It's still stuck in my head... (the song from the last post) hmm at least its not some annoying song because that would drive me insane. I've been writing some new songs completely inspired by this wonderful fall weather as well as inspired my own experiences. Just a walk around school can inspire me to write a verse of a new song. I have been tempted to bring my ukulele to school, but I haven't because I'd be way too distracted to focus in my classes. In fact, my friends use to give me a time limit with playing guitar because once I start playing I can't stop. It's addicting.
I was able to visit my sister in Camarillo on Friday. My mom and I took the train there, it was our first time. It was such a soothing ride and the scenery was unbelievable (Picture on the left). We are all seriously blessed to live in such a beautiful coast. I was doing some of my American Literature homework and then an hour later we were there. My sister picked us up and we spent all day in Camarillo shopping for my dad's birthday presents.
It was a nice little day trip, but its making me crave a big adventure for winter break; Maybe, up north to San Francisco or Berkeley, to visit some friends.
This weekend in Santa Barbara was the Harbor and Seafood Festival! It was literally across the street from school. This event is where the whole community gathers to enjoy delicious sea food and embrace our Santa Barbara culture. Apparently, my first time going to this festival was when I was five years old, but I honestly don't have a slight memory of it. (My sister, my dog, and I on the left) Fortunately, I went this year with my family and we walked around looking at the different booths. Many were selling clothing, there was face painting for the children, booths informing us of keeping our environment clean, and most of them were food booths.
I saw two familiar ones though, one happened to be the SBCC Culinary Arts program(http://www.sbcc.edu/careercenter/cte_pages/culinary_hotel_cte.php) and the other was the SBCC Marine Diving Technologies Program (http://www.sbcc.edu/marinediving/) . I actually went up to the diving program and asked them personally for a picture of their table, as seen on the left. So if any you are interested in diving or cooking I recommend you to join these programs.
While I was at the festival I saw Wayne Scoles, one of the candidates for major of Santa Barbara. I had just received my ballot earlier this week, so my sister and I approached him and asked him several questions about what he would improve about our city. It was great talking to him in person rather than reading the Voter Information Pamphlet. This goes for everyone election day is next month, so I encourage you to be informed with what's going on in your local city council. I still have a long way to go to make set decisions on who and what I'd be voting for this year.
Midterms are coming up... enough said. I hope everyone has a fabulous week! If your just tuning in to my blog, you have made the best mistake of your life! :)
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KIKI REYES
P.S Over the weekend someone asked me what my major was and I said it was English and they told me "That's boring." I laughed and thought little do they know how exciting the world of literature is.
I confess I'm still trying to adjust to this heavy schedule and hectic workload. Its insane how people manage to take 18 units and work two jobs, when I over here with only 13 units and one job (Picture on the left: my dog visiting me at work I'm holding up a Steve Morris Defensive Driving School Card). Seriously, those people are gifted. I feel like my two years of community college are equivalent to two extra years of my high school senior year, specifically the excitement of events going on, but as well as the difficult courses I am enrolled in. I am not the person to give up and receive a bad grade on anything, so if a professor ever disagrees with my work I get really upset. Some people just let it go, but I take it to heart. I am a perfectionist I want people to like my work, so it gets a bit frustrating. Sometimes I have to remind myself to take it one step at a time and that everything is going to work out fine. And eventually it does.
So I stay positive for myself and for others; I mean I basically go to school on a beach! Don't people go to beaches to relax? SBCC is probably the most relaxing community college a person could go to right? Honestly, I love school the classes are so interesting that I don't find a single subject boring, I meet a new person every day, but the only thing is that it gets challenging very quickly. I'm sure everyone can relate to this. (This is literally the beach across from SBCC, and those two dots are my friends, Leah and Billy swimming).
Something I found interesting this week was a book I read in my American Literature class, The Coquette by Hannah Foster (On the Right picture of the novel).I know books and American Literature typical English Major haha. I liked this book so much I am trying to incorporate it into my short story for Creative Writing. I'm handling two subjects at once by one, studying for my midterm and two, writing my short story. Its genius, its like that idiomatic expression, "killing two birds with a stone"! Come to think of it, why did they associate the idea of completing two tasks at the same time to killing birds? That's kind of strange when you think about it. So basically the story is about a woman named Eliza Wharton, who in the beginning of the story looses her fiancé which results to her moving in with friends. Eliza writes to her best friend Lucy about her stay at the Richman's house and for advice on two admirers that begin fighting for her love. You could relate this conflict to many novels nowadays, but this is in my opinion, where that conflict originated. You have to read the rest to find out what happens.
