As If I Knew

Who could imagine that monkeys could be that dangerous? Just look at him! Staring with those big wide eyes with such act of innocence. Well, this little monkey which I call: the picture of the monkey, is not the culprit.

On our trip through Japan, we went to a very cool island near Hiroshima named Miyajima. It was great, all right but sure it was for tourists. Even how, we got a ferry to get to the island. It was really pretty. There were lots of deer, and in the mountain top, there were monkeys. I will leave the story of the monkey for now.

It was like 12:00m and sure it was hot. We saw this marriage in a temple, which was pretty boring. Obviously Japanese traditions are very different from ours, but I, in the shoes of the bride and family, would have a really bad knee and back ache. They were sitting down for about two hours. After watching a dance, which sadly I don't remember of what was it about, we headed to the restaurants and ate eel. You cant imagine how delicious that is! The combination of the sauce they were in with the rice was excellent.

We headed for the quest of the mountain. We would climb to the top, but first, we would take a pole cable. ( No one out of their mind will climb the hole mountain). As we arrived, there was a huge surprise: monkeys. I had never seen them in real life or in their "wild" nature (because it wasn't so wild). There were just there, running about and eating each other fleas. Such incredible creatures. As I was in charge of the camera, I was the one to take the pictures. I knew that a good photographer was the one who would be near to the picture. in that case, I did get too near. I was so happy while the little monkey would pose, until the man next to me, started glaring at him. Obviously, the aunt monkey, though he was challenging her, so she charged at us. Fortunately I had very good reflexes and I was able to escape the angry monkey's attack. Unfortunately, for the guy, it was too late for him.

Just kidding, really, nothing happened, but he did get quite scared. After almost being attack, I saw the little big poster which said, not to glare at the monkeys. I just wanted to kill that guy myself. I was kind of startled after the big fright, that I hadn't realized the picture that I had taken.

Crappy Birthday

There is nothing worse than a birthday, specially with my family. You may think that at least you get lots of presents and get to eat cake. It is also a very special day were you are the center of attraction because: its your birthday. I forgot to mention the fact the you also get older and have less years to live. Wo-Ho!!

With my mother's family, a birthday couldn't be so fun. They all come to our house with their dirty shoes and hypocrite smiles just saying, "who was the one of the birthday?". Usually I just have to say its me, smile back with all the joy of the world: because it is my birthday and then walk out with my heart broken. Well, at least you have presents: wrong! They always say, ups, I forgot your present, Ill buy it next time, or they just act as if they didn't forget who's birthday is or why are they here. The only purpose is to socialize or being with my grandfather.

I am glad that my birthday was long time ago, but today is my elder sister's birthday. She turns eight-teen, so it is a much more special occasion to go and eat cake. I don't like to attend the people and if you want more coke or food. I am glad that ours is just a family reunion, but they are like twenty! There is also the idea, that they are coming to our house, which I utterly detest.

At the moment of the singing, there is the eldest cousin, which aspires to be a singer. Near her, is my aunt, who aspires to be young, and also another singer. Then, there is my 94 year old grandfather, which has to sing. So there is a series of horrible, frustrating and exaggerating singing. Until I think the hell is over, it just begun. They sing another Mexican Happy Birthday, and then the Colombian again, which is a mix of a Spanglish Happy Birthday. After singing about the third Happy Birthday, they blow the candles out. It is time for my annoying little cousins who spit at the candles. My sister and I always have to watch carefully, to know which side is not infected by their slimy little mouths.

Another aunt, who's head looks like the dirty fire, her mocking smile just pronounces terror, and her face just grosses me out. Before the cake, she goes to it's secret sanctuary and puts her licked finger in it. Then, we all wonder, who must be the one who did it? She is the one to cut down the cake, but is not very pretty. She sticks her finger on the falling piece, she licks the knife and spoon before serving another, it totally gross me out. Is horrible, and no one stops her! I always try to not look because you live happily being ignorant.

