquered by the power of academics.

“I learned that it is important for kids, even high schoolers, to sometimes just do what you think is fun. It’s important to find a way to release all the pent-up stress.” -Tiffany Vo

The privilege of participating in “Global School Play Day” most importantly showcased how desperate we are for something so simple as freedom from emotional, physical, and mental stress. With school playing such a vital role in our lives and future, we are tormented with the daily notion that we must work to the ends of our last piece of hair to maintain a perfect GPA. Free time and childhood play is something alien to us, something so unfamiliar, something that vanished into a black hole once we stepped into high school. The fire burning within our souls has burned out just like our health will if we continue to struggle with balancing academics and social interaction. This small event enabled a shock of reality right before my eyes and I now miss my childhood more than I ever have. I realized why children are so much happier than teenagers. Almost two hours of their schooldays is dedicated to being outdoors or just taking a break from the overwhelming abundance of new concepts and schoolwork. This is something we, as high schoolers, lack and critically need. I have now implemented a system where when I feel engulfed by school, whether it be with studying for a test or having way too much homework, to go outside and take a walk. So far, I’ve seen great results as I feel much more calm, my mind is cleared, and I just get a breath of fresh air.

“This experience makes me think that life used to be good before school overtook our lives because we got to play all the times.” -Tiffany Hoang

I found an article that explains the multitudes of reasons why play is significant for all aspects of a human being as well as the general ins and outs of what play is. It was very educational and useful for me, somewhat who is now strongly advocating the implementation of play, and I hope it is for you too!

Just Some To-dos in Japan

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Explore the unique fashion style.
Try loads of new foods, drinks, desserts, specialties, and cuisines.
Visit as many tourist attractions as possible (Mount Fuji, Yunessun Spa Resort, Cat Island)
Walk and roam around the different cities and streets.
Take the chance to capture some beautiful photography.
Understand the ancient history and culture of Japan.

We the Outfitters

With every person, there is always a particular feature they possess that makes them unique compared to the rest of the world. We tend to neglect the benefits of these exotic aspects but rather feel ashamed of them at times. However, we should really embrace them and take pride in our peculiar individualities. There is a particular quote that does this notion great justice: “But there’s one thing on my costume that the other girls don’t wear.” In other words, we all have special traits which make us the distinct human we are. Without personal identity, there would be no societal structure because it is the immense diversity in our vast world that allows it to nurture each and every day. In addition to this, we should never feel humiliated with what we were naturally born with because after all, we aren’t us without them. Acceptance of singularity is something we must all put an effort in to accomplish because it makes the world a more confident and beautiful place to be apart of. Our individuality not only impacts innovation but enables a more wholesome and joyous life for all. By loving ourselves just a little more, we can inspire a realm of absolute welcome and passion.

The House On Ainsley Street

A Freshly Bloomed Flower

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I roamed around my room bustling through each area preparing to go to bed. All of a sudden, there was a knock on my door and it stirred up so much confusion. What could my parents possibly want or need at this time of the day? I thought it must be something serious. As I apprehensively reached for the door, I saw both my parents stand there still, with worry in their eyes. Naturally, I invited them in and you if you saw my face, you could see I expected the worst. My parents definitely had something they needed to admit. The three of us sat, all face to face, and my parents took no shortcut to say that we were moving. Most importantly, in three days. I fell down to my feet and became one with the ground. My mind fluctuated with anxiousness, denial, fury. My heart pounced at a rate that shouldn’t be healthy, I was simply in disbelief. My parents saw this all go down and doing what parents should do, they consoled me. Although I was reluctant to give in to their warm, open arms, I knew the move was probably inevitable. As time passed, my apprehension dissolved along with it. I was assured that the family was having financial difficulties and the understanding girl that I am let go. I went to bed and had great difficulty falling asleep.

It seems that with bad there always comes the good. I had a beautiful dream where I was shown living an even happier life after the move. With this in mind, I woke up early the next morning and packed all my belongings up. I was hopeful and thought, “Is this a sign?” Before I knew it, it was the big day and my family was about to give our keys of eleven years to another owner. And so we did. Not shortly after, the moving truck arrived and we loaded up all of our belongings. We were driving through our soon-to-be-ex-city and every glance enabled a reflection of my childhood. I remembered going to the bagel shop every afternoon at 5 Points Plaza and driving past the beach every morning. We crossed the street and we were now in our new reality. I was bittersweet but had high hopes for what was yet to come. My dream must have meant something! After all, only time would tell, and I took my first step into a fresh start at the campus of Fountain Valley High School.

