The Blog-a-day Challenge

Official Start Time: 2:25 am
Date: 9/29/08
Official End Time: 4:00 am

Today's entry as you can see was done very late, but was alright for me to do it at this hour. For instance, usually I go to bed a lot later because I procrastinate and start my homework around 1 and 2 am versus doing it after dinner like the normal student. My eating habits will be discussed another day which might help explain why I do my homework so late. Today however I was forced to do my homework after dinner and got it done early enough so that it was alright for me to blog at 2 am.

I actually could have started an hour prior to this conversation however I was enlightening my brother on the topic of education and what I hope he does different with his years of high school. We talked for a good hour and a half. In the process I told him to do his best and prepare for the worst, but most importantly learn to respect your peers and the community you associate yourself with. The conversation made me realize a little about the kind of reputation I have as a student and how this may affect my future decisions.

As a student I can say that I do not live up to my full potential. I always think I can do better and wish that my grades stacked up better in comparison to my friends. Currently I am 6th in my class which allows me to qualify for most colleges that look for students who are in the top ten of their class. Extracurricular wise I feel that I lack a lot of proof to make colleges see the great student I am. I don't have any sports on my list, nor am I part of a lot of clubs. Enrichment wise I have a few things on my list but not all these things may count in the end. Hopefully what I have on my list of enrichment will count for something when I begin to apply for college.

I hope that when I do apply, colleges will look at me for more than what it says on the resume in front of them.

Something that I feel that distinguishes me from other students that may be applying is the respect I feel you should have for the peers and community you associate yourself with. I feel that people should be looked at by the morals and the thoughts they express and not by the grades they hold. This also applies to a person's IQ and their financial capabilities. I feel that these factor have importance in our world but should not help us define the type of person we are.

A great author once wrote a story about a 37 year old man with mental retardation. Throughout the novel the main character undergoes a scientific experiment to increase his intelligence so that he may be accepted by the society in which he lives. After getting the operation he notices that the results he imagined where not quite what he expected. Instead of getting the respect and acceptance of his comrades, he becomes an outcast that casted fear in the hearts of those he wished to impress the most. He realized that intelligence is not makes you a person.

His motives however remain pure even after he regressed to his normal state of mental retardation.

“Anyways thats why Im gone keep trying to get smart so I can have that feeling agen. Its good to know things and be smart and I wish I new evrything in the whole world.”

That quote right there by Daniel Keyes illustrates my point that the morals and the thoughts we express should define the type of people we are and not the IQ, financial capabilities, religion, or race of the person . . . it is the type of person we are that others should recognize.

Sincerely, Hector Guzman

It felt good writing this piece and I hope those who may read this entry enjoy it. I hold true the thoughts described above. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes has to be one of my favorite books and illustrates a point that I feel so passionate for. Our world would be such a different place if we would look at our fellow man not for the clothes he wears or the intelligence he has but the thoughts he is able to share with us.

Official Start Time: 12:03 am
Date: 9/28/08
Official End Time: 1:40 am

Today's entry brings hope to my spirit and the experiment I am about to embark on. A day or so ago I posted the first entry to this experiment and since then have received comments from friends providing advice and their opinion about what I am about to do. I am thankful for the comments I have received thus far and I hope that as I continue this experiment that I will continue to get more and more comments.

Going off this point I received one comment that really made me think. This person brought to my attention what it means to do the righteous thing and what to expect after doing the righteous thing. In her experience the decision she has made has had its high moments yet at the same time has caused her a lot of pain. Her advice to me was that doing the right thing should be almost second-nature; that the reason we do these acts is not to see compensation but to know that we have made the right choice in the long run.

In my life I cannot say I have experienced enough to do such an act of kindness. The advice that this person gave me was great and made me realize that whatever we do in this world should transcend into good through the people we know. How this is done or what we can expect by doing this is never certain. But if I could give my opinion on the issue I would say something like this . . .

