Greetings from Minnesota, y'all! :)
Wow, so my last post is dated July 30. Sooo, it's been exactly... right. Anyways, I randomly felt like updating. So hello and get ready for a hell of a post (it's been... what do you expect?)
So Minnesota is interesting. My transition to high school life here has been surprisingly good. Maybe that's due to the fact that I came into this with extremely superly low expectations, which have been been surpassed enormously. Now I almost feel like this move may have even been good for me. A college-like precursor, if you will. And it's good that I get to live in the North/Midwest because now I've experienced the "culture" (haha) in both the North and the South. And I get to show the people here that I wear shoes and am literate! Woo! A win-win situation. (Some guy asked me "People up here are smarter than down there, right? Hah.)
The Differences
And it really is different. Of course there is the whole "pop/soda" deal, and other minuscle diffferences that don't matter. Although, the other day I jokingly told a kid to "put up his cell phone", and he looked at me like I was insane, and then preceded to wave his cell phone in the air with a puzzled look upon his face. Apparently "put it up" is a southern expression? But I realize now (more than before, and this will sound extremely obvious, but bear with me), the South really is more conservative. Groundbreaking, I know. But not just politically, socially as well. My first week here, I think like 3 people asked me if I drank. I don't ever remember questions of this nature in Vestavia, except once some weirdo came up to me after a football game and asked me for a cigarette, but emphasis on weirdo.
AND a while back I went to this social event called "Santa's Ball" hosted by some kids from my high school (Mayo High School by the way, laugh it up- make all the condiment jokes you wish). Sounds innocent enough, right? I get there and it's like "Damn, I accidently wore pants." (There were honestly girls IN their underwear, NOTHING else. I was under the impression that it would be at least a little classy, but I was clearly mistaken). Anyhow, it was a big giant grind fest. And I tried to come out with as much dignity as possible, but it's entirely possible that I've lost as much as 1/14 of my virginty (i.e. random ass guys that I don't know- hence random ass- probably inebriated, attempting to rub their genitals against me. Awkward, much?). I have yet to find the fun/enjoyment in grinding. Maybe it shall come with time. I could just be a huge loser/naiive, but I'm pretty sure we didn't have stuff like this in Vestavia.
The People
There are some sweet kids up here, and they have all been really nice, friendly, blah blah blah. When I first came up here in what I thought was a visit (but it was really a covert mission where my mom was scoping out the Mayo Clinic, evil, I know), we went to the Mall of America and some guy wearing a Yankee's cap comes up to me and asks me if I know some famous Japanese Yankee baseball player. Unfortunately I informed the man that I had no idea who he was talking about, but I did in fact know Jackie Chan and Zhang Ziyi (we have tea and karate get togethers on the weekend wearing kimonos with noodles embroidered on them). I'm guessing I was the first Asian he'd ever seen(?) I'm not sure. Anyways, thank goodness it's not actually like that. Yay! My first day was a page out of Mean Girls (I love how I can actually related to that movie somewhat now... Alabama is pretty much like Africa to these kids), the whole lunchroom scene. Interesting. But yeah, I have made friends quite easily, and hang out/blahblahblah. It's good. (And there are some cute boys ;)).
I do miss you Southern chaps (especially Kelsey Woodford- hahaha, although there is no shortage of communication between us, as you would imagine) though! Note: Wow, it's embarrasing it is to tell people that your former school mascot was the Rebel and that there was an abundance of Confederate battle flags at your football games. :/ Other than this, I think and hope that I am giving the kids up here good impressions of you guys. :)
The Shopping
Well, as many of you probably know the biggest mall and wonderful symbol of our delicious capitalism in the United States is located in (Bloomington) Minnesota, near the "Twin Cities" (everyone just calls it the "cities" though, it's cute.) The problem is I live in Rochester, an overall crappy city about an hour and a half's drive away from the "cities." We have our own mall here called the Apache Mall, and I had heard it was pretty small. The first I time I went, I was walking around/scoping it out and I thought to myself that it wasn't that bad, maybe half the size of the Galleria? Then I was informed that there was no second floor. Devastation.