We Live in A Society

Within my neighborhood, anyone can obtain a sense of peculiar aspects within initial view. Everything has its own individualities and you would never see two of the same thing anywhere. The houses were as colorful as the skies after a rainy day in Florida. Everything was simply original, sometimes causing questionable remarks as a stranger drove along the rocky road. What exactly was this neighborhood? A symbol of the future, an eccentric lifestyle, or an idea of how we, as human beings, were created to be: unique. The reality is that it is all up to interpretation, but for those inhabiting this neighborhood, nothing was out of the ordinary. In distinction to the societal norms, this neighborhood accepted their differences and if anything, promoted them. Those outside of this realm judged its presence with much remark. Nonetheless, my neighborhood would continue to embrace its ways, but with even greater pride than before. Maybe this is something we could all learn from. We try so hard to fit the standards and to do what others think is right. But all for what? We’ve been taught day-to-day to be yourself and be righteous, moral people. There is no room for negativity, for discrimination, or for resentment. We live in a society.

The Power of A Dream

The power of a dream can never be underrated nor what it can generate. I have encountered a superior example of this through my very on mother and father. During my younger years of life, I had the fortunate luck of being educated about what they had to go through. Initially, what I never comprehended was that my parents viewed the word “dream” as “America.” Their one life, goal, and desire was to reach there. But what I could understand was why this dream was so grand to them; the rage of their circumstance was so passionate. My parents were born and raised in Vietnam during the late 1900s. From their accounts, I could envision that it wasn’t so pleasant at the time. The poverty and deprivation that they experienced for nearly a third of their lives filled me with sorrow. I have succeeded by blood, sweat, and tears, but in my parents I viewed something beyond; it was an intensity that consumed their souls. Freedom was so obtainable yet so unachievable. For them, the focus of living was a land that I currently live in with seemingly not enough appreciation for. Overall, this one instance does great justice to how desperately we desire so that we can ultimately succeed. It also comes to exemplify that being a little irate and compulsive in pursuit of a dream may be a vital key to achievement.

The Family of Bel Air

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When I lived in my old neighborhood, I didn’t have just one family or one house. I could proudly say that I belonged to the whole neighborhood, to say the least. In this realm, selfishness and animosity were two unfamiliar words that seemed completely alien to all of us. Selflessness and compassionate love was all we merely knew. I could walk down the sidewalk to fetch my mail and get greeted by anyone I locked eyes with. I’d go on a run and be shouted at by Mrs. Ly, the lady who lived down the block, to come eat dinner with her family when I finished. Her two kids loved me just as I did, and I would babysit them everyday after I finished homework. After these occurrences, I would get a tingly sensation of bubbles within my blood. No matter how I felt from a long day’s worth of school or whatever I was up to, I knew that when I drove through the gates of Bel Air, I would be content. Any person of type, race, size, or gender was welcome with open arms by this neighborhood. This was something truly remarkable, not seen before. When explaining the environment of this neighborhood, it’s so easy to say that it was full of loving inhabitants. However, there was something much more, something that could only be seen by one who lived here. I can’t name any other period of time in my life where I felt so special, so noticed, and so appreciated by people who started off as complete strangers to me. I guess this is what a little bit of time and love has to offer.

When Death Moves In

My cousin passed away when I was 12 years old. She lived just across the street from me. It wasn’t sudden news. It was slow and painful as I watched helplessly on the side of the bravest person in my life melt away. She kept my well-being together and taught me to be independent, fierce, and strong-minded. After her passing, I was a rabbit in life’s headlights but then I made a choice: instead of getting lost, I would get found. However, I am still learning to live my life without her. I always wonder what she would think of me today. First off, I grew a bit too attached to my cousin, even to the point of wondering and questioning what I would do without her. And before I know it, she is stolen from my life in the blink of an eye. Losing her tore my heart apart, but here I am. There’s nothing left for me to be afraid of anymore. I clench my teeth and I stride forward. Most importantly, from this period of complete depression, I learned to accept death and I’ve become completely comfortable with the thought of it happening to me. Death is imminent and what purpose does it serve me to fear something I am not in control over? If anything, what I really took to my advantage was appreciating every second that life has to offer, as cliché as that might sound. And lost but not least, I learnt how to walk the thin line between holding on and letting go. Letting go of people who are toxic, relationships that bring me down, things I don’t need, useless clothes, lies, all that pointlessness we surround ourselves with but don’t actually need. Holding on though? Yes. But only to what really matters, to what makes me happy.