In my opinion doing the righteous thing should be almost second-nature. As humans we are conflicted between making the decision based on obligations that making the decision may involve and compensation that we hope making this decision will provide. Feeling this way does not make us bad people but human as it is our instinct to expect something in return. Our motives for making this decision may be lost as time goes on, but the words of friends may provide help in reminding us why this decision was so dear that we had to make it.

The hard work and time that goes into making this decision could be another reason to not make it. It is not that we do not care for the decision but that the work and time that goes into making it is something we fear or are just unable to commit to. The brick walls that may confront us along the way make making the decision even harder. However when we do make the decision we can be assured that we have made the right choice.

The impact of this decision does not have to be news worthy, but should provide us with peace at mind knowing that we have done the right thing. We do not find the purpose for making these decisions but instead they find us. We are destined to meet and it is another pit stop on our journey throughout life. Whatever the decision may be in the end I am sure that feeling of achievement we will be enough for us to understand that our actions we're not in vain.

Issues like this are something I love to write and talk about. The issues can be controversial but also give a glimpse of the type of person we really are. Expect future entries in which I try to give my opinion on issues that I feel concern us more and more everyday.

Till Next Time, Hector Guzman

Official Start Time: 12:14 am
Date: 9/27/08
Official End Time: 12:54 am

I've noticed that I'm doing my blog post more and more often after midnight. Around midnight is when I usually have the chance to go on the computer but also the best time to start my blog seeing as I did the first entry around midnight.

Today's entry covers the presentation I gave at IBM and what lays ahead for me. Over the last couple of months I've been doing a lot of thinking in terms of what kind of future awaits me and what I should do to make it possible. The decisions are difficult and never clear which makes it even harder to decide. Hopefully overtime I will find something that gives me a better direction of what I should do to insure a successful tomorrow.

So today was the first meeting of the ITR&D program. This year I will be competing in the E-commerce course but will be helping out with a lot of the work being done with this year's ITR&D course. At today's meeting however my presentation was not related to E-commerce but Scratch and how to motivate in-coming teams to use Scratch. The presentation went well as we (Norbert and I) covered our past experience with the program and the Scratch Moodle Course we had developed in response to what we learned from the program. The course has proven to be successful and will be piloted with 70 students at North End Middle School. I'm excited to see our course come to life and hope that it accomplishes its goal of teaching students Scratch.

We got a lot of positive feedback with the course from Adam Scott and others who have taken a look at the course and say that it has real potential. There is still a lot of work to do to perfect the Scratch Moodle Course and eventually the Alice Moodle Course. Working on these kinds of project is something I love to do and talk about to people. I could imagine myself doing something like this in the future which makes me bring into question what lays ahead for me in the future to come.

I want to be an endocrinologist when I grow up seeing as I have diabetes and would love to give my patients first hand advice as we share the same disease. I think I can make a difference through my patients but I worry about the odds of me becoming an endocrinologist. It takes a lot of schooling and money to make it. Sometimes I wonder do I stack up and if I'm making the right decision. Would taking another career that involves less schooling and money be a choice I should be willing to make?

This is where I meet the fork in the road. On one side I could take the path onto endocrinology and never look back. On the other path I could choose to do something that gives back to the community through education or cultural exchanges. Both paths share the hopes of a successful tomorrow that would allow me to give back . . . but which path do I choose to meet this goal?

The second choice looks more and more appealing as time goes on. Making a difference is something I would always want to insure in whatever I do. So would the second choice be a more direct root to this path? Writing down my thoughts has helped me map out the choices I have but this problem involves more than a piece of paper and pencil. I must think deep inside myself and find a solution that I know is the right one.

Hopefully over the course of this experiment I will have figured out which path I will take and how that decision will help me fulfill my goals.

Till Next Time, Hector Guzman

Official Start Time: 12:09 am
Date: 9/26/08
Official End Time: 1:34 am

Today starts my mission in which I will do a blog a day as part of an experiment to see how I have evolved as a person over the course of a year. A lot of stuff has happened since my trip to China and even more since being part of the ITR&D course. Sophomore year in general transformed me tremendously and has helped mold me into a better person overall.

