Graduation Trip: A Roller Coaster Ride

By Katelyn Chen

The destination of the 2015 IBSH 6th grade graduation trip was Nantou, and the students weren’t really looking forward to it. The trip had a rough start, with the tour guides screaming at us to keep quiet. We thought that the whole trip would be filled with adults giving strict rules. However, the trip was much better than we expected. Consequently, we had tons of fun.

When we got on the bus, we took out our phones and iPads expecting the tour guide to start playing a boring movie. Suddenly, Banana, the tour guide, started talking and playing games with us. We had to list cartoons, characters, things that are round, and many others. Those games distracted us from our electronics, and everyone enjoyed it.

We drove for about three hours to our first destination, the Grove Experience Factory. There was a tour guide that introduced us to the trains and surroundings, then brought us to the DIY place. We made a wooden stool, but it wasn’t as good as we expected. We only got to glue, screw and hammer things that were previously prepared, and draw with a frame they provided.

After leaving the Grove Experience Factory, we went to eat lunch at this big restaurant. Eight classes came to the graduation trip (including the Chinese side), so there was a lot of people in the restaurant. While we were eating it was very noisy, and the tour guides were very strict and we were not allowed to speak AT ALL while eating.

When we finally finished eating lunch, we were already one hour behind schedule. We walked to the Chelungpu Fault Preservation Park, and began a tour of the museum. A movie was played and we got to see real faults. It would have all been very interesting if we haven’t already went there during fourth grade field trip.

At last, we went to the hotel. Six people shared a room, but it wasn’t as bad as we thought. There were four beds, so some people could sleep by themselves. The beds were on the floor, and instead of being upset about that, we all got super excited and started jumping up and down on the bed. Then, it was dinner time.

Dinner was the same situation as lunch, but after the dinner, there was going to be a party. We thought it would be a lame, boring party, but it turned out to be a BONFIRE! We sang songs and held competitions, and two hours just seemed to fly by. In the end, the MC called some people up, and the air was deadly silent. Everyone was afraid they would get in trouble, and some people cried. The MC started talking about the things they did, and we thought the party would end on a sour note. Suddenly, the MC shouted HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Everyone sighed in relief. Overall, the party was the best part of the trip.

Bonfire at the hotel

The next day, we went to the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village. We went on the cable car, and though it was exciting at first, we soon got frustrated because it took up two hours of our time. After the cable car, we separated into groups and started playing. Alice, Winnie, Reiko, and I went on the Mayan Adventure, a roller coaster that turns 360º. After that, we went on the UFO, a ride that falls from a 28 story drop. Then we went to the indoor facilities and played Space Mountain, the Pirate Ship, Carousel, and others. When it was finally time to leave, it was pouring outside. There was a dude passing out raincoats, so I quickly grabbed one from him and went. We got back onto the bus and drove back to school.

Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village

Even though the graduation trip had lots of negative parts, the trip was still very fun, and we are all looking forward to the ninth grade graduation trip! 😀

Hi- Five: My Favorite Book

STOP THE BRAIN-WASHING!

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

By Katelyn Chen

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart is a 512-page fiction, intended for children ages eight and up. When the book was first published on January 1st, 2007, it was immediately popular. This book is about four extraordinary children; Reynie Muldoon, Kate Wetherall, Constance Contraire, and Sticky Washington. They created a group named “The Mysterious Benedict Society,” and tries to stop Mr. Curtain from secretly brain-washing the whole world.

Trenton Lee Stewart

The cover is attractive, using the color yellow. Also, the illustrations are creative, and pulls the reader in. The font is cool, and the author puts the title in a banner. I like books with creative illustrations, covers, and fonts.

The descriptions are very detailed, and gives us a clear idea of what the author is trying to say. For example, the author describes Mr. Benedict and Mr. Curtain’s nose as a cucumber, so that the readers will imagine the noses big, long, and fat.

The author has a lot of imagination, and creates fun and interesting personalities for each of the characters. The names are also very creative, such as George/Sticky Washington. Kate Wetherall’s characteristics are also very creative, saying that she always brings a bucket full of things with her wherever she goes.

