Meet Me at the TRA Overseas Chronicles

#DailyWings: “Travel isn't always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you - it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you…hopefully, you leave something good behind.” -Anthony Bourdain

Almost every summer ever since I can remember, I have made a month-long trip to China to visit family, travel across the country and embrace the culture and heritage of my ancestors. You could say that China (particularly Shanghai, where I am based) is my second home.

Early tomorrow morning, I will be taking a 15-hour flight from NC to Detroit, and then from Detroit to China. I've had barely enough time to recover from my busy weekend to and from Ohio, but I couldn't be more excited. You would think that after years of traveling to the same country I'd get used to it, even tired of it - the same old city with steamed pork buns. And to a certain extent you'd be right. I am afraid that half-growing up in China has led me to take these trips, and thus my own unique culture, for granted. It is deeply ingrained in my daily lifestyle and my values, whether or not I fully realize it. I don't experience the same marvel and wonder and culture shock that another American college student would while traveling abroad in Asia.

I may not be able to look at China through new, searching eyes or develop a raw perspective of the culture I grew up with, but I can still keep an open mind and see China for what she is. Experience all that China has to offer. And that is exactly what I intend to do when I step foot into Asia come forty-two (or so) hours. 

Thus, during the month of July, I will not be here at The Red Angel blog. Instead, I will set up camp at TRA: Overseas Chronicles and document my travels in China once again. (Blogs are blocked in China, as are social networks, but a friend of mine will update the OC for me.) The Overseas Chronicles is a branch off of my main blog (this one here, TRA!). At the OC, you can follow me whenever I travel – photos, stories and culture, you name it. To the right of the OC blog, you can view my different travel chronicles under Categories. You can read about my Late Nights in Shanghai from last year as well if you would like. 

I return to China this July to carry out my own investigative journalism research project. I will be doing research and conducting a sort of unofficial "case study" at a local hospital in Shanghai. My project aims to find out what life at the hospital for a chronic patient is like, and what sort of social support services this medical center provides its patients and their families. As a Journalism and Psychology double major, I love how this project is able to fuse two of my passions together along with the research aspect. 

I would love for you to come follow me as I conduct my research and bond one-on-one with China. It's going to be one heck of a ride - and a long one too! I will return to the United States (and thus The Red Angel blog, here) at the end of July. Until then, 我们去旅游吧!

* * *

One last thing - weeks ago, I signed up for the Poetry Pact Blogfest! This is going to be a short one due to my lack of time (I still haven't completely packed! Yikes!). 

At The Word is My Oyster, Lydia Kang introduced us to the Poetry Pact group, which comprises of individuals who have promised to write poetry on a regular schedule - which varied from member to member (sort of like ROW80, I suppose). 


I added my link because y'all know I love me some poetry even if I'm not a great poet myself. Thankfully, this blogfest doesn't require any poetry-writing. Instead, we are supposed to write about a secret pact we had with our friends or a secret group that helped us through tough times. 

Back in 5th grade, I had three best friends. We were silly and talked about boys, makeup and other important 5th-grade topics. We named ourselves The Key Club, and each of us had our own secret charm, or "key." Together, the charms formed a bracelet when hooked onto the same chain. Pretty cool, huh? 

Well The Key Club didn't survive past 5th grade, but I remember the club always made me feel like I had a group of best friends whom I could count on. The club made me feel included and secure. 

Check out the other participants' entries here!

Wendy Lu

Meet Me at the TRA Overseas Chronicles

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"Flying High": The Roarin' Twenties Begins! (Blogfest + Giveaway)

#DailyWings: “Treat singlehood and your twenties as the time when you get to fall in love with yourself. If you look with loving eyes, you will find that your most loyal companion lies within you.” -TSM

When I stepped onto the airplane for my flight to Ohio yesterday, I thought this was going to be an uneventful quickie. I've been traveling for years, ever since I was a little girl, and the longest on-air trip (including a connecting flight) I have ever been on lasted for nearly 18 hours. I love it. I love flying. When I'm in the air, it feels like time has stopped and there's nothing but me in the clouds. It feels like a dream. Yesterday, I found yet another reason to love airplane flights, but it was nothing I could have expected or prepared myself for.

