While in New Zealand, we decided to explore the geysers- hot springs that erupt due to the pressure of gases below. We explored both the geysers at Rotorua and at Taupo and they were both magnificent!
First, at Rotorua, we visited Te Puia, which also housed the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute and a Kiwi Conservatory. We started off by getting to see the bubbling mud, which is known for having medicinal properties. After that, we headed to the Kiwi Conservatory. The conservatory was kept dark and quiet, as kiwis are sensitive to light and noise. We weren’t allowed to take photos, but it was definitely a unique experience, as kiwis only live in New Zealand. Then, we saw the geysers, the main one being the Pōhutu geyser. Finally, we concluded with a performance of the traditional Māori war dance, which was really cool to see!
After this, we went to Lake Taupo. The lake is unique as the whole area was formed by a series of explosions. The explosions formed a crater, which was filled by water, forming the lake. The lake itself is quite large, roughly the same size as Singapore. We took a floatplane, a small plane that takes off and lands in water, from this lake to another geyser- the Orakei Korako Cave & Geothermal Park. The park was lush, full of tropical foliage, and geysers ranging from big to small. It was a great experience!
While in New Zealand, one of the places we went to was the Waitomo and Ruakuri Caves- caves famous for their glow worms.
The glow worms are the larvae of fungus gnats and them glowing is how they signal when they’re hungry. The light attracts smaller insects like moths and flies and as they fly closer, they’re caught in the glowworms’ sticky threads and eaten. Eventually, the glowworms form pupa and turn into the fungus gnats. However, these gnats are born without a mouth and a digestive system, clearly not born to survive. They live for around a week or two.
The first cave we visited was the most famous- the Waitomo cave. In these caves, we explored the vast caverns and got to go on a boat ride to view the glowworms from all angles. They didn’t allow pictures, but the experience was legendary and will always be a part of me.
Secondly, we visited the Ruakuri cave, where we were able to take pictures! Other than the glowworms, the cave also had a ton of gorgeous stalagmites and stalagtites, as well as fossils from years past!
This year, for winter break, I traveled to New Zealand. It’s a beautiful country, full of rolling hills and gorgeous forests. One of my favorite parts of this trip has been getting to visit “Hobbiton”, the set of the beginning and end of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies.
Firstly, you arrive at “The Shire”, a small area with a cafe and gift shop, where you wait to board a bus that’ll take you to the main attraction. Onboard this bus, a short clip is played, explaining the history of the location and its significance. Hobbiton is actually part of the Alexander farms, a family farm that was chosen because of one specific tree, their lake, and the overall quaint vibe of it. After the initial filming of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the director had agreed to dismantle the entire set. 12 years later, however, when plans for the Hobbit movie were underway, the Alexander farms agreed to let the buildings stay permanently.
Today, the Alexander farm is still running, so as you drive from the Shire to Hobbiton, you’ll pass sheep and cows idly grazing. Inside the set, however, is a whole new world. Hobbiton is an incredibly idyllic set, where it’s possible to believe that magic is real. Real and carefully cultivated gardens are housed behind fences, bees buzz gaily to their next flower, and miniscule scenes are frozen in time. Each Hobbit house, no matter its size or importance, tells a story- in one house, fish are being roasted next to a fishing rod, clearly a fishmonger’s house. In another, bread and honey are being sold outside, while peeping in through a window, you can see an oven filled with dough, indicating a baker’s house.
While most of the houses were unfurnished, simply left as spaces for the actors or artists to leave supplies, two were fully done, remodeled only last year. The same concept artist of the actual movies was the one hired to plan out the interior, therefore ensuring that the same vibe was carried throughout. The inside of the house was adorable, complete with a scrabble set, crocheted dolls, a “mushroom guide” (of which were poisonous and which were not), and so many more details.
Finally, we were taken to the “Green Dragon Inn”, where we were able to sip ginger beer and relax with the views of Hobbiton (and swans) in the background.
Overall, Hobbiton was such a beautiful and breath-taking experience! I loved exploring the set of such influential movies and I might even be inspired to watch the movies :).
Happy 2025! I thought I’d do a small lookback as a way to sum up my 2024 and start the new year. I hope you enjoy!