Being part of the ITR&D course had to be one of the highlights of my sophomore year. In the course I was able to experiment with technology such as Scratch and at the same time meet great people like Steve Wilmarth and Michael Mino. Becoming an intern with Education Connection and helping build the Scratch Moodle Course made that experience complete and is still lived to this day. I still work for Education Connection and hope to do something great and wonderful for students across all grade levels as an intern there.

The community we are surrounded by is something that I always try to give back to. When I first started high school as a freshman we were required to do 20 hours of community service. In that year alone I did over 100 hours and was driven to not just be a volunteer but a working member on community projects that would bring to life the ideals of the Greater Waterbury Community. I understand that adversity stands in the way of everything we do but with the proper resources and motivation anyone can be successful.

After going to China I learned something that you would only be able to learn by melting together the experience I received from the ITR&D program and the ambition I had as a volunteer. I learned the meaning of being an ambassador and what it feels like to want to accomplish the impossible. The ideals of a global education are only something you can understand as a participant of a cultural exchange program. The money, the work, and the fear will always be there representing the brick walls meant to prove how much we really want something. But when you past through these brick walls you are able to enjoy what you have worked so hard for and understand the achievement you have just made.

This is what drives me to be a better person and wake up early everyday even though I may go to bed even later. Determination and being persistent are aspects that we must embrace if we want to be successful. As Albert Einstein once said, "I wish to do something great and wonderful but I must start by doing the little things like they were great and wonderful."

Sincerely, Hector Guzman

So here is a short glimpse about the type of person I am and where I am starting from on this mission. Not all my entries will be like this. Some will be greater and won't be as great. Overall I promise to produce my best work and hopefully learn something while doing so.

Official Start Time: 12:01 am
Date: 9/25/08
Official End Time: 1:36 am

Somehow I got lost in time and never really closed the chapters on my journal entries. Not much was left to the story but I still need to finish with an epilogue and release some news that I hope will bring some positive results.

Epilogue

My journey has come to an end, and without any disappointments I can fairly say. Certain things however I would do over or at least prepare better the next time.

I met a lot of great people and the same time discovered the way some people are at heart. I will remember those who are close and those who are far for years to come and make sure that they are only an email away.

China down, rest of the world left to go!
Hector Guzman
7/15/08 8:00pm

So my adventure in China is officially over and it is now time to move on to bigger and better things. I always hate thinking of change when it involves leaving something I love so much. My trip to China had to be the highlight of my summer and thus far the highlight of my life. However there are milestones to come that will be just as important and memorable.

Will I Ever Go Back to China?
Definitely Someday . . . hopefully sooner than later.

What has this trip taught me?
It's taught me to be prepared for the unexpected. It has also taught that if you really want something you have to work hard and expect a few brick walls along the way.

What plans do I have for the future?
I can't really say. College of course is next on my agenda but I'm not 100% sure on what kind of career I would want to go into. Endocrinology is definitely something I have a passion for, but after this trip I look at education and wonder what I could give back to the world if become a professor. Overall I hope that whatever career I choose I have the ability to fulfill my childhood dreams and the dreams of others.

Announcements!
I decided after realizing how much this blog has taught me about myself and my writing that I will do a blog a day. The blog could be on something related to China or just a thought that came to my mind and I felt I needed to reflect on it. The quality I hope will remain the same but on certain day's I expect it to be a little more bland. It was kind of weird starting this entry at 12:01 am realizing later that I had started my mission at the first possible moment I could.

Hopefully doing a blog a day for a year or however long I can keep it going will show me how I have evolved as a person and what I can expect in the years to come. The journey has only just begun and I hope you can be a part of my experience.

Official Start Time: 10:15 am
Date: 7/12/08 "Finally got it right"
Official End Time: 6:00 pm

The entry has to be my joyous and emotional of all . . . so be prepared for sighs of relief and moments of anxiety along the way. I estimate a good 5 pg back and front with as much detail as possible. Maybe I can hit my goal.