I'll give you a preview of my short story:
History Repeats Itself
by: Kiki Reyes
I.It was a stupid research paper our history professor assigned us that made me come back home to Hartford, Connecticut. I hadn't been home in almost a year and now I had to faced about hundred miles of driving, an estimated hour and half. Of course it started raining during my morning drive that's something I always despised about going home, but this time looking above at the uninviting dull skies and the curious empty roads made me feel more uneasy than usual. At that moment I decided to shift my thoughts into focusing on the paper. The assignment was to get a better sense of our ancestors and when they migrated to the Americas. I began to think about the stories my grandparents would tell my younger brother, Daniel and I. They briefly mentioned the Hartford Circus Fire in the 1940s, apparently they were late to the circus that day. I remembered my grandma got teary so we had to change the subject. Even though we were on a different topic, I could see her grey eyes staring blanking, possibly re-following the flames annexing the circus tent echoing of swallowed tragic screams. It had nothing to do with my family's history at all, but that was the only story I could remember.
I hope you like it so far, its very suspenseful.
-KIKI REYES
So I've been trying so hard not to procrastinate. I have a bunch of reading due on tomorrow and it seemed kind of impossible to have it all done by then- its about 100 pages of reading I need to get done from different subjects (Creative Writing, American Lit, History 101, Sociology). Its a challenge I was willing to accept, and I managed to get half of that reading done. I also have an essay due by 9pm tomorrow morning, lucky I finished it earlier today (my Essay on the right... its a draft). I guess moving away from procrastination really makes you less stress. ...C'est La Vie!
With my extra time, I was able to go on a walk and a run every evening this week. Its so relaxing. Especially with the fall weather is present now, not to hot not to cold, its perfection. I could feel the cold air brush gently through my skin like a whispers being told cautiously in ones ear. That's my poetic description of how amazing it was. I take my dog for a nice run at my old Jr.High and later in the evening I walk to the grocery store, than I get back to homework.
(On a Walk at my Jr High W/ Cookie on Left and a sunset on the right)
Also good music= good run. My running play consists of a lot of alternative/Indie music such as:
1. "Reptilia" - The Strokes
2. "Perfect"- Flyleaf
3. "A Certain Romance"- Arctic Monkeys
4. "Radioactive" Imagine Dragons
5. "Stay the Night (feat. Hayley Williams of Paramore)" - Zedd
6. "Something Good Can Work"- Two Door Cinema Club
7. "Supersoaker"- Kings of Leon
Anyways my songwriting is taking off again. It seems to be during fall when I write my favorite songs. I recently wrote a song called "Still and Always," I was inspired about past events that occurred and as well as my friend's experiences. The best thing about writing a song is that it doesn't always have to be about a person, it could be a general thing or something that should of occurred. It can be pure imagination. Here is my song your interested in listening: https://soundcloud.com/kikisrey/still-and-always-original-kiki
those of you who aren't maybe my running playlist will interest you. :)
Monday is the start of a new week hopefully I wont embarrass myself too much tomorrow.
-KIKI REYES
This semester's work load its pretty challenging. I think its mainly because of all the reading from my two English courses, but it is something I am enjoying. And coincidentally the historical period in my American Literature class is basically what I'm learning in my online History class. I didn't do that purposely, it just happened.
I've noticed the weather is finally cooling down because I happened to be shivering under the shade today, while I was sitting down on the West Campus' Café. It was a great day for people watching, and according to my Creative Writing textbook "...good fiction writers are usually good people watchers" (Starkey 118). I didn't really mind sitting alone. I mean I was accompanied by friends, that I met today, before they went to class. I was reading from my History book, but at the same time trying to become aware of my surroundings to see if I can get inspired for a song or story or anything really. Its awesome to say that you can basically see the beach anywhere your sitting. I could see many people sitting on the grass reading, eating, and napping. Its weird to think that you won't be able to meet everyone on this campus.
(Left: My American Literature book)
That's one of my goals, to just randomly jump into conversations with strangers at school. For example today I had to stop at a table by the IDC building, next to the library, to fix my pants. I folded them so they were capris, but awkwardly while I was walking one was lop-sided. There was a guy listening to his iPod and doing his homework. I went to the table next to him and he watched me, I told him "I'm just fixing my pants." He took one earphone out of his ear and he laughed. I fixed my problem and said "Have a nice day!" The other day I sat next to random people at a table for about an hour and after I found out their names and their majors.
Another one of my goal is to do well this semester, as cliché as that sounds. Another, Another goal I have is to stop using clichés, especially since I'm going to be a writer.
(Picture toward the right was taken this morning, while I was getting dropped off at school. That's Cookie, my dragon)
-KIKI REYES
