This week, I had many failures. Because the evening event was coming up, I had to finish my presentation. I created many figures to prepare for my booth, but to my disappointment, many of the balloons popped and burst. I think that this was mainly due to the fact that I put too much air in the balloon, so it became more and more stiff and thins every time I made a twist. The air was pushed to far to some sides, weakening the thin material. I solved this issue by filling the balloon less and leaving a longer tail. I learned how to make a poodle, which was a bit more difficult than the regular and standard dog. The most difficult part is getting the air to the very top of the balloon and keeping it there, because the air naturally wants to go towards the end with the nozzle. However, I managed to create the animals I needed for my presentation.
This week, I created a lion. It took quite a while to figure out how to do it. However, I realized that I only had to do the lion’s head and mane correctly, and the body is very simple. The body of the lion is similar to a dog or giraffe, which I had already mastered. My only struggle was with making all the small segments of the lion’s mane the same size. Sometimes they would be much smaller or much larger than the previous, so I was forced to keep trying. Unfortunately, I didn’t start making these lions until later in the week, because my balloon pump was broken and I had to buy another one. This set me back a few days, so I lost time that could have been used making other animals. My plan for next week is to learn and create at least one more type of figure. I can use this new figure at the evening event and tape it on to my presentation.
I have many fun memories from this school year, but I have three favorites. My first favorite memory of this year was the winter concert that band performed. During rehearsal earlier in the day, many of the band students playfully mocked the band teacher in a high-pitched, obnoxious voice. His response caused everyone to burst into laughter. The teacher imitated the same annoying voice and said he wouldn’t cry, before sniffling. Another favorite memory I have was the Valentine’s Day after school dance. Many of my friends went, and we had a good time running around and playing ping pong. I remember my friend and I each buying a firebomb, which is a cinnamon candy. You have to suffer and let the outside burn a hole in your mouth before reaching the sweet and slightly chewy inside. After about fifteen minutes, we threw ours away because it tasted so terrible. My last favorite memory of this year was the Twenty Percent Project Evening Event. I got to hang out with my friends, and blow up balloon animals for many people that were interested. It was so fun!
This image has a powerful message. As you can see, the boy on the left has many, many toys that surround him. There is even a television in the background, and he is wearing a nice, clean shirt. Yet, he is still upset. Despite all the entertainment around him, the boy cries and screams in anger and sadness. The boy on the right, however, only has a single toy car, and is wearing tattered clothing. In the background, only a tiny hut is visible. Despite not seeming to have much, the boy is smiling and playing with his toys. The quote above contributes to the idea that some people will be unsatisfied with something that another will be extremely happy with. It depends on what value you raise something to.
This month I read a novel by Colin Meloy, called The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid. This book is about a boy named Charlie Fisher, who lives in Marseille, France. His father is an American diplomat, so Charlie was raised a very well-behaved child, and has grown into a polite young man. One Tuesday morning in April, he journals in one of the markets. It is then that he observes an incredible plan. He sees a group of children pickpocket a man in the market, before leaving the unsuspecting victim. Amir, one of the children, approaches him while he is witnessing this operation, and they chat together for a few minutes. He soon finds that his special pen, a Sheaffer Imperial that he had received for one of his birthdays, had been snatched right out of his hand. Intrigued, he chases the young boy to take his pen back. He saves Amir, and together they walk around Marseille. Amir tells him interesting things, and Charlie soon finds himself seemingly a member of the group of stealing children. They are professional pickpockets, and Charlie learns much from then. However, as time passes, Charlie finds himself drifting away from Amir. He must make some difficult decisions to save his father’s career and his crumbling friendship in time.
I loved this book because it is not a book that I would normally pick up, and I ended up enjoying it. I appreciated the elements of friendship, loyalty, and adventure in it. There was no romance, which is another feature of this novel that I loved.
My favorite character is Amir, because huge bond he formed with the main character, Charlie, is a very strong one. Their friendship is practically perfect, and Amir helps Charlie many times in the story. He is thoughtful, funny, smart, and observant, and Charlie’s number one supporter. On page 71, when Charlie is trying to find the story about some of the people at an event, Amir takes his guess and points out some details that led him to his answer. “Though I don’t think he’s new. I think he’s on leave. That’s a deep tan for a new recruit. Most of these guys are coming from all over the country, and you can’t get a tan like that in March in France.”
