2014-07-07 Minor Heat

【Aiden in English】

        The 2014 World Cup is entering the final stages, and the world is on the edge of its seats. Back at Lansdale Catholic HS, another soccer showdown is beginning...

        Today was the first day of Soccer Camp. Surprisingly, I would have to say that I was probably the best player in the group regarding accurate shots, speed, foot & eye coordination, precise passes, and strong foot. The only problem wa

2014-07-05

【Aiden in English】

        In the USA, the 4^th of July is probably the most celebrated holiday every year, whether it's going to the beach, staying at Grandma's house, or watching fireworks locally. Dad and I traditionally celebrated the Day of Independence with a spectacular show of fireworks. Unfortunately, it was July 5^th, but at least Wissahickon High School in greater Philadelphia postponed the events to today.

        The begin

2014-07-04 Independence Day

【Aiden in English】

        When people think of parties, they think of delicious food, incredible drinks, colorful Piñata, and outdoor games. Only the first few items on the list were applied at today's party. The adults were having a long conversation (boring) and drinking beers and wines (not cool), which forced the kids (Lynden, the hosts' son, me, and my little sis) downstairs and limited to the Wii in the basement.

  &nbs

2014-07-03

【Aiden in English】

        To me, Sports Summer Camp is supposed to be all about fun. No talent or skill, just fun. But it's not so fun that kids get hurt if you ignore basic techniques. That happened at today's 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th-grade soccer.

        No one cared about scoring except for the counselors. At one time, the 4^th-grade counselor came flying toward our goal. I stepped in the way of his sh

2014-07-02

【Aiden in English】

        Today, we did what everyone at Basketball Camp was waiting for. We had a 90-minute 5-on-5 game with subs.

        To put it simply, it was chaotic. Fouls were called every few minutes, primarily half-court violations, since the younger kids were afraid to go to the basket. There were also a lot of offensive fouls that probably resulted from kids who didn't have enough skill to dribble around othe

2014-07-01

【Aiden in English】

        The USA soccer team has never made it to the World Cup. This year, a miracle happened in Brazil. The USA passed the qualification rounds and entered the Round of 16 unexpectedly.

        As lucky as the USA gets, their fortune couldn't last forever. This knockout game against Belgium proved that the USA couldn't compete at this level.

        The game started fine. In fact, at one point,

2014-06-30

【Aiden in English】

        Today, I feel as if I finally accomplished something in the world of Pokémon, catching three Eevees and two Zoroarks and beating the champion for the 5th straight time. It was amazing that my money piled up sky-high after defeating about 50 trainers.

        Everyone in the basketball camp was crowded around me for a long time. They all watched me play. And boy, I must say, I felt like a celebrity. After all, I was

2014-06-29

【Aiden in English】

       Mom has recently switched her job from Merck to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), both in the research and development division of top-notch pharmaceutical companies. Today, she took my little sis and me to have a peek inside the building.

        At first, the building seemed like Merck, with glass windows and flat roofs. But soon, I discovered that GSK looked much better on the display. The campus had beautiful gardens, natural l

2014-06-27

【Aiden in English】

        The new generation of kids is born with something horrible: video games. So bad that kids at camp even carry phones and game consoles around. What happens if I see them play games? I follow and watch them as they have fun. That becomes a massive problem in the 21^st century. Young people care more about video games than friends and life. Whenever someone turns on their phone, kids are immediately absorbed into gaming. It looks as if t

2014-06-26

【Aiden in English】

        Mexican food is known worldwide. Many places have Mexican restaurants; one of the best is Chili's Grill & Bar. The Chili's is formal dining with a variety of Mexican selections. Tonight, Mom, a little sister, and I have to say, it has been a long time since we ate real Mexican food.

        The fajitas and tostadas are my favorites. The chicken and pork were roasted just right, the marinated veggies tas

2014-06-25

【Aiden in English】

        The FIFA World Cup 2014 is in season. Because soccer and football are so popular globally, we played a game of them at the summer camp.

        But we tweaked a few things. The game we played was called Handball. It was soccer with your hands, and you passed by, throwing the ball at another player. If the ball was dropped, then it's a turnover. The objective was to get the ball into the net of a

2014-06-24

【Aiden in English】

        What better way to celebrate summer than chill in a pool? That is precisely what the summer camp of the YMCA planned for us on this hot day.