You Are What You Surround Yourself With

I remember everyday of my what my childhood and younger self looked like. I could actually write about my past on any given day. The fact of the matter is, when I was a child, I was exposed to a vast expanse of experiences. They’ve all molded the person I am today, writing this very excerpt. As infants, we are born innocent and oblivious to what the world surrounding us really is. In my case, I was fortunately placed into an environment full of positivity, support, and constant knowledge. I’m proud to say that my family is the next best thing I can confide in, besides myself. Then there’s my community that has served as the backbone of my core values in life. They’ve really guided me through the significant ins and outs of reality. Although one’s surroundings determine their ultimate personas, you also have a vital role in the sense that you can choose how you want to be with your given circumstances. In my elementary school, as with any, there was a popular group and the quirky group. I remember where I stood all to well. Growing up, my parents nurtured me with the mindset that I should always stick with quality over quantity. With school, this concept seemed to tie in like a puzzle I was apart of the “lower” social structure and couldn’t differentiate between what was “cool” or “lame”. Either way, I found a really amazing group of friends from being there. Today, I still have close and thriving relationships with these people while the “popular” kids are now all separate butterflies. From this very example, I can’t even begin to express how crucial it is to associate with the best group of people for us. It might take months, or even years to do so, but you’ll most definitely know when you have.

Adults by Looks, Children at Heart

My parents have always taught me to have fun and to always live like each day is my last. Little would you know that they’ve functioned through this lifestyle their whole lives and still continue to do so. On a given day, you could see my parents throwing flour at each other’s faces in the kitchen, having a movie night along with a large tub of popcorn, and of course, extra butter, and the overall thrill they constantly have in their faces as do children. My parents possess an exemplary image of how I want to be and how I am currently trying to be. With them, there are no limits when it comes to maturity or goofing around; they are not even a hybrid of both, they’re just a pair of humorous toddlers. Along with these extravagant personas, they’ve taught me many different values that have constructed the person I am today. From being around them every single day and gradually adapting their ways of living, I have become much more lenient, easygoing, and positive. I’ve noticed the superior advantage of being more happy-go-lucky than solemn. In addition, I’ve seen the ultimate success in not only their physical and internal emotions, but also their relationship as a whole. With them, it’s like they fall in love over and over again, all because they retain a carefree and unconcerned charisma. In this way, my parents have instilled something into me that I never was. It has aided me in multitudes of different aspects and ways and if you are around me, you can observe so for yourself. My perspective on life is sculpted into something greater than each preceding day, and I owe all thanks to my wonderful parents who teach me that there is no such thing as ever having to grow up.

No Need Be Embarrassed

When I was young, I used to be embarrassed by my mom. I didn’t want her to speak her broken English in public. I didn’t want her to call me every thirty minutes to remind me to go home. I didn’t even like being seen with her because I thought she was different from other moms. But now I know, it is I who should be embarrassed for feeling that way because she is genuinely everything I aspire to be. A person who is well-loved by everyone around her, a person who willingly sacrifices so that others can have the better, my mom can and does it all. Day by day, she continues to not only physically carry the weight of others on her shoulders as a part-time nurse, but also their burdens in her heart. This is what I see now, and this is what I should have admired from the start. The feelings I had as a child hit so close to home due to the fact that my mom was a walking form of our cultural values. Being born in Vietnam, America was like an alien world to her and she didn’t know right from wrong. What she thought was normal back home seemed peculiar in this new country. And in this way, she presented an eccentric persona around me and my environment, nurturing a flame of fiery humiliation within me. As I got older, I’ve come to realize that it was so pathetic to feel the slightest bit agitated with my mom and her doings. My mom is a prime example of what it’s like to come from complete hopelessness to ultimate success, and I couldn’t be any more blessed to have her as a leading figure in my life.

