Category: Review

The Mint Girl’s Thoughts on Quarantine Rules

Lately, like most of the kids around the world, I’ve been having online lessons instead of going to my school. We created some online essential agreements and I started thinking about some of my previous in-person classroom rules and how they have changed. Last week, our teacher assigned us a few questions about the new situation we are in. I decided to share them here.

What are some rules that you think are important for us to follow as members of the community?

This one required some careful thinking, but I came up with a few rules that I hope everyone follows. 1. Take care of others and realize how your actions could affect them.
2. Think about how we can help or hurt others before we do something.
3. Realize that some people have different rules or different strengths/ weaknesses.
4. Have fun together no matter where you are in life and what’s happening around you.
5. Be kind to yourself and to others.

Do you view rules positively or negatively?

I view rules positively, but they can make me feel negative sometimes. I think rules are good, but sometimes they can feel annoying. For example, I’m not a fan of the social distancing/lockdown rules, but I know that they are being kept to protect us and keep us safe during the quarantine. Most rules are made to keep us safe or keep us in order. These rules might feel constricting, but they are made for our own good.

What is a rule that is hard for you to follow?

A rule that is hard for me to follow is going to bed on time. I always want to keep reading, or drawing, or playing instead of going to sleep. I don’t like sleeping and it takes me a while to go to sleep, so I usually lie in my bed until I drift off. This time for me is very boring.

Compare and Contrast rules at home to rules at school.

At school, I find it much easier to focus and pay attention, but through online learning, many people are talking, there’s background noise, and people could be texting you. It’s much harder to focus and that is very annoying if you’re trying to work on a project or an assignment.

What are the rules of Social Distancing and how have they affected you personally?

Since we have to be 6 feet away from each other, I miss hanging out and playing with my friends. I can text them, but it just doesn’t feel the same. One good thing about this situation is the online learning. I think it’s fun and I like being able to stay at home without driving too far for some of my classes. I also like having Lunch Bunch and hanging out with my teacher and my friends.

Rules can be good or bad, but they’re there for a reason. As community members, it is our duty to follow them as much as possible. What are some of your quarantine rules?

Mint Girl Reads A Galaxy Of Sea Stars

A Galaxy of Sea Stars is a middle grade book written by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo. It tells the story of 11-year old Izzy who is having friendship troubles.

Her dad is back from the war in Afghanistan, but he’s changed. Her mom is working at their aunt’s bakery in Block Island for the summer. But just summer turns into a longer time and Izzy starts to feel annoyed. Then Sitara and her family joins and Izzy starts to feel more left out by her dad. Quickly, though, Sitara and Izzy become friends. At school, Izzy has way more problems, like how will she go on her school’s news? and why is Zelda acting so mean to Sitara.

Slowly, Izzy begins to understand the meaning of friendship and loyalty and being yourself.

Mint Girl Reads Stories For South Asian Super Girls by Raj Kaur Khaira

I have recently read Stories For South Asian Super Girls by Raj Kaur Khaira. This is a book where you learn about many south Asian wonder women in today’s world. This is a nonfiction book about strong Asian women from Jhansi Ki Rani (amazing warrior queen) to Hannah Simone ( an actor). This book is chock-full of interesting facts and it has the best illustrations.I love this book.

This book tells you about all the amazing things women can do. They fight for their rights and can become role-models. This book earns a big thumbs-up from me.

International Women’s Day is a day where we celebrate all the strong women in the world and think about how women have come a long way from where we begun.It’s a day where we remember how far we have to go and think about achieving our goal.Happy Woman’s Day! 😁

Mint Girl Goes Ziplining

When I went on my vacation to Langkawi, I was pretty surprised that our hotel was in the midst of a forest. The landscape there was very pretty and the animals galore.We saw so many trees and the water on the beach was very clear. The hotel atmosphere was very calming and the staff was very nice. We took some tours that let us see some of the best and most interesting creatures. One of my favorite parts of the trip was spotting a colugo and the other was ziplining.

I had been wanting to zipline for a long time but I was quite nervous. At Umgawa, I didn’t have to worry. The instructors there were very nice and walked us through the guidelines. We walked for some time and came to our first line. It was a practice line and I was nervous, but ready. When I flew through the air, I leaned back and relaxed. I felt so free flying through the forest.

The scenery was beautiful and I loved every second of it.Nothing could beat seeing the Andaman Sea or a waterfall on your side while flying through the forest. I spotted a whole family of dusky leaf monkeys leaping through the trees. A few of them had babies and they all played with each other. I found this to be a super cute scene. We also saw tons of butterflies flitting around the trees. My favorite animal of the day, though, was the hawk we saw. We saw it two times. Once when we were walking on one of the rope bridges and before we abseiled(went down).

I definitely recommend Umgawa to any family looking for adventures, wildlife(pictures), and tons of fun.

Mint Girl Reads Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly

I recently read Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly and illustrated by Lian Cho. It was a book that has been high on my reading list for days. The cover is beautiful as it shows Lalani sitting in her small rowboat while the title, written in gold, is embedded on a tree. This clearly shows Lalani’s journey and the expression on her face shows her troubles.