        It turned out that it was the most brilliant plan ever because today was just hotter than hot. The water was cold, perfect for the conditions. And the 4^th Street Pool had water slides! A small community pool in Lansdale that had water slides. How cool is that?! Un

2014-06-23

【Aiden in English】

        The first day of summer camp is always challenging because there are so many things you don't know. The kids and counselors are different. The camp near the YMCA is different. The Sports Combo program is different. Everything is different. And on this very day, I adopted that difference.

        As I stepped out of Dad's car, I felt like I was entering a world of strangers. I knew no one. That all changed when I

2014-06-22

【Aiden in English】

        Pizza is the most famous and popular food in the USA. It is so delicious and cheap that a slice of bread with tomato sauce and cheese makes a gentleman like me go nuts, and I could eat pizza all day. I experienced it at California Pizza Kitchen in Plymouth Meeting Mall today. Their simple pizza is turned into a work of art.

        Today's crazy, colorful pizza was the Spicy Chipotle Chicken Mexican Pizza. It consis

2014-06-21 夏至

【Aiden in English】

        I was sick and tired of Ocean City, MD, and so was Dad. That's when Dad had a brilliant idea to visit Baltimore and its aquarium, the largest in the nation. I agreed at once, and we bolted for the car.

        There was so much for a brilliant idea. The price doubled from the last time I'd been here.

        Walking into the building, I noticed a few exciting things to do, like feedi

2014-06-20

【Aiden in English】

        The Ocean City of Maryland was starting to disappoint me. There was a boardwalk with no entertainment on the beach. The attractions, including the eateries, were only seen in town, and everything was costly. For example, a diner at the Embers Restaurant would be worth $35 for an all-you-can-eat meal (AUCE), while it would almost treat two people at home. A Blu Crabhouse & Raw Bar diner could cost $120 for an AUCE jumbo crab buffet. A

2014-06-19

【Aiden in English】

        Now, since schools are out, it's time to relax. When you think of relaxing, you think of a beach. What beach is better than Ocean City, MD? It was precisely why Dad and I were going on a 3-day trip to the east coast of Maryland.

        My first impression of the beach was that it didn't live up to its reputation. The sand wasn't smooth. As you walk into the water, sharp shells slice up your barefoot. They s

2014-06-18

【Aiden in English】

        I have a broken heart to say my goodbyes to the 5^th grade. It was one of my best years ever, and Mr. Holloran, my fantastic teacher, was so spectacular that he always encouraged us to do our best. But most of all, the 5^th grade was the most awesome in developing a better sense of responsibility and empowering ourselves to become independent learners.

        This year, I indeed uncovered some fundamental and f

2014-06-16

【Aiden in English】

        It's sad to have a family member experience a surgery ordeal. The treatment is painful, and so is the recovery. That's why I go to the rehabilitation center where Grandma stays to cheer her on to full recovery.

        The arthroplasty was performed on Grandma's right knee due to severe osteoarthritis. Earlier last week, Dr. Grant, an orthopedic surgeon, replaced her kneecap or patella with a large metal tra

父亲节，2014-06-15

【Aiden in English】

        The Pocono Mountains are a nationally famous attraction. When you think about them, the first thing that comes to mind is lush, green forests and deep, majestic valleys. You probably would never have considered the peaceful and quiet town at the foot of the mountains a gateway to the Poconos. That's precisely where Dad and I were going.

        After an hour of torturous driving, we arrived at the tiny town

2014-06-08

【Aiden in English】

        The wilderness is truly a wild place. Unlike me, who is told or commanded what to do at home, nothing is contained, and things go what they want to do. Dad took me to experience it by going to Hickory Run State Park in PA on Sunday, a week before Father's Day.

        Hickory Run SP is 44 miles/71 km of pure nature, plus a few paths and unpaved roads. A tourist could get lost on the most challenging trail.

2014-06-07

【Aiden in English】

        The Spring Soccer season's teams are too unbalanced. You have the not-so-goods against the amazing. My team of Green Grass would qualify for the not-so-goods, and the black team of Night Hawks would fall into the amazing. But after today's game, I'm having second thoughts about it.

        The beginning wasn't so bad. We were in the lead at one point, which lasted a few seconds due to Alan, the black tea

2014-06-02 Dragon Boat Festival

【Aiden in English】

        In the world we call home, there are many items we like but harm us, such as drugs. It is unnecessary to do things similar to drugs, and it's crucial to tell us that early in life before it's too late. The Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program has been created to help kids live up to their fullest.