So today I am writing all about yesterday and then a bit about the morning we had today . . each bit being as valuable as the next. My day starts around 8:30 when I wake up in Snow's house and greet her with the usual . . . blood sugar, insulin, and orange juice. Snow tells me that there is still some food from the grocery store and that we will make breakfast instead of going out. Immediately I run to the fridge and see there are eggs, bread, and sausage.

It hits me and decide to make Snow breakfast. I decided that scrambled eggs would be a good idea and was excited to make Snow a good breakfast. We didn't have butter so the meal wasn't perfect, but I tried my best to make the meal edible. I asked Snow for eggs and immediately got to work cracking away and telling her all about what she was about to eat. Snow also got into it asking what kind of things we would need to eat such as plates, spoons, chopsticks, etc . . . she is so kind hearted.

When the eggs were done I began to serve them on a pair of plates for us to eat. Some were burnt and some were fine. I gave Snow all the nice ones not wanting to ruin her meal. We drank milk and continued to talk about the food and what we hope to gain from China/America. I think Snow enjoyed the meal having 2 pieces of bread, sausage, and leaving only a few scoops of eggs.

I had to take some insulin at that point to cover the meal and felt bad that Snow had to see me taking shots. She is scared of needles and most graphic things. Around 9:30 we pull the lead out and make our way to the hotel . . . we find ourselves in Ronghua's room and greeted with joy. Apparently I missed out on karoke, drinks, and pool. As usual I seem to bail out when the group has the most fun. Hopefully I can make it up to them.

We start getting to work concerned about the show and how we plan to manage our time. Arguments between Tori and Tim soon enough break out and Tori is not seen for most of the day . . . she had a "headache" but was really in need of some space and time to think.

Jay, Alex, and Tim decided around 11:30 that order must be kept and by what better way than with KFC . . . we did however create a "talking stick/water bottle" by which everyone was able to give their opinion.

The Chinese students at this had all left in search of gifts. The room soon began to shrink leaving me, Jacey, and Steve to finish the job. I took a walk before hand with Jacey telling her of my adventures with Snow and how I hope to repay her. Jacey thought I was adorable and would later help me in my mission.

*Jacey throughout this trip has been my go-to-girl amongst the trip providing conversation and excitement along the way. I connect with her well and feel that I have known her for a long time like all the other kids on the trip. It's weird though how she keeps having nightmares of me chasing her throughout this trip . . . maybe the races are getting to her.

The guys finally got back and we all began to eat. The fiasco that rose from this point was one not to forget. Chicken bones, wrappers, and drinks were all over the place. Soon enough the adults came to visit. First Ms. V making sure I ate right and had insulin, later Steve who almost made me shit my pants giving as few looks as possible. Lunch was great and left me with that natural high you get after having fast food when you haven't had some in a really long time. Aaagh. Soon enough I was testing again giving ok readings but being forced to drink Orange Juice until I was better.

Around 2 the Chinese students showed up with gifts and a ceremony of hugs broke out . . . everyone was pleased and shocked with their gifts wanting to get things like that for people back at home. From here we made our move to the shopping center. Immediately Snow asked me about my numbers, how I was feeling, and what she could do to make things better . . . I have to do the right thing and re-pay her someway somehow.

At the shopping center we find a nice store that sells a bunch of trinkets and other stuff. It is more of a girl store though as the guys in the group plan suicide from boredom. Alex and Jay were distant throughout the day being more concerned about hanging out with Seven. I remember something about lunch and how those two didn't take it too well.

After a while I decide to make my move having only an hour left. Everyone is instantly at my attention when I say that I want to get something at the mall. I try to form a barrier between me and Snow with the help of Seven, Jacey, and her host family. Fortunately we make it to the shopping mall, but not without having 3 people escort Snow and give me time to buy the gift.

The anxiety is building and my speech is fast. Jacey follows me throughout the mall asking her host family to buy us time to buy the gift. Snow is constantly calling and the pressure grows worse and worse. I can't really find the right necklace and feel like a jerk for not acting fast enough. Hopefully she likes it for I still wonder to this moment. We finally find the spot and catch a nice piece of green jade (Snow's favorite) for $385. I wish I had spent more but was constricted to time and the commas on the label.