They eat what they can, and they don't even bring a present. That is just great. Even if they brought a present, it is cheap and ugly, just like in Christmas. Who said that birthday's mean presents, it should be about love and caring of a person who is getting older and will die soon. There is not even happiness in the air. I just hate birthdays in our house, I hate them, I hate them, I hate them.

At Last, I'm done

Finally, after three whole days of hard competition, I am done. It was really frustrating and horrible! I think my muscles forgot the chip of competition style. Its been a really hard weekend and I am really tired. Every muscle in mu body aches and my brain is about to shut down. Anyways, I did well. At this period of time, swimming training is really long. The most miles you swim each day the better. So the results I'm competition are relevant. It also didn't mention that it was the first tournament of the year, so it is hard.

Since they told us about two weeks ago about the tournament, I was already nervous. I had remembered how I felt swimming in the nationals in my session round. I couldn't feel my legs, but I did feel a lot of pain. My arms couldn't go much faster, the wall was even farther and each breathe stung as thousands of bees inside my throat. So I was kind of scared that I should feel it again.

We started on Friday with a normal session like 100m freestyle. It is one of my laps that I should always be thinking of. When we presented to the judge and started doing my last nervous stretching. My swimsuit was killing me! It is those kinds of swimsuits that you spend at least half an hour to put it one. So I get on the platform and look at the pool. When the whistle is blown, I leap off as hard as I can. I started swimming as hard as I could, trying to not stay focus and to stop thinking. Seriously, ever time I focus of getting a low time, I usually end up getting a very high one. So I turn and realize that the girls were ahead. So I start going as fast as I could. I already forgot what happened, but I didn't end up really happy.

The other day, it was 200m freestyle. I was kind of sad for Friday's session, so I was really nervous. I stretched until I almost lost an arm. Again on top of the platform, but this time it was much more better. I was in the last heat of fifteen and over. ( I was competing against girls with sixteen years and much more...way more). I was again on the place of pain, and only hearing my desperate breathes. I arrived and felt so happy to realize that I did do it very well. While I was putting my clothes back one, they said I won second place! (oh, I just realized I forgot to get my medal :( ).

Even though I didn't do my best time (because at this period times are relevant) I had won second place. I had swam with girls in the armed force. I heard them saying that their training was form 4:00 in the morning to 6:00am. Then they had military classes or something like that and from 3:00 to 8: 30 it was all swimming. They swim about 7000 kilometers per day. That doesn't include ground work or weight training. Instead, my training is embarrassing. We just swim about one hour and a half with only 3000 kilometers if we are lucky. I think our training is just their warm up. Still, I am competing and winning against them. What would happen if I did train?

That afternoon, it was 400m freestyle. If you didn't know, my style is freestyle. I was really nervous because it was my second time, and I was again in the last heat with those military girls. I felt small and puny against them. I was so scared that I would be the one to arrive last. It was long, but it was cool. I swam as I knew how to. My arms would go really far and the water would rush through my body. I ended up really happy, and tired.

Sunday morning, 200m breastroke! Many people imagine it is the easiest style, believe me, it is not. Swimming breastroke is even harder than butterfly, way harder. You go so slow, but at the same time you have to go fast, get my point? So I swam the first 150m great. It was smooth, but hard. In the last lap, I couldn't go any faster, but I still continued as hard as I could even though I didn't have energy. I was in the last heat, and breastroke is not my style. I didn't even train for it. I remembered on Thursday that I had to swim it. Anyways, it was great and I did great.

Lastly, right after, we had 50m freestyle. It may be the shortest, but it is one of the hardest. Being short makes it a problem. When you have to go at full speed, in the first which is already the last lap you just get warmed up. I did okay, but I was extremely happy that it was now over.

Cool Video

Since the semester was over, now I have Pre-Ap Science class. It is so interesting, but damn it is confusing. There are so much planets and stars and everything! Tons of information. Since my childhood, the movies that have influenced my life at the most is Fantasia. It is incredible! The combination of music and the drawings, I love it.

I still cant bleieve that by the 1940's theses guys already knew about the solar system. The theories of comets that brought particles of life and water is completely new.