The Academics
I'd like you guys to know that you kiddies are getting/got a great education at the good old Vestavia Hills High School. I find school here a great deal easier. But it's more work. If that makes sense. The tests/teachers were a lot more insane at Vestavia, but I get a lot more homework here. I'd like you guys to know that I'm in HONORS Alg. II here, and it's barely harder than regular Alg. II down there. Not that that's really a surprise with Tipton/Teer, heh. Of course I still have a B, but this is sheerly due to the fact that I don't do any of my homework and it's not weighted. Which sucks. Example: Got a 100% (45/45) on my test, but got a 1/10 on my homework- so my grade dropped like 4 points. Yay! In other news, I don't know what the hell is going on Chemistry though. I kind of miss Mr. Shoemaker's class and the crazy lectures/tangents/cornyamazing jokes.
Oh and my school is basically shaped like a giant glass doughnut. And even though all the classes are around the circle, I somehow still manage to get lost just about everyday to the amusement of my classmates (i.e. I will be near my classroom but I will walk the wrong way around the entire fucking circle- sorry but it's like a 1/4 of a mile or something. Sucks.)
I'm actually really quite content right now, it's good. But of course my pessimisim is kicking in a little and I kind of feel like the whole "it's too good to be true" thing, and that it's going to go downhill from hill or something is going to go horribly wrong in the near future. Which is bad. Yep. Haha. Love you kids! Don't expect another post in another 6 months. And for old times sake: "Until I post again later!" Hahaha. How much of a loser am I?
With love (and I would say snow- but the damn global warming is kicking in),
Joanna
P.S. I don't expect anyone to read this entire mammoth.
P.P.S. Please try your best to ignore all typos/grammatical errors/spelling mistakes, I did my best. There is no way in hell I'm checking over this shit.
P.P.P.S. Forgot to mention this, but the first week or so everyone thought it was really cool that my school was on Two-A-Days. Haha. Just thought I'd slip in the obvious.
So Minnesota is interesting. My transition to high school life here has been surprisingly good. Maybe that's due to the fact that I came into this with extremely superly low expectations, which have been been surpassed enormously. Now I almost feel like this move may have even been good for me. A college-like precursor, if you will. And it's good that I get to live in the North/Midwest because now I've experienced the "culture" (haha) in both the North and the South. And I get to show the people here that I wear shoes and am literate! Woo! A win-win situation. (Some guy asked me "People up here are smarter than down there, right? Hah.)
The Differences
And it really is different. Of course there is the whole "pop/soda" deal, and other minuscle diffferences that don't matter. Although, the other day I jokingly told a kid to "put up his cell phone", and he looked at me like I was insane, and then preceded to wave his cell phone in the air with a puzzled look upon his face. Apparently "put it up" is a southern expression? But I realize now (more than before, and this will sound extremely obvious, but bear with me), the South really is more conservative. Groundbreaking, I know. But not just politically, socially as well. My first week here, I think like 3 people asked me if I drank. I don't ever remember questions of this nature in Vestavia, except once some weirdo came up to me after a football game and asked me for a cigarette, but emphasis on weirdo.
AND a while back I went to this social event called "Santa's Ball" hosted by some kids from my high school (Mayo High School by the way, laugh it up- make all the condiment jokes you wish). Sounds innocent enough, right? I get there and it's like "Damn, I accidently wore pants." (There were honestly girls IN their underwear, NOTHING else. I was under the impression that it would be at least a little classy, but I was clearly mistaken). Anyhow, it was a big giant grind fest. And I tried to come out with as much dignity as possible, but it's entirely possible that I've lost as much as 1/14 of my virginty (i.e. random ass guys that I don't know- hence random ass- probably inebriated, attempting to rub their genitals against me. Awkward, much?). I have yet to find the fun/enjoyment in grinding. Maybe it shall come with time. I could just be a huge loser/naiive, but I'm pretty sure we didn't have stuff like this in Vestavia.