Eventually I made the choice after asking Jacey if Snow would like it and got her a nice green-circle piece of jade on red string. The entire time I am cursing and pacing trying to focus on Snow's gift. Buying things in the store is a pain for you have to pay with a slip of paper and then return for your item.

Time is of the essence!!

When I finally do get the necklace in hand I ask for them to cut off the tag. Taking their time I almost run into Snow. She is literally 2 feet away from me when I hunch over to cover the necklace. She asks a few questions and I cannot bear to answer being too concerned that she might have seen the necklace. Immediately after she leaves I carry the necklace like a gun making sure that I do not drop it and protect it from any harm.

From that point the pressure is almost at its peak. Jacey keeps saying that what I am doing is great and that if I got the chance I should marry her. The idea seems more and more attractive but I must stay coherent of reality and not the fantasy in my mind.

Jacey asks her host family where I can buy a journal as Snow will be going to Tibet for 10 days. I warned Snow and told her 50 times that she cannot keep in touch with me while on vacation. This must be here escape and not another reason to worry. I finally did find the journal and am dissatisfied with the quality. I eventually do manage to choose one and get a $11 journal for Snow.

At this point I burst and start to swear from anxiety wanting to pay for the journal and get out of there. At first we find a spot to pay and turns out to be the wrong one. I say shit and run to the right one . . . here I pay with a 50 and was pulled back to pay with $11. When I finally get it I tell Suri to hold it in her bag and be ready to give me it when the moment strikes. We go to the hotel and for the next hour we try to pactice for the show while yelling at Jay and Alex for their negligence.

Snow comes in and my heart jump. She asks for my room key to take a nap and then has Seven whisper her something with a glance towards me. I feel that they think I have a crush on Snow and wouldn’t be half wrong. I must however remain the same mentality and stay in reality.

The show grows closer and closer. My walk sucks and I am off key. The show should be fun, but I want to look well and not foolish in front of the group. Around 6pm we make the move down and run into old friends and their excitement to see the show. Fortunately, there is entertainment and speeches before we start which gives us some time to prepare and make sure that the show goes well.

A few seconds before the show gifts are presented and I find Steve and Ms. V presenting Snow with gifts. I make the leap forward and ask Suri for the journal. I go up to Snow and present the gifts giving her praise for all her hard work. I open the box with the necklace wanting to see her expression and too anxious to leave.

Right away we start the show and Alex goes first . . . he does a great job and in my opinion the best . . . jumping into the crowd and plenty of cheers. From there come Tori and next me. The 30 seconds were murderous, but turn out fine. I was on key going down and had many cheers, but was early on the return. I feel like I was the only one who screwed up, but wasn’t a total disaster.

From this point the tears break and we are huddled amongst each other. Snow tries to hold it back and I assure her that neither of us will cry. Tony was a mess along with Seven and Albee who were giving hugs to as many people they could get their arms on.

The mood soon lifted with dancing and drinks. Everyone start to move giving hugs and trading contact information. I personally autographed Tony’s book and was applauded for my signature. Singing broke abroad and me , Tim, and Snow started to sing Hey Jude . . . the chorus grew and the lyrics rose along with it.

Soulja boy ended the party as Jay taught everyone he could grab. Eileen and Jay actually danced together and provided a phenomenal show. Even Tony and half of the Chinese students got up and danced.

*The timing for this entry is slightly skewed having to pause since 12:00 while getting off the airplane and eating.

From that point we went to the lobby and again were crying and saying goodbye. We got to at least insure the chance of saying goodbye the next day. It would again be awkward and something hard to experience. I never really cried, but am sure that I will shed at least one tear before I leave. I said goodbye to Snow and get ready for bed, but no without making sure I got the chance to see the kids tomorrow.

I later spent the night with Tim and Steve soon enough sleeping on the floor after my chair-bed idea failed. Before 10:30 though I went to Steve, Ms. V, and Eileen’s room and took my test. Around that point I was a little low and spent a good hour raising my blood sugar and sharing stories. All hopefully for the best.