The characters- Kate Wetherall, Reynie Muldoon, Sticky Washington, Constance Contraire

“You must remember, family is often born of blood, but it doesn’t depend on blood. Nor is it exclusive of friendship. Family members can be your best friends, you know. And best friends, whether or not they are related to you, can be your family.” This book tells us about the importance of family and friends. Without each other, the character wouldn’t have succeeded in saving the world.

The plot is fun, interesting, and intriguing, making the reader unable to put the book down. While the ending is probably quite expected, there are some unexpected twists in the middle of the book. The book is creative, cool, and captivating.

Lifelong Companions; Phones of 2014

By LiT

A year had passed and many things had gone past. Take phones for an instance. Phones are an essential part of modern people’s life. The impact phones make on our current life is almost too obvious. But some phones are more likable than others. In this article, you find lists of the most favored phones in 2014.

Some of the most popular phones are the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Note 4, and Motorola Moto G. Both had appeared on the Best Phone List for CNET and Pocket-Lint. The Nokia Lumia phones and the Sony Xperia also seemed to be pretty popular. Both had appeared many times on the Pocket-Lint list.

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus had came out September in 2014, and had quickly won over many fans. People compliment it on it sleek smoothness and the quality for its photos. It has larger screens and faster processors. And faster WiFi was probably the best part.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 was known for its camera, battery life, display, design, reception, and call quality. Another enjoyed feature is the S pen. It’s like a pen or pencil, but you use it to select things on the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. It also allows you to write with you own handwriting easily on it. In fact, according to many people, the S pen is their favorite thing about the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

Despite being released in November 2013, it was one of the favorite phones in 2014. Despite not being the best of best, it still was good enough to win over many people. It’s display and software were pretty satisfactory and the camera and battery life were acceptable. But its most outstanding part was its low, low price. Only $180. And with a price like that, you don’t need to be the best to still be on the list of the most favored phones!

2014 had offered us many new companions to consider. I wonder what 2015 will offer?

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

iPhone 6

Movie Review: Penguins of Madagascar

Penguins of Madagascar

By: Candace

Have you ever seen the movie Madagascar? If you have, then consider watching Penguins of Madagascar!

If you have seen Madagascar, then you’ve seen the four penguins – Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private. In Penguins of Madagascar, the four penguins go on a mission – to save our world from Dr. Octavius Brine, a villain.

Penguins of Madagascar is directed by J. P. Simon and Simon Smith. It is written by Alan Schoolcraft, Michael Colton, Brandon Sawyer, Brent Simons, and John Aboud. It is rated PG and the genre is animation. The running time is 1 hour and 32 minutes. Some of the cast include Tom McGrath as Skipper, Benedict Cumberbatch as Agent Classified, John Malkovich as Dr. Octavius Brine, Christopher Knights as Private, Peter Stormare as Corporal, Ken Jeong as Short Fuse, and Annet Mahendru as Eva.

Movie Preview: Big Hero 6

Big Hero 6

By: Kuan-Wei

Big Hero 6 is a 2014 American computer-animated superhero film released by Walt Disney Pictures on November 7th, 2014, and is produced by Walt Disney Animated Studios. It is an action-packed movie that is most likely to attract young kids. The film is directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, and the film features the voices of Ryan Potter as Hiro Himada, a14-year-old who has already graduated high school. Scott Adsit as Baymax, an inflatable robot. T.J. Miller as Fred a laid-back comic-book fan and Jamie Chung as Gogo Tomago, a tough, athletic girl. Damon Wayans, Jr. voicing Wasabi, a smart, largely built neat-freak and finally, Genesis Rodriguez as Honey Lemon, a chemistry whiz . The film tells the story of Hiro Hamada, a young robotics genius who forms a superhero team to combat a masked villain Yokai. One of the films main theme is about coping with grief.

Trailer:

Short Story: The Adventure in the Dark Forest

The Adventure in the Dark Forest

Long ago, two siblings were lost. Very lost. As in the-middle-of-nowhere lost. They only knew two things about their location: they were in a place called the “Dark Forest” and it was dark. Very, very, very dark.

“Why are we here again?” Jade, the younger sister asked.

