So a few weeks ago in sociology we were talking about nature vs. nurture, and at first I thought it was pretty much half and half, but now I'm thinking otherwise....based on the movies we watched and the things we talked about, I really think it's a combination of the both but mostly nurture. A girl named Genie was abused by her father as a child and was locked in her room until about age 11. When she came out she didn't have any social abilities and resorted to doing things in almost an animal-like manner. Sure that's only one example, but that's so obvious right there!

On a much much smaller scale, I've had the chicken pox since thursday and have been held captive in my house. No going places. No seeing anyone. Basically no life. Usually only one of my parents has been home at a time over the past 5 days, so needless to say, I haven't been socializing very much besides a few phone calls. When one of my friends came over who had already had the chicken pox, she dropped off a movie but then we ended up talking for 20 minutes after and it put me in such a good mood just to talk to someone! It felt really weird, though, even though I had only been stuck at home for about 5 days so far! I think that also supports the nurture side of the nature vs. nurture debate- it shows how big of an impact people have on our lives and how much we need relationships to get by :)

This is a Game that Never Ends...

Ok so maybe I'm just not the destroying the world type, but I don't see the point of the game Risk. My dad and my brother have been at it for the past three days, and it's getting a bit old...ok REALLY old! I understand that it's just a game, but at the same time, it's a tedious game where you try to dominate the world. What happened to the idea of world peace? Now we play a game where a single person dominates everyone? ...seems kinda pointless and contradictory to me. Call me crazy, but I wanna see my brother and dad come out of the basement soon...and preferably before one of them rules over the entire world!

The Most Magical Place on Earth

A few weeks ago, I traveled to Disney World in Orlando, Florida with 2 of the GBN choirs. I had a blast, and the 5 days we were there were jam-packed with a bunch of activities ranging from going to a Disney lou-au to dining on the third floor of Planet Hollywood. During the day we had free time to go to any park we wanted, and at night we usually had an activity with the entire group. On the Sunday we were there, we even got to go to Sea World where I touched my first dolphin :) That was an experience I'll never forget, and it all happened in Orlando! The group of girls I walked around with made it to all the parks in Disney including Epcot, Animal Kingdom, MGM, and finally Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom is, by far, the most magical of all the parks! Even just walking through the gates into the long streets of Disney makes you feel like you've entered into a whole new world where sadness is impossible. I was blown away by the intricate detail in every single building and table and ride at Disney. So much work goes into making it the happiest and most magical place on earth, and it definitely pays off. In the entire 5 days I was there, I only saw one child crying! And keep in mind, there are A LOT of kids at Disney! I had such a fun time there, and I'll never forget all the magic that was showered upon me when I first stepped into the happiest place on earth! :D

What to do Over Winter Break...

So the bell rings and we all rush out of school the minute it's over on the last day before winter break. Sure we're all super excited to get out, but for the people who are staying home over break, there's really no rush. I know for me, I had a bunch of plans for the first week of break, but by the second week I was sitting at home on the couch with nothing to do. But then it hit me- why not go listen to my favorite stand-up comedian, Demetri Martin? I can guarantee that in one of his 10 minute YouTube videos you will laugh at least once. He even brought a little life into one of our family parties! My mom and dad were trying to entertain a couple at our house who seemed as if we were the most boring dinner party people they had been with in their entire lives. My mom signaled to me across the table to go upstairs to get my iPod and speakers and she later told me to put some Demetri Martin on. In a matter of minutes, our guests were laughing histarically, with tears streaming out of their eyes they were laughing so hard! Obvously our idea to pump up the party was a success. So weather you're home alone with nothing to do or trying to entertain dull dinner party guests, Demetri will bring a giggle or two to you :)