Sleeping that night was a pain being to shocked with all the too long day that almost never ended. I didn’t really go asleep till 1:00 thinking about everything that happened and recapping another day. So much and so little time.

I feel that I now have to pause being forced to meet the next adventure against the pandas as well as needing to recap this morning which I feel ended the day before. My eye are getting closer to holding so many fond memories and wishing so much that while in the streets I run into Snow, Albee, or Seven.

Maybe one day they can come to America and we can treat them well. The current joke is green cards for everyone and how the journey isn’t over yet . . . how before we know it we shall se those we loved and still love so much. (20 pages)

I decided I couldn’t wait and took the leap. I will recap this morning and stop were my day officially ends.

Around 6:03 I awake and am found on the floor with a pillow in one hand and a cover over the other hand. I try to go back to sleep and get up at 6:53 saying shit, we have no time to shower and need to catch everyone downstairs. When we make it down we find Fancy and she has a long face barely holding back the tears. I’m not really that hungry and get some insulin with a small breakfast of watermelon, milk, and other carbs.

We soon finish and my anxiety strikes. I immediately think of Snow and ask Seven if she knows her number. Seven has no clue and time is running out. I finally do get to call Snow and tell her I hope she has a great time in Tibet and hope I don’t miss her. I tell Snow that there is still time and if she can catch up with us at the airport. At that moment the bus pulls in. The bus is boarded and we are all a few steps away from leaving. We are soon on the ride there and try to avoid the showers to come.

Finally we reach the airport and I am lifted in spirit. Snow is standing outside land is already waiting for our arrival. Before the door even opens she is on the bus yelling my name. I yell back and give her a hug by taking the pictures and holding words that feelings cannot express.

We all start to say goodbye holding long faces and luggage that we would take for one more night. Seven and Snow stayed behind seeing us through check in and saying their last good byes. I go through security and gain my insulin piece a threat having no papers and running Steve’s patience than at such an hour.

When we finally make it clear. I pull out a dollar and sign my name. I give it to Snow and say don’t forget me. She says oh and give me a hug and I notice she is wearing the necklace I got her. I ask if she like its and her eyes begin to puff as she nods. I cannot resist at this point and talke Snow and give her a big hug with a kiss against the cheek. I tell her thank you so much and that I love you.

*That took some balls.

This day now officially ends as I walk through the gates and see Snow away for the last time. I’ll send her emails and try to stay in touch. I have to say this trip was worth getting sick. I imagined finding someone here . . . not a girlfriend but as a friend and can say I have met my goal. I cannot say that this will be our last encounter but the next will be something. Maybe they’ll come to America.

*Sorry for all the personal info, but today was too much to not write down.

Hector Guzman
7/12/08 6:00pm

Today entry covers several different events in several different ways. Over time on the trip I found it difficult to capture everything that happened during the day and would then lose track of events to the point where i skipped a whole day.

So please bare with me during today's entry as I will take half of one day, and then add another day and half to another.

Official Start Time: 12:05 pm
Date: 7/11/08
Official End Time: 12:25 am

Today's entry re-caps the events of 2-days ago when I first got out of the hospital and met the college kids.

*The date might be an issue in my entries but the context is all the same.

So the day starts on the sleeper train at 2 am which surprisingly so is more comfortable than you would think. 6 people are fitted to a room on bunk beds. I was on the the 2nd bunk to the right side. Snow was to my right, Mr. Chen above her and Steve in the bottom bunk. Every stop or so I would awake and see the time and beautiful scenery. I talked a lot to Steve on the ride there and was more concerned with apologizing than stirring up memories of how bad my reputation was from this point forward.

*At this point in the journal I make a jump forward to the dinner of that day and going home to Snow's house for the night.

I go to Snow's house and am greeted by her parents and to a new home. They make sure I am as comfortable as possible providing conversation, food, and hospitality beyond belief. That night I slept in Snow's room and prepared for the next day and the adventures that lay ahead.