“We’re lost while picking berries for mom! How many times do I have to tell you?” Ariel angrily answered.

Jade sighed and complained, “My legs hurt!,” but naturally, Ariel ignored her.

After a while of complains from Jade and sighs from Ariel, they finally gave in and stopped for a break.

“We should get some sleep.” Ariel advised.

Once Jade’s head hit the hay (they used black hay as the bedding; it was even black in the Dark Forest!) she fell into a deep sleep. Ariel shrugged and closed her eyes.

The next morning, Ariel woke up with something itchy in her ear. When she raised her hand to touch it, a fairy popped out. She was a little figure, small and delicate, wearing a dress made of leaves and a belt of flowers.

“Hi! I’m Trixie,” the fairy said. “You must be Ariel, sister of Jade?”

“Umm… Duh deeca,” muffled Ariel, startled. “Er… I mean of course!”

“If you need help, just touch your ear and I will come out immediately.” Trixie said.

“Why?” Ariel asked.

“Well… your ear helped me hide from the Witch of the Dark Forest. She wanted to catch me for her potion! Anyway, speaking of which, your sister was captured by Agatha, the witch. Bye!” And with a poof! Trixie disappeared.

“Wait, what?!” Ariel cried.

Indeed, Jade was nowhere to be found. Apparently, when Ariel was sleeping, Agatha captured Jade on her broom and flew away. Nobody saw them.

Meanwhile, Agatha arrived with Jade at her castle. Jade was screaming and crying but nobody heard her. After a few hours, Ariel got worried and rubbed her ear. The fairy flew out and asked:

“What do you need, Ariel?”

“Tell me the location of Jade and show me what she is doing right now.”

Trixie took out a magic mirror and told it to do all the things Ariel commanded.

The mirror said, “Jade is stuck in the witch’s castle,” and showed a picture of Jade. She was tied up and had an apple in her mouth. Ariel was shocked.

They started up the mountain that held up the sky, where Agatha lived. Finally, they approached the top of the mountain and went into the dark, spooky castle. Ariel accidentally stepped on a trap and a hundred (or so) poisonous swords shot out of the wall and she almost got hit by one of the swords!

“Oh my…” Ariel muttered.

Being careful not to trigger any more booby traps, Ariel rushed into the castle, searching for Jade.

“Nope, not here.” Ariel said as she searched the enormous and empty castle. “Sigh.”

As she turned to leave the empty room she heard a voice say, “Welcome, Ariel. Going somewhere?” Ariel turned and saw Agatha, the witch. She took a nearby broom and tried smashing it on Agatha’s head, but it was no use. She just disappeared and reappeared a little farther! As Agatha cackled, Ariel thought: Hey, maybe Agatha will melt like the witch in the Wizard of Oz! So she grabbed a nearby bucket of water and splashed it on Agatha, and you know what? Agatha was afraid of water because her magic powers would disappear into thin air. She started to get weaker and weaker. At last, she died.

Ariel found Jade in the room next to them and tried to go back home.The journey back home was a whole other story. But for now…

The End (sort of)

Remember to look for the next story-The Journey Back Home

Review: Taylor Swift’s new album: 1989

By: Katelyn

Taylor Swift, the only female singer in music history to have two albums hit the 1 million first week sales figure, has a new album. The album, 1989, was named after her birth year, and is already a bestselling album. “Shake it Off,” the first song to be released from the album, was immediately popular to people of all ages. In 1989, Taylor sings in a whole new different way, changing from her original slow, teary, guitar style to quick, rock style. Some people still likes Taylor’s old style, but most approve of her new style.

1989 mostly has rock style songs, with only a few teary songs. The songs in her album includes:

• Welcome to New York
• Blank Space
• Style
• Out of the Woods
• All You Had To Do Was Stay
• Shake It Off
• I Wish You Would
• Bad Blood
• Wildest Dreams
• How You Get the Girl
• This Love
• I Know Places
• Clean

This album is  Taylor Swift’s first ever pop album, which makes it very special. “Clean” is one of the slow songs in the album, and is a refreshing break from all the pop songs. Hope all of you will enjoy listening to Taylor’s new album!