There is this part of the creation of our solar system and the earth, which I find very interesting. Besides, it helped me a lot in science.

Forty Five Non-Stop

There is nothing worse than resistance exercises. Like the ones that you have to run a mile in the least time you can. Well, this is much worse. Yesterday we had the pleasure of doing the exercise of swimming through forty-five minutes without stopping. It is hell!

We all began warming up. I am really stiff. I cant even reach my toes! Swimmers should be elastic, I am totally the opposite. I still wonder what am I swimming. Well seven years, why not ten more. So back to the topic, we were about to start. As the trainer blew the whistle, and I threw myself into the pool, my arms almost broke apart. It was horrible, they were still cold and stiff. I started fast, to get ahead of the waves of the idiots who swim beside. The first 200m were fast and perfect, but then I started drowning. I started realizing that in just 2:00 minutes I could swim 200m, so I was missing about forty three more minutes! I started panicking, it had just started.

As I continued, my arms were all numb. I swear ed to myself that I will never enter in a 800m or a 1500 m race. This was torture. My arms were aching, and the sun was shining as bright as ever. I figured that I would still be swimming until night, so there was a long way to go.

I continued, not focused or then the time would pass even slower. I tried to think and analyse my day, singing songs in my head and doing anything but thinking that I was in the pool. I still had to pass more and more people, because I went faster, but they took my time. I swallowed their waves and I almost drowned. I was really angry, but I was reaching the point were I would be tires, but I was sliding in the water. It is a good situation.

Time was slower and slower, I already had forgotten what I was doing, but I never stopped. I just felt how my muscles would grow with each stroke. I tried to see the watch on the wall to see how much time there was left, but it was impossible.

Finally, the sound of joy. It ringed over my ears as a heroic sound. It passed through my brain as a sign. The whistle. It meant there were only five more minutes left. I started swimming harder and harder, I had to do as much laps as possible before it was over. Then, I made the calculation again. There were five minutes left. In 200m were done in about three minutes ( because I was really tires). It took five minutes to do 400m, so there was still more time. Even though, I continued.

my goggles were killing my eyes, my cap was squishing my head, making it hurt. The five minutes were an eternity. At last, when I was about to make a turn and continue, the second whistle was blown. I stopped. Suddenly all the frustration and tiredness were out. The whole forty five minutes went blank in my mind, I was just there at the wall. I finished.

A Loss from a Dearest One

My entire life has been circling around in the way that I should die. As many say, death is terrible, the loss of a loved one is something that you just can grief. I had never experienced a death of someone until now, and believe, you will never be ready.When my grandfather called, and my father in a flat tone said, ¨grandma just died¨, I still don't recall what really happened. I all wished it were a dream, I could never imagine it, until the reality crashed in.

As I saw her laying asleep in the bed, I could just imagine that she was asleep. I knew she was gone, there was no back, but inside I wanted her asleep. As i get near to her, I see her finally resting in peace, and knew it was the end. She was still warm, and her face looked as younger as ever. I couldn't really count how long I stood staring at her dead body. Half of me was gone. I was identical to her, just like her grandmother.

They took her away in a black bag into a car. They would prepare her for the cremation of her body and her final goodbye. A the car took her away, there was an endless silence.

The cremation was as fast as possible. We had to overcome the loss or then it would be torture to all our family. In the cemetery, I was surprised of all the people who came. it went pretty fast, but as I saw her face in the coffin before saying goodbye, I almost couldn't make it.

After the ceremony, our biggest concern now was our grandfather. It was really sad. One month ago, they had celebrated their 50th anniversary. The same day of her death I saw her as happier as ever. She came to see my sisters in a horseback riding competition. Then, she went with my grandfather for lunch. He told us she was so happy that day. As they were going back to their apartment, she started collapsing, until her heart stopped.

The past months, I have been able to overcome my sadness. I miss her so much, but I know that it was time. I still have the days when I sit alone, and feel really alone. She has also been in my dreams, but they fade away as fast as her death.