The People
There are some sweet kids up here, and they have all been really nice, friendly, blah blah blah. When I first came up here in what I thought was a visit (but it was really a covert mission where my mom was scoping out the Mayo Clinic, evil, I know), we went to the Mall of America and some guy wearing a Yankee's cap comes up to me and asks me if I know some famous Japanese Yankee baseball player. Unfortunately I informed the man that I had no idea who he was talking about, but I did in fact know Jackie Chan and Zhang Ziyi (we have tea and karate get togethers on the weekend wearing kimonos with noodles embroidered on them). I'm guessing I was the first Asian he'd ever seen(?) I'm not sure. Anyways, thank goodness it's not actually like that. Yay! My first day was a page out of Mean Girls (I love how I can actually related to that movie somewhat now... Alabama is pretty much like Africa to these kids), the whole lunchroom scene. Interesting. But yeah, I have made friends quite easily, and hang out/blahblahblah. It's good. (And there are some cute boys ;)).
I do miss you Southern chaps (especially Kelsey Woodford- hahaha, although there is no shortage of communication between us, as you would imagine) though! Note: Wow, it's embarrasing it is to tell people that your former school mascot was the Rebel and that there was an abundance of Confederate battle flags at your football games. :/ Other than this, I think and hope that I am giving the kids up here good impressions of you guys. :)
The Shopping
Well, as many of you probably know the biggest mall and wonderful symbol of our delicious capitalism in the United States is located in (Bloomington) Minnesota, near the "Twin Cities" (everyone just calls it the "cities" though, it's cute.) The problem is I live in Rochester, an overall crappy city about an hour and a half's drive away from the "cities." We have our own mall here called the Apache Mall, and I had heard it was pretty small. The first I time I went, I was walking around/scoping it out and I thought to myself that it wasn't that bad, maybe half the size of the Galleria? Then I was informed that there was no second floor. Devastation.
The Academics
I'd like you guys to know that you kiddies are getting/got a great education at the good old Vestavia Hills High School. I find school here a great deal easier. But it's more work. If that makes sense. The tests/teachers were a lot more insane at Vestavia, but I get a lot more homework here. I'd like you guys to know that I'm in HONORS Alg. II here, and it's barely harder than regular Alg. II down there. Not that that's really a surprise with Tipton/Teer, heh. Of course I still have a B, but this is sheerly due to the fact that I don't do any of my homework and it's not weighted. Which sucks. Example: Got a 100% (45/45) on my test, but got a 1/10 on my homework- so my grade dropped like 4 points. Yay! In other news, I don't know what the hell is going on Chemistry though. I kind of miss Mr. Shoemaker's class and the crazy lectures/tangents/cornyamazing jokes.
Oh and my school is basically shaped like a giant glass doughnut. And even though all the classes are around the circle, I somehow still manage to get lost just about everyday to the amusement of my classmates (i.e. I will be near my classroom but I will walk the wrong way around the entire fucking circle- sorry but it's like a 1/4 of a mile or something. Sucks.)
I'm actually really quite content right now, it's good. But of course my pessimisim is kicking in a little and I kind of feel like the whole "it's too good to be true" thing, and that it's going to go downhill from hill or something is going to go horribly wrong in the near future. Which is bad. Yep. Haha. Love you kids! Don't expect another post in another 6 months. And for old times sake: "Until I post again later!" Hahaha. How much of a loser am I?
With love (and I would say snow- but the damn global warming is kicking in),
Joanna
P.S. I don't expect anyone to read this entire mammoth.
P.P.S. Please try your best to ignore all typos/grammatical errors/spelling mistakes, I did my best. There is no way in hell I'm checking over this shit.
P.P.P.S. Forgot to mention this, but the first week or so everyone thought it was really cool that my school was on Two-A-Days. Haha. Just thought I'd slip in the obvious.