        The world is full of harmful things to the human body, like alcohol or t

2014-06-01

【Aiden in English】

        It is time to celebrate a well-deserved party for surviving another Chinese School Year, especially on International Children's Day 2014.

        I love Szechuan cuisine, and its food is very attempting, like Fresh All-the-Way Soup, Sliced Fish in Hot Chili Oil, Beef and tripe in Chili Oil, Cold Spicy Noodles, Wonton Soup in Szechuan Style, ma po tofu, Cumin Lamb, Shredded Beef with Green Peppers, Shredded Pork

2014-05-31

【Aiden in English】

      Carnegie Hall of NYC is among the best places to show your musical talents worldwide. The performances are held in majestic rooms, and the audience is treated to the comfiest seats. That being said, I was selected to perform the piano solo in Weill Recital Hall as a gold winner of the Golden Key Music Festivity.

      A long journey began with the piano recital held by my dearest piano teacher, Mrs. Solaiman, and a l

2014-05-29

【Aiden in English】

        Every year, an art show is held at North Penn High School. There's music, refreshments, and, you guessed it, art, which was represented from kindergarten to the 12^th grade of the North Penn School District (NPSD).

        I'm only in 5^th grade. Since my artwork wasn't as impressive as a 10th or 11th grader, it was hung in the gym where not many people would t

2014-05-26

【Aiden in English】

        Nobody in the 21^st century knows precisely what an 18^th-century town looked like, just as an 18th-century villager couldn't picture what a woolly mammoth would look like. Even the 18^th-century villager knew that woolly mammoths were big, and we know that people back then were more majestic than our current fashion sense. All we needed to do was to go on a little scavenger hunt for clues about the past and piece the

2014-05-25

【Aiden in English】

        America is one of the greatest countries of all time. It has one of the most civilized cultures and advanced technologies in the world. It's hard to believe it started as a small village in the middle of a small forest in present-day Virginia.

        In the early 17^th century, the people of Jamestown used to be very different from the ones today. Many cared only about making money. Most male villagers went out

2014-05-24

【Aiden in English】

      Thomas Jefferson had a lot of outstanding accomplishments throughout his lifetime, such as commissioning the Lewis and Clark Expedition after the Louisiana Purchase, writing the Declaration of Independence and the Statue of Virginia for Religious Freedom, establishing the Univ. of Virginia, serving as an ambassador to France, etc. One of his most grandiose and spectacular, as many visitors would appreciate, was Monticello, or a little

2014-05-23

【Aiden in English】

      Public elementary schools in the US are no place to run a 200-meter dash, swim a 100-yard sprint, throw a 20-pound javelin, or any Olympic events. So this Friday before Memorial Day, the Long Weekend, Montgomery ES hosted an Olympic Day to have the same excitement as the actual Olympics. Our gym teacher, Mr. Theodore, created eight original games for the whole school to play, and all four teams were picked to play against one another.

2014-05-22

【Aiden in English】

        Math24 isn't a well-known game around the globe. It requires skill and speed, which I have. This is why I was one of the selective competitors who represented Montgomery to participate in the Math24 Tournament among 10 elementary schools in the North Penn School District this year.

        On the way, my head was about to explode. I would be in a sticky situation if every school had players like my school. But that

2014-05-21

【Aiden in English】 

       Ahh... There was nothing like a Spring Band Concert to kick off the holiday before Memorial weekend and summer at Montgomery ES in PA. Why is it called "Spring Concert" when it's almost June? Go figure.

        What truly made this concert different was a single piece called "Anthem of an Era" by Tyler S. Grant. He wrote it for the youth band at a young age, 17 in 2012. Tyler composed it to

2014-05-12

【Aiden in English】

〖Preface〗 

        Glada Hurt was a boy who always loved nature. Unfortunately, he died in a car accident at a very young age. All his peers from the 5th grade are writing essays about environmental protection in memory of Glada Hurt.

〖Essay〗

        Earth is a beautiful place. It has excellent, snow-capped mountains of wonder to lush, dense jungles of mystery. This is why we humans must protect it; we can also

2014-05-11

【Aiden in English】

        When I first opened the card for Mom to see, she became speechless. I knew a card made out of construction paper couldn't be enough to repay Mom for the glorious trips around the world, the effort she put into teaching me, and the attention she put in to help me in almost everything.