This is one of my favorite books because of the genre. It’s a fiction/fantasy book. I love reading about magic and how it is used. Each story has its own use of magic in a different world and Lalani of the Distant Sea was no different. This was a lively story about a ghost,unique creatures,and humans who are very different than how we are today.

Lalani of the Distant Sea teaches us about hope, greed, selfishness, and love along with many other virtues. The amazing thing about this book is how Erin Entrada Kelly weaves so many different lessons, perspectives, and characteristics into one book. Lalani of the Distant Sea is truly a miracle book.

Mint Girl Goes to Carrabba’s

When you walk into Carrabba’s, the first thing that hits you is the smell and the bustle of people. Carrabba’s is an Italian restaurant in Upper Kirby in Houston. This restaurant is a bustling place with many people, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable.

The service at Carrabba’s is very nice. We were seated almost immediately and a waiter was with us soon. Our waiter was very attentive and full of suggestions. Out of all suggestions, I enjoyed the dessert the most. We ordered the seasonal special; the Italian Sundae. The sundae had a vanilla ice cream base. Topping the ice cream was a drizzle of strawberry balsamic vinegar glaze and crumbled almond biscotti . It was absolutely delicious.

We ate family style; sharing everything from everyone’s plate. We got the Minestrone soup, Mamma Mandola’s Sicilian Chicken, Mushroom Ravioli, Stuffed Shrimp Mandola, and my favorite classic…..Margarita Pizza!

Every thing we ate tasted amazing. I don’t think you can go wrong at Carrabba’s.

Mint Girl Reads: Shine! by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

One of the best books I’ve read this year is Shine! by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein. Shine! tells the story of a young girl named Piper Milly who is a new student at Chumley Prep, an fancy middle school. She makes fast friends with 3 of her classmates and learns from them. Then a mysterious source announces an award called the Excelsior Award. Piper feels that winning the award will help her fit in. Throughout this story, Piper learns about the importance of friends and that who you are is defined on the inside.

Shine is one of those books that makes you feel good about yourself. J.J. and Chris Grabenstein put a lot of detail into Shine! and I feel like I know a lot about Piper and who she is. The lesson here is to be yourself no matter what happens. The book also talks about how acadamics are important but they aren’t everything.

Mint Girl Reads: Count me In By Varsha Bajaj

Count Me In is a middle grade fiction book written by Varsa Bajaj.

The protagonists in this book are 12 year old Karina and Chris who live in Houston, Texas. They’re neighbors but they don’t know each other well until Karina’s grandfather gets attacked and things start spiraling out of control. What follows is that Chris, Karina, and their friends find the true meaning of belonging in America today.

This realistic fiction book is very relevant in today’s world, as kids like me figure out where we belong in present day America. I found this book very moving and emotional. I live in a community that is welcoming and accepting and I am shocked at how people can act. I knew hate crimes existed,  but I never gave it much thought until I read this book. I was shocked at how Karina’s grandfather was treated and how cruel people can be.

If you enjoy diverse reads and middle grade fiction then you’ll definitely enjoy this book.

Mint Girl Goes to We’re Dough

We’re Dough is a popular Lebanese bakery in Houston, Texas.

As you enter the shop, the smell of sesame seeds hit you. The large neon light spelling out” How You Doughin’?”make this place a popular destination for Instagram and Social Media fans. The beautiful lights and the dark velvet chairs call your name and invite you to take a seat and linger around for long conversations.

The appetizing Shakshousa eggs were mouth-watering! The spices  came through well and I found myself wanting more.These eggs were  good on their own, but when they were with the pita bread and the juicy cucumber my mouth exploded with flavors. These are not the traditional poached eggs but they make a great weekend brunch item.

The delicious, crispy Nutella Kaak makes a great desert. The savory sesame seeds and the sweet nutella inside the bread work together perfectly. An unlikely duo, they are one of the best pairs of food I have ever tasted.

We’re Dough was a little bit crowded on the Saturday morning I went there and the service was a bit slow, but that won’t stop me from going there regularly.

We’re Dough is one of the reasons I love living in Houston. With so many diverse restaurants, I’m in a different continent for every meal.

Mint Girl in Austin

A few weekends back, my family and I decided to head to Austin.We would be meeting my uncle and aunt there to spend some time together.I always enjoy spending time with my uncle and aunt(my uncle promised to take me to the Apple Store-I can spend hours there!)

If you want to go to a place with delicious food and a great outdoor space, go to Loro .The food is really good and the swings are really fun to play on. My favorites were the Crunchy Sweet Corn Fritters and the Chicken Karaage. We also stopped at an old time favorite-Cafe Mozart.

After we went to Cafe Mozart, we headed out to rent our own boat on Lake Travis. It was fun to ride the waves with my family. I was really scared as the front of the boat jumped up and down.The waves stung my hand and I pulled it back instantly. The wind whipped my hair into my face and I started to laugh. When I finally worked up the courage to jump of the boat, I took a deep breath, got ready to plunge into the cold water and jumped! I shivered at how cold it was, but I had a smile on my face when I emerged from the murky depths of the water.

My main purpose of the visit, though, was to visit the Lyndon Baines Johnson(LBJ) Presidential Library. I enjoy learning about the president’s life, what problems they had, and how they tried to solve them. They also help me believe that anything is possible.

So what are your favorite places to go to in Austin?