My favorite quote is, “‘Non!’ repeated Charlie angrily.” I love this line, because it is one of Charlie’s replies to a boy that tries to sell him a program many times. The boy is actually Fatour, a boy that is part of the pickpocketing group of children. It is very funny that Charlie did not recognize him at first, and both became impatient with each other.
This week, I accomplished all my goals. I made a swan figure, though it didn’t turn out correct the first time. After a few more attempts, the swan became recognizable. I also created a balloon rose, which was quite simple. It was a little bit difficult for me to go through all the steps of creating this plant, but it turned out okay. After I did these, I made a balloon dog once again. I don’t think I tied the nozzle tight enough, though, because the face deflated after a couple of hours and just hung front the body. I watched more videos on how to get better, and I learned a few new types of twists. I kept messing up on the pinch twists, though. Next week, I will try to make a swan once again. I ended up not making the monkey, but will try that later on.
It doesn’t matter if you are sitting next to someone or living near someone; being a good neighbor is important. If you do live next to someone, for example, make sure to properly throw your trash away so that it does not blow into your neighbor’s yard. If this happens, they will probably be upset and annoyed, as well as think of you poorly. Another way to be a good neighbor is to not have a loud party or event without warning them in advance. This way, they can plan ahead and have a comfortable time, possibly not at their house. If they cannot sleep during those events, or not focus, your neighbors will remember you as the rude resident of the community. Another example of being a good neighbor is, if you have kids, keep them in control. I’m sure that many would be understanding the first few times when it becomes loud, they throw their toys into the yard, etcetera, but it becomes irritating very quickly. Unless your neighbor adores children very much, they will soon become unhappy. Lastly, make sure to clean up after your pet or pets if you have them. Neighbors will find it annoying and disgusting if you do not clean up after your responsibility, so make sure to tidy up your community.
This week, I succeeded in accomplishing most of my goals. I created the best swan figure so far, which is great! I also tried to create a bow and arrow again, but it still did not turn out. I think that the bow and arrow will be revisited in a couple of weeks, after I have learned other animals and figures. I changed my goals again, because I did not make this monkey last week or this week. I also made two more types of swords, which were both very easy. I think I need to work on tying the nozzle tighter, because the knot is too loose and air leaves the balloon. This causes the section with the nozzle to deflate, but the other sections to not deflate. This ruins the whole figure. Next week, I will make sure to tie the knots tighter and make a monkey balloon animal.
This week, I accomplished my goals and created a giraffe, another dog, and two different swords. One struggle I had over the past few days was with some of the different twists. I attempted a punch twist, but I couldn’t figure out how to do it. This is something I will revisit next week. I also attempted to make a bow and arrow, but I think that I made a mistake because the bow wouldn’t function correctly, so the arrow did not go anywhere. I tried to fix the bow, but I still could not correct the bow. I also recreated the arrow, but this change did not seem to make a difference.I kept my goal chart the same, but I think I will keep making some of the same animals and figures during the next few weeks. Next week, I will try to make a swan, a monkey, and possibly a balloon rose.
If I had to choose three people to invite to a dinner party, I would choose to invite Amir, Jessica, and Miya. Amir is a pickpocket boy, who steals from rich people. He is an important character in the fictional book called The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid by Colin Meloy. The reason I would invite him to a dinner is because he might play some jokes for fun and steal useless objects, as well as show us a few tricks to secretly take, say, a pen. It would be so funny to watch as Amir causes chaos with the other guests. I would invite Jessica, one of my friends from Vancouver, to my dinner as well. She is a very sweet and cheerful person, so Jessica would lighten the mood. She and I would have so much fun catching up and just joking around. I met her at a summer camp and I share many hilarious memories with her. The last person I would invite is Miya. She is my close friend from New Jersey, and another girl I met at a summer camp. She is about one and a half years younger than I am, but we still have a strong friendship. Miya is a kind person and her impersonations always make me laugh. Her goofy personality would leave everyone laughing.
