Diary of A Freshmen Pt. 1

Ok, so I'm about to start my freshman year of high school, and I am--surprise!--nervous. I know that I could definitely have used a diary of some sort (that is not fiction) to act as a guide, but alas there are none, because there are many that have been started this year, but no one else before us seems to have thought of it, so here, for the benefit of future freshmen, I give you the first entry of DIARY OF A FRESHMAN!

Now, some background about the school I'll be attending this year. It's a Magnet School with five magnets; one for science, math, and tech stuff (which is the magnet I'm in), one for performing arts (which is really good! The lead Pussycat Doll went there!), one for communications and media (which includes writing, and oh was I tempted to apply to that magnet), one for the artsy kids, and one for the normal ones. What does this mean? It means that every type of teenager/student/personality is in attendance here at what we're going to call Crimson High.

So, let's start with today, which was Crimson Day, the pre-orientation orientation. They taught us cheers, gave us a Crimson History Lesson, gave us free stuff (by the way, I had been given two flash drives instead of one. And I totally kept them both.) had lunch, talked about learning styles, toured the school, and were later broken up into groups by magnet. Science and math teachers talked about our science fair (which is mandatory for us geeks), talked about some awesome alumni and how their lives are butterflies now because of science fair and things that were taught to them at Crimson High.

I'm good with math, science, and computers don't hate me, so I guess I'll be fine in this magnet. But seriously? We're expected to make life-changing scientific, mathematical, and technological discoveries with these science fair projects--which are called Research Projects at Crimson High. I understand why; to keep up the prestige of the school and get the students scholarships and jobs and whatnot. And yes, because we're so awesome, we have access to university labs and research labs, as well as university medical labs and medical research labs. I know that this makes it easier to have an amazing project, but really! There is only so much that can be discovered by high school students!

So there you have the early Research Project trauma, how about the social?

I stuck with a girl I know and like, and we talked to other girls or groups of girls together, using lines of familiar and equal anxiousness ("Man, by the end of today, I know I'm going to get lost!" "I know, right! This place is huge!"), asking innocent questions to start a conversation ("What magnet are you in?" "Performing arts one." "Really? For what?" "Theater!" "Yeah, I see that!"), and of course, a girl's conversation staple: compliments, ("I love your shirt!" "Really? Best friends!"). I met three girls with these ways today, and they all seem nice. By the way, something I learned today--blooming actresses have big and loud personalities, and do NOT hold back during cheers, so protect your ears or stand far away during cheer wars.

Also, a little wisdom to impart on you. Especially when you're so young that you haven't even started freshman year, know that you never know what you want to do with your life. I went in to Crimson Day wanting to be an interpreter, and now I'm thinking of working in a research lab or being an engineer. So...that's weird.

Also, during the orientations and first week of school, make sure to look good, because that's when they take your picture for your student ID. I wish I knew that one!

Your Almost Freshwoman,
Nadia

BEDA Starting Soon

I just want to remind everyone that BEDA starts soon. This year, BEDA stands for Blog Every Day August. I'll be doing that, and many of them will chronicle my first days of high school so that they may be used by the next year's freshmen to help them out.

Also, because I think I can make a lot of good posts about high school. I have a feeling that I'm going to get a lot of inspiration from high school.

By the way, I think there are some fellow bloggers, or at least blog followers, here that will be starting high school this year. So, is anyone else a bit anxious?

Your Anxious Blogger,
Nadia

This Is Not My Summer

Why this isn't a great summer for me? Let me count the ways...and tell it like an excerpt from a book.


I should have known that that summer wasn't going to be one of my favorites. After all, it started with a black eye! It was an omen. One I should have seen. The moment that the black eye healed, I became sick. It wasn't a I-need-to-be-hospitalized sickness, more of a no-way-I-can-go-out-tonight sickness, which, by the way, felt almost as bad.

Then, after that particular week, I was climbing out of the pool after a nice midnight rooftop swim in Dubai. I slipped, fell, put a hand out--which then slipped as well--and dislocated my shoulder. The pain was excruciating. I had to try to put clothes on with an arm I couldn't move, because apparently in the Emirates, it illegal to go into a hospital in a swimsuit (how do they treat people who have drowned?). The new, ugly, hot, itchy sling was bad enough, but because of the time I would need to heal, I couldn't play any sports soon. That shouldn't have been too big of a deal. Except that I had had high school soccer tryouts three weeks after the fact.

Did I think it could get worse? No. I figured that nothing worse could possibly happen, unless I and my entire family got hit by a bus.

Did I really think then that I was safe? That I could escape my bad luck by vacationing outside the Middle East, in Istanbul? Yes. I did.

But do you know what happened? Something infinitely worse than anything I expected. Something you don't realize has happened until it's too late.

I lost it.

Not my clothes. Those can be bought.

I lost the book.

I lost my book.

Being In Syria: A Pro/Con List

I have just finished staying six weeks in a country in the middle east, Syria. Just in case any of you care to know, these are the pros and cons of being there.

A Pro/Con List

Pro: It smells like jasmine.
Con: It also smells like garbage and exhaust fumes sometimes.<

Pro: Lots of cute kitties! (No evil dogs.)
Con: Most of these kitties are stray, and therefore full of diseases.

Pro: The pictures you bring back look like they're from another world!
Con: You have to wait until you get back home to show them to anyone because Facebook is blocked and there are hardly any places that have internet.

Pro: The fruits taste better.
Con: This summer, many of my cousins are boys between the ages of 2 and 3, who will not hesitate to wake you as early as nine a.m. so that you can pick them up and twirl them around. If you don't, they will not hesitate to pull your hair and smack your face with vicious strength.

Pro: It's always hot.
Con: I can't enjoy it by going to the pool because I dislocated my shoulder. And just guess how. (I'm not telling until someone guesses it in the comments--yeah, it's that ridiculous/embarrassing.)

Your Blogger Who Is Very Excited To Get Back Home,
Nadia