        I understand why Mother's Day is an international holiday. It gives us time to stop and take a moment to truly learn what

2014-05-06

【Aiden in English】

        From the start, you've been there to help, teach, and love me. I'm so grateful that you have become my best friend. Therefore, on Mother's Day, I'm writing a special card with all the reasons why you are a hero in my eyes.

        The American Revolution became a significant event on the US historical timeline in the 18th century. Valley Forge in PA became famous for that very reason because George

2014-05-04

【Aiden in English】

        The sport of badminton is unique and quite challenging. It tests flexibility and reflexes. Let me tell you this. I'm as flexible as a hippo and as fast as a snail. Yet I could survive until today's third round of the Guang Hua Chinese School competition in PA.

        The tournament is set up as a double-elimination format. After the first round, the tournament splits into two: the losers and the winners. Then,

2014-05-01

【Aiden in English】

        Out of all years, our teacher, Mr. Holloran, has worked at Montgomery ES and has never had a 5^th-grade play before. Unfortunately, the time has finally come for the show, A Visit to Colonial America in the 17^th Century. It's in the year 2014. What a coincidence! That's right, the very year I'm in the 5^th grade.

        I'm stuck as an American poet who wrote a ton of famous poems called He

2014-04-26

【Aiden in English】

        Our season started well with a win over the Green Hawks, and the team wanted to win another game.

        But it wasn't happening. The opponent in gray gave us a run for our money in the second half. They were up by 3-2, and our offense was not fast enough to score. In addition, they had a tiny kid, Achilles (#7), who zipped around the field, colliding with our defense.

        And yet, we didn

2014-04-24

【Aiden in English】

        The Spring Concert is the biggest event of the Montgomery-Bridle Path band. It's an hour (or so) long and a fabulous performance featuring the band and chorus. The beginning was intense because everyone was excited about the show.

        Our band was pretty big for two elementary schools. There were oboes, clarinets, saxophones, flutes, and French horns, to name a few, and there were brass and woodwind instruments.

2014-04-22 Earth Day

【Aiden in English】

        Seventy-four years ago, Reading Olympics started with the idea of making reading fun in the school districts of Montgomery County, PA. Well, congratulations! You failed. Now, I can't read the books I like, have to wake up early every Tuesday and discuss with my teammates at school for 4 months.

        There are 40 children's books required for all voluntary participants to read. They were randoml

2014-04-19

【Aiden in English】

        Spring Recreation Soccer is a real bummer that Montgomery United Soccer Club organizes. It is said that there were no coaches, no scores, no refs, and even no goalies last year. Throughout the past, little attention has been paid to our complaints, and some changes have been made. And about time, too! Now we are lucky to have goalies blocking shots, coaches telling us what to do, refs calling fouls and throws, and scorekeeping.

  &nbs

2014-04-18 Good Friday

【Aiden in English】

        As individuals, we are fragile. But together, we become strong. Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. That is how the Guanghua Chinese School is dedicated to teaching Chinese and promoting Chinese traditional culture, for many people are reaching out to keep our unique heritage going.

        The Guanghua Chinese School is a non-profit organization in Greater Philadelphia, PA. Its acti

2014-04-13

【儿歌执笔(Aiden in Chinese)】

        有的时候，我禁不住询问自己﹕“长大了以后，我到底要去哪里呢﹖”想来想去，我还真想不出答案。其实这个问题很简单，我的理想就是我的家。

        等我长大以后，我想继续呆在家里，因为它始终保留着儿时的记忆和自己成长的东西，比如玩具、电子游戏、书籍和相片。每当看到这些玩艺，我就回想起过去的一切。

        我家就像自己很好的朋友一样，老有好玩的东西和可做的事情，它带给我一张舒适的床铺睡觉，提供一

2014-04-10

【Aiden in English】

        PSSA Writing is a 5^th-grade specialty. It's not a pleasant specialty, but it's too bad. We 5^th graders get to write a two-page essay in an hour. Not only do we get sore hands, but also tired brains. Nevertheless, we try our best and aim to be Number 1.

        What a surprise! This year, PSSA Writing would only have two prompts and 12 multiple-choice questions in three days, whereas last year, there we

2014-04-02

【Aiden in English】

        PSSA Reading for the 5^th graders is probably the most dangerous test in Montgomery ES. It has all the weapons to make a student feel bad. Boringness, long stories, challenging questions, and TDA (Text-Dependent Analysis). All are more to be wary of PSSA Reading.