On most flights, I take a window seat or aisle seat and bury myself in a good book or my journal. I'll enjoy my plastic cup of cranapple juice and bag of salted peanuts, then perhaps take a few pictures of the clouds. This time on the connecting flight (to Atlanta first), I sat in the middle. Before I could whip out Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, a middle-aged man wearing a dark-blue suit and carrying a business knapsack approached the seat to my left. Five minutes later, a short woman with curly brown hair and wire-rimmed glasses claimed the seat to my right.

I soon came to discover that the woman was going back home after a business meeting, and the man was a surgeon who was on a way to one. The woman told me she was eager to get home to her three beloved dogs and two cats, and I nodded knowingly. My friend is taking care of my turtles, I told her. Somehow we started talking about our love for animals, and the woman mentioned she had had to give up her own turtles a few years ago while undergoing chemotherapy.

Our conversation turned, and it occured to me how much this woman had been through. Yet, here she was as alive and energetic as ever, living her life with as much love and fervor as anybody. The surgeon, in turn, told me how he had come to develop a passion for medicine and healthcare. I listened, fascinated, to these two strangers who had become my friends in a matter of two hours. By the end of the flight, I hadn't even unzipped my backpack for Zen. I bid my newfound airplane buddies farewell, and the woman even patted me on the shoulder.

On the final plane to Ohio, I got the aisle seat on the Exit row. Finally - some peace and quiet! Not that I hadn't enjoyed my conversations with fellow surgeon and cat lady, but the night would be a busy one for me and I needed some rest.

But even as I sat down, I couldn't help but notice my left-side neighbor. An older man well into his 60s sat, tapping one giant sneaker against the rugged floor, with his head resting on one hand. I greeted him with a "Hi, how are you," and he shook his head.

"Not good," the man said. "Been up since 1 o'clock this morning."

"Oh no," I said. "Why were you up so late?"

The man told me his brother was in the hospital. He'd had a stroke. My neighbor had gotten the news while on vacation with his wife and grandkids.

"Oh no." I felt stupid for saying the same thing, but I was taken aback. Out of all the things I could have expected, this was last on the list. "Is he okay?"

The man shook his head.

I didn't know what to say. 'Sorry' seemed infinitesimally too small of a word, and a hug would be inappropriate in this situation. We sat together in what seemed like an uncomfortable silence for half an hour, and I debated whether to say anything else at all. Maybe I should just mind my own business, like usual. But the man just looked so sad.

He was the one to speak first.

"You from Ohio?"

"No, I'm visiting family for my birthday," I said. "How about you?"

"Yeah. You ever been to Rock and Roll House of Fame?" he asked.

The question surprised me. I said no I hadn't, but it was on my to-do list. The man said the term rock and roll had originated from Ohio from the very beginning. Alan Freed was the man who did it, he told me with a grin.

This seemed to take his mind off of current troubles, so I decided to keep on with the conversation.

"What's the best concert you've ever been to?" I asked, hoping that wasn't too random or weird.

"Oh, Elton John and Billy Joel's tour, hands down," he said. He began to list all the concerts he had ever been to and the biggest stars of the '60s - the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, ZZ Top, Elvis Presley. When he talked about music and 'the old days,' his eyes seemed to light up as if he were back in the Blossom Music Center. We chatted about famous landmarks in Ohio, rock and roll, and The Osbournes for the remaining of the flight. Twenty minutes turned into a couple of hours, and suddenly I was waving goodbye again at yet another new friend. I wished him and his family good luck, and told him I hoped his brother was all right.

As I walked into the Ohio airport, I spotted a female soldier clad in her camouflage military uniform. She crossed the hallway and approached a very old man--must have been in his nineties--with thinned blonde-white hair and large ear lobes. The soldier hugged the old man and whispered in his ear, thank you for your service. She squeezed his hand, and was gone.

I left the airport smiling.

Turning 20 has gotten me thinking deeply about what I want this upcoming decade to be about. Even though we are thrown unexpected surprises and crazy events every single day such that we feel powerless over our own lives, I think in the end we have a lot more control over our fate than we realize.