January
We started the year with a New Year’s dinner at Verandah, an incredible restaurant. While January was pretty calm, there were some memorable moments- such as meeting one of my middle school friends, going to see our school’s winter play, and getting a new vinyl!
february
The main event of February was my dance school’s Kinkinni (annual recital!) I participated in two dances and gained lots of experiences and memories from each. Additionally this month, I went to watch an Odissi performance and unexpectedly ran into a friend from middle school! Overall, it was an incredibly fun month.
march
March was an incredible month! To begin with, we went to the Rodeo, a Texan classic, where I won a big plush as well as a few smaller ones. Later that month, we went to a farmer’s market, as part of a school project, though I enjoyed the trip a lot. After that, I got to see Beetlejuice: The Musical, which was super fun and entertaining. Last, but certainly not least, we went to Muscat, Oman. It was such an breath-taking experience, as we explored the desert, the ocean, and everything in between.
april
To begin the month, we went to Dallas to see an arangetram, a performance that shows the dancer’s talent and knowledge. This month was also the month of the eclipse, which was very cool! Our school also gave us a day off, so I got to go to a park, which led to a lot of relaxation. Finally, the best part of April was getting to go to a concert- Miku Expo! I had an amazing time there and truly loved the atmosphere.
may
In May, I got to visit Illinois! In Chicago, I toured two colleges- Northwestern and University of Chicago. Additionally, me and my dance group performed once again for our school’s annual recital. We also performed at the temple with an item we learned in a workshop which was another great experience! Finally, I got to see another musical- Newsies.
June
June started with another musical- Hairspray! This was followed by a Mohiniattam recital- one of the few times I’ve performed the dance form. I also got to perform with a live orchestra! After this, I was able to meet a friend from middle school and then I traveled to India for the summer. In India, I watched my aunt’s arangetram which was amazing to watch!
july
In India, I was able to watch a lot of dance performances- these were helpful to see how I can improve my dance, as well as understand more about stage presence and lighting, all which’ll definitely help me in my future. Additionally, we took a small trip to Pondicherry which was a great way to relax.
august
August marked the beginning of my school! I started sophomore year, or 10th grade, this year and faced a new set of teachers and a lot more work! It’s definitely a new experience, but I’m learning a lot and having a good time.
september
September started off with a dance performance for an item we learned within a week! It was incredibly fun to learn and perform, and overall, I think it was a great experience. After that, to celebrate my 15th birthday, I got tickets to a concert from my favorite artist- Mitski. Going to her concert was such a fun experience and I’m so glad I was able to go and see her songs live. After this, we went to another musical- Dear Evan Hansen. Overall, September was a great month with a lot of fun performances and viewings.
october
October was another nice, calm month! Overall, I didn’t do much, but I did get more dance performance opportunities! We also got to see Peter Pan, which, while being a more kiddy musical, was still well-done and enjoyable!
november
In November, for Thanksgiving Break, we went to Madrid, Spain! I gained lots of new experiences and got to witness a totally new culture, which I really enjoyed. I learned a lot and got to see some beautiful places. Additionally, we say Shucked: The Musical, a musical about corn! It was really fun to watch and I thought the sets were really interesting!
December
December started off with getting to see the Texas Winter Lights! A hotel had set up multiple light sculptures, all photo-ready and very pretty! I also went to a claw machine arcade, where I won two plushies- a Pikachu and a Kuromi! Finally, to end the year, we went to New Zealand, which is definitely one of the prettiest places I’ve visited. I loved exploring the Hobbit homes, the geysers, and the glowworm caves. All in all, it was a great experience.
As you can see, my year was action packed and super fun! How was your 2024?
While on our trip to Madrid, we also visited two neighboring cities- Avila and Segovia. Both were gorgeous places and amazing experiences!
Avila is famous for its walls. The city is surrounded by medieval style walls which can be climbed and walked-on. Additionally, it’s known for being the birthplace of St. Theresa. In Avila, we explored the church of St. Theresa, which was opulent and gorgeous, decorated with realistic sculptures and paintings. It was a treat to see the beauty of the church and to get to hear the story of St. Theresa. After visiting the church, we got to see a traditional Avilan home, complete with a courtyard and gorgeous tiled walls. Finally, we went to a church, famous for its walls made out of “blood stone”. Its stained glass work was astonishing and it was beautifully gilded.
After Avila, we drove to Segovia, a city famed for its Roman aqueducts. After viewing these architectural marvels, we also visited their castle, named the Alcazar de Segovia. It was artfully decorated, with stunning ceilings and breathtaking views.
