Climbing the Outdoors

       
         What place do you go to that takes 30 minutes of endless windy roads up a mountain? For me, it's rock climbing. This week, my brother and I took a class to learn how to climb a naturally formed rock outdoors. Unlike the indoor rock climbing venues, the outdoors are full of surprises. We had two instructors who helped us throughout the day and five other companions. To get to the cliff we were going to climb, we had to hike through the woods for a mile and restlessly push through the wilderness.  The hike was full of steep declines and rough pathways. We also made sure to stay away from poison ivy and other surreal looking plants. When we reached to the top, we saw the cliff we were going to climb and how far we were from the ground. The scenery around us was breathtaking and in the far distance, we could see Monterey. There were many trees below us and they were becoming lighter as they became farther away from us. Even the sun was peeking out at us from the stringy clouds. When we sat down to rest, one of our instructors climbed the cliff called Goat Rock and attached the ropes to which we would climb and would keep us from falling if we slipped. There were two spots where we could climb on opposite sides of the rock. In between us was another group of people also climbing. Both paths were exhausting and hard to climb. The foot holds were hard to get to and the face of the rock was mostly flat. Eventually, I got to the top of both of both climbs and successfully came down. I also learned how to tie a knot which saved my life multiple times. At the end of the two brutal climbs, we stopped and had lunch. Next on our adventure was jumping of a cliff. Well, not exactly, but close enough. We hiked to another part of the woods until we came to another place called The Falls. On the way there, we came across a tree which is nicknamed the refrigerator tree. All of us were hugging it because of its cold bark compared to the terrible heat beating down on us. When we got to The Falls, our instructor tied a rope to the poles of the wooden platform and the a tree. Underneath us was a small waterfall, a stream, and a flat rock face with a 80 ft drop. From there, we would slowly let our selves down by giving away the rope slowly, which was tied to us. I was the first one to try it and I have to admit, I was scared to do it at first. Then it became really fun letting myself down. There, the scenery was also gorgeous and the view was incredible. Then, I had to climb back up, but because of the very flat rock, I couldn't go up. So, my instructor had to help me while I used the rope to climb up. We were almost at the end of our day. We were hot, sweaty, dirty, and very tired, but still I felt really good that I accomplished so much. It was a really awesome experience and I would really like to do it again. I also encourage all of you to try it and i'm sure you will like it as much as I did. Though I have to warn you... you may be very sore the next day like I was, but still was totally worth it.

Games of the XXX Olympiad: London 2012 Olympics

       

         Hey everyone! Most of you have heard of the London Summer Olympics coming up and have wondered what events they have, who is competing, and who will win... right? Well so am I. I am really excited about watching the Games and I thought you might want to know a little more about them.
         Originally, the Olympics started in ancient Greece around 776 BCE and was a competition between men from different city-states and was held in honor of Zeus. Today, we replicate these ancient games into what we have now, the Olympics. Although it has been changed throughout history, including the many sports (like chariot racing), some of it is still the same.
         In London, there are 26 sports and about 200 different countries are participating with about 10,500 athletes. In the U.S. alone, there are 530 athletes competing. Their motto is to "Inspire a Generation" and the two mascots are Wenlock and Mandeville. The Opening Ceremony is on July 27 even though there are a few events that take place a day before.
         The Opening Ceremony this year, marks the beginning of the 30th Olympic Games. Even though the real Opening Ceremony schedule might be out there, this is what I think should happen. In the beginning, it would be entertaining if soldiers marched in and did a few stunts. Then maybe a few dancers and actors could somehow act out the British conquest all over the world and the King and Queen could walk in. Although, it would be truly incredible if the cast of Harry Potter flew in and acted out a scene. After all, the books do take place in London.
          During the actual Olympic Games, my favorite sport to watch is gymnastics. As many of you know, I used to do competitive gymnastics and I still really enjoy watching the sport. The many flips, turns, jumps, and twists thrill me. It's an incredible sport to watch. Also, swimming is a delightful sport which can be very tense when swimmers are really close to the finish line and are side-by-side. This year, I think the U.S. has a great team of swimmers and gymnast. The women's gymnastic team has five great gymnasts who all aced the championships. Even with some questionable injuries, both men and women U.S.A. gymnastic teams are strong and determined to win the gold. This year, the U.S. swim team, also has some fierce swimmers. Everyone knows Michael Phelps, the man who has won the most Olympic gold medals in the world. Also on the team are some veterans, like Natalie Coughlin, Brendan Hansen, Matt Grevers, and Ryan Lochte, but there are many newbies as well. Make sure you tune into your t.v. to watch these incredible athletes perform.
           As you can see, the Olympics are a worldwide tournament where the best of each sport in every country compete against each other for the honor to win. Over 4 billion people are expected to watch this spectacular event and hopefully you will be one of them. GO TEAM U.S.A.!!!

~Rajee
         

The Movie: The Amazing Spider-Man

        

           Hey everyone! On Saturday, I watched the new movie, The Amazing Spider-Man, which is based on the Marvel comic hero. This film was directed by Marc Webb and Spider-Man/Peter Parker is portrayed by actor Andrew Garfield. The movie starts off with a young Peter Parker with his family, but when his father's office is broken into, he is taken to his aunt and uncle's house. He still lives with them during his high school years, but Peter wants to learn more about his mother and father and what happened to them. He finds out that a close colleague to his father was a man named Dr. Curt Connors and tries to visit him by acting as an intern. While he is exploring the area, he comes across a lab with thousands of genetically modified spiders and accidentally gets bit. He gets turned into Spider-Man and has the powers of shooting webs and sticking to walls. Peter uses these new powers to try to stop crimes, but eventually gets into trouble. Once, when he was sent to the principals office for destroying a basketball backboard, his Uncle Ben has to change work shifts and Peter is ordered to pick up his Aunt May. Peter forgets and later storms off when he receives a scolding from his uncle. His uncle follows him but then accidentally gets shot by  a robber with a gun and dies in Peter's arms. Meanwhile, Dr. Connors uses the drug formula on himself to recreate his arm. The formula, which had lizard DNA in it turns Connors into a full grown human-lizard. Connors uses the drug on himself many more times and thinks the drug was the solution to human problems. He plans to turn everyone in the city into lizards, but Spider-man tries to stop him. If you want to watch the whole thrilling tale, you should definitely watch the movie. The film was very well made and the animation parts fit well into the parts. All the climbing, webs, and fighting was very realistic and the actors played their parts well. Even the human-lizard somehow made the film come alive. The set the actors acted on was well made and especially the  sewer scene. I really liked how Spider-Man shot the webs into each hole and how the web bounced every time something moved on it. It was a well created scene and it was used scientifically. The storyline also fit together well and detailedly described the important scenes. In the end, there weren't many questions that I thought should have been answered besides "What happens next?", the usual one (there is a sequel). Also, this film was rated PG-13, but I think younger kids can also watch this movie. The little fighting they have towards the end is not at all gory or brutal. There is a little blood and killing but it isn't gruesome. Over all, this movie is great and I strongly recommend it to all. 

-Rajee