The Fasting of Acceptance

People. Society. Humanity. What is the common correlation between the three you may ask? Our overbearing nature of dissatisfaction, and not accepting the hard, cold reality. In an ideal utopia, people face predicaments and obstacles but gallantly soar over them; pushing aside the setbacks to rise to the eventual greatness. In a world I call planet earth, people seem like aliens to this matter. We override the significance of life: to face dilemmas and to not be afraid of emotional or physical defeat. We yearn merely for ultimate success and maybe this is just how the nature of human beings were nurtured to be. We live our lives, set our goals, and do everything to our highest extent to fulfill them; and when we fail to, all hail breaks loose. While some religions abstain from certain foods as apart of their traditions, we are fasting from the trait of acceptance.

In Herman Hesse’s beautiful novel, Siddhartha, a considerably thought-provoking notion is expressed: “When someone seeks … he is able to find nothing, to take in nothing, because he always thinks only about the thing he is seeking, because he has one goal, because he is obsessed with his goal. Seeking means: having a goal. But finding means: being free, being open, having no goal.” In other words, when you possess such passion towards something, you don’t gain anything beneficial from doing so. You lose the sole purpose of your goal in the first place because you let it occupy and overpower your mind and self. In this way, the quote emphasizes how one should allow themselves to naturally obtain success in life. You shouldn’t feel obliged to perfection and let your dissatisfaction of being unsuccessful get the best of you. After all, YOU are the key to reaching the stars.

From a personal and universal stance, I truly can’t stress the validity of this perspective. I tend to excessively crave certain desires and would do anything to reach them. In an effectual manner, when I don’t achieve this, I feel helpless, depressed .. at rock bottom. Although this might sound rather extreme, it is the reality of my life, as a fifteen-year old girl named Jenny Nguyen. The world doesn’t know about this side of her and maybe that’s just because it wouldn’t make a difference if it did. Simply put, we’re all like this, it’s just a minuscule fraction of the societal norms today. When I really want something, I urge anything and everything just to get there. I’d like to say that I connect to Siddhartha on a pretty close level in the sense that he yearned for spiritual growth. He dedicated so many aspects just to do so and at the same time, he lost himself in it. Throughout the novel, we see Siddhartha’s continuous dissatisfaction with his lifestyle, but when he simply lets loose, he becomes settled as an enlightened ferryman. Within my life, I face similar encounters, but when I move past them, I’m also tranquil, happier, more successful, on top of the world!

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Siddhartha makes acceptance of failure look so dang easy, but in such a defeated state, how can we possibly bounce back? It is important to note that, it all starts with you. That’s right. No one has control over your potential, ability, intentions, and most importantly, you. Siddhartha faced a long, strenuous journey to hurdle over his spiritual obstacles, but during it, he learned a little something along each step. So can you! Don’t let a small altercation destroy your whole world, because in reality, you only have one life and there is so much more to live for. Personally, I’ve learned to let the little things slide, always try to work harder, and realize that everything happens for a reason. As cliché as this might sound (I’m literally cringing at myself too, don’t worry), it’s the root of every occurrence in your world. Life is essentially predetermined for you, so you don’t need to force yourself to do anything or be a certain way. Don’t allow yourself to feel at an all time low over something you’ll laugh about the next day. Life is a journey, a roller coaster, a stepping stone to ultimate greatness. You’ve only been gifted with one to maximize to its fullest potential. Are you going to fight or flight?

A Fresh Start, A New Life

At the end of 8th grade, also known as my last year of middle school, my parents informed me of some heartbreaking news. Being born and raised in Huntington Beach, I grew up loving the ins and outs of the city, and the advantage of being right next to a beautiful beach. However, what they told me was something out of the expected. They explained how we would be moving to the city of Fountain Valley, and I would not be attending Huntington Beach High School for the rest of my high school career. Hearing something like this was truly so heartbreaking, considering I would have to leave my house of twelve years and leave all my amazing peers/friends. Nonetheless, I knew there was nothing I could do about it. Although I was melancholy every day forward, I realized all that was left to do was to cherish each moment I had left to my fullest. And so I did, and as time did its thing, passing by within the blink of an eye, I was moved into my new house located in Fountain Valley, walking into my new school. The first week at FVHS was brutal, I felt like an alien being born into an unfamiliar, civilized world. People glanced at me, walked by me, and had their own friends and joy. I, on the other hand, was alone, dejected, out of place. I felt helpless but at the back of my mind, I knew for a fact that it would not be like this forever. In time, I came to the conclusion that my prediction was very accurate – I had multitudes of new friends and most importantly, a new place I could call home.