Overall, I really enjoyed my two day trips! They made me love Spain even more.
This year for Thanksgiving Break, we went to Madrid, the capital of Spain. There was so much history and so many gorgeous sights and wonderful architecture there, but most of all, there was a lot of delicious food. Our first day in Spain, we got to experience the city through a food tour, where they took us to original tapas places. I really enjoyed the tour and here are some of my experiences!
Tapas mean “small plates” and are similar to more hearty snacks that vary based on the region in Spain where they’re served. All the places we went to were original, having been in one family for multiple generations- where they’ve perfected a recipe/recipes. We went on the Devour Tour for Madrid.
Firstly, we went to Taberna Real, a restaurant famous for their jamon iberico (Iberian ham) where we also tried olives, almonds, and pan con tomate (bread with tomato). The ham was delicious, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a taste that wasn’t incredibly meaty. The bread was also perfect and overall, I really enjoyed it.
Second, we went to Meson del Champinon, which was known for their stuffed mushrooms. The mushrooms were made with butter, garlic, and chorizo and were delightful. I really enjoyed them, as well as their other popular dishes- tuna + red bell pepper and piquillo peppers.
Finally, we reached La Casa del Abuelo, a place famous for their revolutionary recipe- Gambas al Ajillo or shrimps in garlic. The shrimps were brought to us in bubbling dishes, still being cooked. Once they finished boiling, we dug in with relish, also tasting the sauce with the bread given. It was such a delicious meal and other “gambas al ajillo” that we had didn’t measure up at all.
Overall, I really enjoy Madrid’s food and getting to experience all of it!
I wrote a poem in the style of a pantoum- a poetic form originally from Malaysia. This poem has 6 unique lines, repeated to form 3 stanzas of 4 lines each. I wrote this poem about my summer vacation in India. I hope you enjoy!
A cold time spent in India: Ice cream dripping down chins, Shivers of joy trailing down spines Happiness is a blast of cold
Ice cream dripping down chins, Freezing hours spent in malls, Happiness is a blast of cold Experience life in the chill
Freezing hours spent in malls, Shivers of joy trailing down spines Experience life in the chill, A cold time spent in India
Recently, for Spring Break, I got to go to Oman, in the Middle East. It was a pretty cool trip and I got to experience and see a lot of things that I’m glad I had a chance to!
There was a lot of nature around us, from the Gulf of Oman to the desert. All of it was absolutely gorgeous and amazing to see.
Additionally, we visited many popular and beautiful areas like the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and the Royal Opera House. They were both awe-inspiring!
Lastly, we saw a lot of animals! Overall, there were many cats roaming the streets, especially in the souq. When driving to the desert, we saw many camels, including one that crossed right in front of our car. And lastly, we went on a boat ride to see dolphins and ended up seeing SO many. It was so wonderful!
Overall, I really enjoyed this trip and getting to see so many amazing sights. What’s a great vacation you’ve been on?
Recently, we visited California, and there, we went to Joshua Tree National Park! We got to see some amazing sights and to commemorate, I wrote a poem in the style of a Golden Shovel. A Golden Shovel poem is when the ending word, usually bolded, of each line (when read from top to bottom) forms a line from another poem. In my case, I used a line from the poem, “Joshua Tree” by A.R. Ammons. I hope you enjoy!
as i stood by the trees, the wind whistled by, past the rounding of the rocks, through the gap of the stones and found me standing still there listening to the weeping of too-heavy branches under the magnificence of a true blue sky. there it was, a Joshua tree
Recently, I went on a trip to Israel! Israel is one of the most culturally significant and religiously important countries in the world, as it is known as the birthplace of three religions. I got to explore a lot of amazing places when we went, so here are a few of them!
Carmel Market:
This was an amazing open air market that I was able to visit. There were a lot of food stalls, a lot of souvenir shops, and overall, it was a really nice experience. While we didn’t eat there, we did buy souvenirs and that was super fun!
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem:
While traveling, this wasn’t a major stop in our trip, however the environment of this museum was so nice and calming that I would’ve loved to stay for longer. The museum was really nicely done and I loved the architecture and symbolism of everything.
The Dead Sea:
Another place we got to visit was the Dead Sea! The Dead Sea is known for having a high salinity, which lets you float without any effort! We took some newspapers for props and ended up conducting a little science experiment with a sunhat. It was super fun!