        I had a sore spot for reading. If you think I'm bad at reading, pigs can fly too! Reading is just not high on my like list. Reading for fun is

2014-04-01 愚人节

【Aiden in English】

        Math, I think, is my best subject. I'm not saying I'm not good at reading or writing, but math was just my thing. Now I like math. However, when it comes to PSSA Math, no matter how much you like a subject, it isn't rescuing you from the terror, boringness, and stress.

        I'm a year ahead of my 5^th grade at school in math. So the boringness doubled in the test. The questions we

2014-03-29

【Aiden in English】

        I wasn't so excited when Dad said we were going to a Spring party because it was 100% girls. As soon as I arrived, the only boy was a 7-month-old baby, and four girls aged 6 to 15. All we could do was shuffle Math24, Bowl, and Kemp cards.

        After a light dinner, I went back to messing with the cards. Later, the excellent news came when the hosts mentioned a Wii downstairs. Until then, the other girl about my a

2014-03-27

【Aiden in English】

                    There once was a boy named Rick

              Who couldn't think of a Limerick

               And when he showed the teacher

               What he wrote about preachers

2014-03-24

【Aiden in English】

        March Madness is probably one of the craziest times of the year. The colleges are busy playing games in NCAA basketball, while the NBA professional teams are fully engaged in drafting players. In the meantime, the N-Penn is bustling with its own March Madness of the 5th graders only among 13 elementary schools in the district.

        I was unexpectedly chosen as one of the eleven Montgomery (MO) team representatives fr

2014-03-20

【Aiden in English】

        I looked in my backpack to see what I had. My family and I went on a cruise to Bermuda. On the first day, a massive storm hit the ship. There was thunder and lightning, and apparently, a lot of lightning struck our ship's hull. I was on the last lifeboat and the only passenger since I'd been exploring the ship. I ended up on the island with no food or water, a flashlight, and a knife I got from the camp. It will have to do.

2014-03-14

【Aiden in English】

        My first time watching a professional basketball game wasn't the best at the Wells Fargo Center in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. Even though we had the club seats, the Philly 76ers got crushed by the Indiana Pacers, which I wasn't too thrilled about as a home team fan.

        Getting to the game was a huge challenge. Dad drove past the exit on the highway and across Delaware by accident. Plus, when we

2014-03-13

【Aiden in English】

        Boys and girls can play soccer together. I think that is true. If some girls don't, they can't prove their skills.

        Girls can show their true potential with both boys and girls on the same team. I agree that boys, on average, are better than girls, but that doesn't mean a girl can't be better than all the boys. It gives girls a challenge that, if they achieve it, will significantly

2014-02-14 Lantern Festival

【Aiden in English·The Most Admired Person】

        Thomas Jefferson was a great man. He accomplished many feats that we couldn't even hope to achieve. Unlike other great people, Thomas was famous for many things, so I admire him.

        Thomas Jefferson was a superb inventor. He loved inventing and was a genius. He designed and changed many products, for example, the dumbwaiter, moldboard, wheel cipher, and spherical su

2014-11-23

        宾州光华中文学校首届“光华好诗词竞赛”经过初赛、复赛、和决赛激烈较量，终于于本周末拉下帷幕，来自全校各年级包括父母亲友在内的卅多人竞相参加了这次100首唐诗宋词吟诵活动。

        根据年龄大小，光华好诗词竞赛分为三组:儿童组（五～十岁）、少年组（十一岁以上）以及成人组，题目分为抽签背诗、看图吟诗、填空组诗、选择填诗、抢答咏诗等多种类型。

        年龄最小的苏恩雅仅有五岁

2014-02-04

【Aiden in English】

        Lab Rats is the best show on Disney XD. I watch it every chance I get, and I won't allow it to be taken away. 

        I'm not the only person that likes Lab Rats. Who doesn't want a comedy about teen superheroes saving the day when they've been locked up in a lab for their whole life? It's hilarious how they deal with the social world when the world they

2014-02-02 农历初三

        笑盈辞旧岁，喜庆迎新春。

        本周星期日农历初三，宾州光华中文学校隆重举办了一场别开生面、具有中国传统风格的马年春节联欢会。整台节目全部由本校学生家长集体参与策划，融合了歌曲、舞蹈、小品、戏曲等艺术形式，并采用大型投影背景组合，通过音像、图片、道具等再现手法，热情颂扬了全校师生过去一年中所取得的巨大进步，进而讴歌海外华人奋发向上的精神风貌。

        大型歌舞《恭喜发财过大年》首先为联欢会拉