If there is anything that I learned from my day "in the air" (a day in the air out of many), it's that there is opportunity. Everywhere. The chance to make anything happen is right there in front of us, and it's our job to make sure we don't miss out. I think that's what I want my Roarin' Twenties to be about: taking chances and noticing opportunities. Being aware of my surroundings and the people around me. I never know who I will end up meeting on a chance encounter. Maybe next time I'm on an airplane, it'll be a cute guy with an Italian accent or something. Who knows? All I know is, never again will I bury myself in a book without first greeting my neighbor on an airplane flight.

Without further ado, here are my poems for the Roarin' Twenties Poetry Blogfest! Check out the rules here. The blogfest lasts until Sunday, so you can still sign up below!

A Set of Roarin' Limericks

Try #1:

There once was a girl named Wendy Lu,

Her popular nickname was Cindy Who.

Everyone thought she was thirteen, 

Which called for a post-teen scream,

All she wanted was some ice cream.

Ick......that was terrible! Let me try again.

Try #2:

There once was a girl named Wendy Lu,

Everyone called her Cindy Who.

Her friends said she looked young,

But really she was just full of fun,

Like them, she just turned twenty too!

Okay...that's better. One more try?

Try #3:

There once was a girl named Wendy Lu,

who ate her cake with a spoon.

She hung out at the speakeasy,

Even though alcohol made her queasy,

Never mind! This whole poem is full of poo!

Ack! I give up!

This blogfest is dedicated to all those writers who say they aren't 'good' at writing poetry. My 'literary forte' is with prose, but hey - ultimately there's a poet in all of us! I'm proof of that! :P

Thank you to all of the participants who signed up to celebrate my birthday with me! Much love to you all. Don't forget to check out the other entries!

The winner of the Chapter Critique Giveaway will be announced tomorrow after the blogfest and after I have entered everyone's points into the random generator! As they say in the movies, STAY TUNED.


Wendy Lu

P.S. I went from 184 followers to 194 followers in eight days! Y'all ROCK! Thank you so much!



"Flying High": The Roarin' Twenties Begins! (Blogfest + Giveaway)

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Stephen Tremp's Breakthrough Breakout Party and Other Literary World News

#DailyWings: "So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable." -Christopher Reeve

Happy Monday, everyone! I am officially done with summer school and ready to relax, travel and have some fun until August! In other great news, today is Stephen Tremp's Breakthrough Breakout FREE Kindle Download Party! Woohoo - bring out the chips and soft drinks and dance music! *parties like a rockstar* 

Be sure to check out his copy of Breakthrough: The Adventures of Chase Manhattan - you can download it for free! 

Without giving away too much (you know I hate spoilers!), here is a shortened summary from Amazon: 

Breakthrough, the first book in the Adventures of Chase Manhattan series, begins with a big bang and offers the audience exciting, unique, and diverse heroes and villains. The result is a fresh suspense thriller series integrating elements of greed, betrayal, passion, lust, unconditional love, coming of age, and hope. The action is swift. There are numerous red herrings, twists and turns, that will keep the reader turning the pages and wanting more.

Sounds like my kind of novel! Thanks Stephen for such an awesome giveaway! In other news, Deana Barnhart  recently got signed with a literary agent, and Ruth Madison has founded a new publishing company dedicated to novels about heroes with physical disabilities. If you've got a manuscript that fits this criteria, check out the guidelines here. 

Just wanted to spread some additional news about others in the writing community; I figured  so many bloggers have been supportive of my Roarin' Twenties Poetry Blogfest and Chapter Critique Giveaway event and have been following me for ages...the least I can do is help out with their own promotions! 