*This basically ends the day of my return filling in the blanks that for some reason I lost track of. Sorry.

Now starts my journey of meeting the college students but not without going to a mountain first. This mountain however involved no hiking, no stairs, and chair lifts. We took a set of chair lifts to the top of the mountain. From there we were able to walk around on a trail and saw some amazing scenery; trees, trees, and more trees. But really the view up there was something not to forget.

After doing the trail we are forced to go back on the adults consent and make our way towards lunch. We have lunch at some nice movie style restaurant. The restaurant also has a game area and a spot to check your email and other things like that. We immediately go and check out the game section to find that there are boards of Mahjong and are taught by our chinese comrades. I watch a few games trying to catch the hang of it and learn that you must match the pieces together making 3 pairs of different blogs and a pair of blocks for a total of 14 blocks.

In the first game Snow is the victorious and rather quickly. We all soon to make bets on the next game saying who will most likely win and I am excited to see more. It isn't till a good 30 minutes that we go and have lunch. Lunch is great and we are soon on the bus wondering what awaits us for the rest of today. We find out that we have some free time and have the chance to play a few games of bat-mitten.

However there is soon a change of plans and we lose the chance to play with our friends. We instead break apart and visit Tim at the hotel. We hang out with Tim for a good 2 hours till it is time to visit the college students at Ningxia Polytechnic University. Around 5:30 we go to the college and are greeted with a general presentation between the American students and the college students. Immediately I spot Xiaorong (Venice) and light up to her face.

We are seated and introduce each other across the table. I can't help but smile being to excited to see Venice. Steve starts to talk and explain the purpose of this trip and what we hope to accomplish in Ningxia.

We now have a chance to mingle and we go outside. Outside we teach the college kids the new handshake and pretend to play table tennis . . . hilarious.

Around 6 we pack up and get ready for dinner. Everytime I leave I make sure to give Venice and the other college kids a hug not sure when I will see them again. I can't express enough how much it has meant to meet the college students and the trip in general . . . I am sure to remember for years to come.

*My entries from this point may have more beauty/sap due to the sharing that has been going on.

The rest of the day is slightly unclear accept for the nice dinner I had with Snow. I think I am getting closer to Snow, but am trying to convince myself that she's 20, and I'm 16. She's Chinese and I'm Dominican. And too many other obstacles that would prevent a commitment/relationship.

Who knows one day . .

Dinner was great considering we ate at a Western style restaurant. Snow and I shared a steak, some salad, and pizza. The steak was great but not Snow's type of cuisine. Sigh . . . After dinner we went to Snow's grandma's house and played with her pet Dalmatian. The dog was on crack having so much energy, but really a true beauty . . young and full of life for a 7 yr old.

Around 10:30 we got back and I got a call from Alex. Apparently he went clubbing with Ms. V and had almost pissed his pants from the shock. I don't blame him being a minor and all but couldn't help laughing at Alex's expression.

Finally we got to bed but not without mingling with Snow on the computer. From that I learn about Snow's interests in literature, music, and general information. I share a lot of interest with Snow, but probably the same I would show with any other well educated women . . . I'm a sucker for the kind smarties. I then went to bed and would awake to the 2nd day that I got sick.

Sorry for the lost in time and entry . . . I have had to juggle so much in the last couple of days and really want to gain back my reputation little by little. Best wishes and better plans. Will re-cap today's adventure and hopefully future events that hit the spot.

Hector Guzman
7/11/08 12:25am (In-consecutive Writing)

This entry goes in some many directions and has so much added to it that I am not sure what really needs emphasis.

What happened to Alex really had to be one of the funnier highlights. The kid gives me a frantic call and is freaking out. I just can't help but giggle at how shocked Alex's voice was. Alex is however a good kid in that situation fearing making a fool of himself before taking a few swigs of beer. In general is that kind of person; a party animal that is coherent that the events he does today will eventually come back to bite him.

Hanging out with Snow again was awesome and something that made getting sick totally worth it. Hopefully we will remain good friends for years to come.