As a friendly reminder, if you haven't signed up for the blogfest and/or giveaway yet, you have 5 days left in which to do so! Again, here are the rules: Any time between June 22 (my birthday!) and June 24, post on your blog either an original poem or an existing poem that focuses on one or more of the following: birthdays, the 1920s era, or time. Here is the InLinkz list below: 

And to enter the Chapter Critique Giveaway, doing an or all of the following and let me know (P=Points):

• Become a follower of my blog (5P)
• Participate in The Roarin' Twenties Blogfest (5P)
• Tweet about the blogfest and include the hashtag #theredangel and @xtheredangelx in your tweet (1P)
• Like TRA on Facebook (2P)

The more points you rack up, the better chance you have of getting that critique of one chapter of a novel or a short story.

Remember, you do NOT have to be a poetry writer in order to participate. You can post either a poem you wrote, or your favorite related poem by a famous poet or other.

Wendy Lu

Stephen Tremp's Breakthrough Breakout Party and Other Literary World News

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Announcing: The Roarin' Twenties Poetry Blogfest + Chapter Critique Giveaway

QOTD: If you could go back and (re)live through an entire decade in history, which decade would you choose and why? 

There are officially 8 days left until my 20th birthday! Huzzah! One would think turning 20 wasn't as exciting as turning 21 or 18, but in China decades are huge turning points in a person's life. I mean, I consider this past decade (Year 10 - Year 20) to be the Decade of Rebellion. I wonder what this next decade will bring? 

To celebrate my second decade of being alive, I am hosting The Roarin' Twenties Poetry Blogfest. This calls for another: "Huzzah!" The last blogfest I hosted was Inanimation 100-Followers Blogfest back in May 2011. Over 15 bloggers participated and it was one of my favorite blogging experiences ever. I've wanted to host another for a long time - and so here we are! I'm not very good at writing poetry, but I still write with words - I am writer. But I've decided I'm going out of my comfort zone for this one, because isn't that what part of being a writer is all about? Challenging yourself? Who's with me? 

Here are the rules: Any time between June 22 (my birthday!) and June 24, post on your blog either an original poem or an existing poem that focuses on one or more of the following: birthdays, the 1920s era, or time. Don't forget to enter your link and your name/blog name below using the InLinkz tool, and check out everyone else's blogfest entries! That's it!   


Actually...wait...one more thing! 

Not only is it going to be my birthday, but I am also getting close to 200 followers as well. This is a bit of a stretch, I know, but it would make my decade if I reached 200 followers by my 20th birthday. I would love to reach this goal if possible, but I need your help. Therefore, I am also hosting a Chapter Critique Giveaway to complement the blogfest! 

That's right - for the winner who racks up the most giveaway points, I will read and critique any one chapter of a manuscript OR a short story (page limit: 20 pages). The critique will include in-depth review, copy editing, rating, and suggestions - either over email or a Skype call (!). As a copy editor for both Cellar Door and Blue & White magazines, I promise you I will give constructive feedback.

To enter the giveaway, do any of the following and COMMENT below with a list of everything you did for your entry (P=Points): 

• Become a follower of my blog (5P)
• Participate in The Roarin' Twenties Blogfest (5P)
• Tweet about the blogfest and include the hashtag #theredangel and @xtheredangelx in your tweet (1P)
• Like TRA on Facebook (2P)

For every point, you will be entered in a random generator once. The maximum number of entries you can have is 13. On June 24, I will list all of the names in a random generator (*idea from Oh to be a Muse), and one name will be chosen randomly receives the chapter critique. So the more points you rack up, the better chance you have for the giveaway! 

Remember, participating in The Roarin' Twenties Blogfest automatically gives you 5 points. Woot!

Wendy Lu

Announcing: The Roarin' Twenties Poetry Blogfest + Chapter Critique Giveaway

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National Poetry Month: Reading Between the Lines

QOTD: Share your favorite poem with us! What's the name, the poet and the reason why that poem is your favorite?

So a friend of mine showed me a book of poetry today called Leaving Saturn by Major Jackson, and I remembered - it's National Poetry Month! I haven't been doing a very good job with keeping up with the time and date because at this point it feels like the days are all blended together what with the end of the semester, but I knew I couldn't not blog about this--even if the post is short!

Now I've never been very good at writing poetry, but I sure love to read it! Poetry's got fewer words than prose, yet can have so much meaning embedded within the lines. Some of my favorite poets have been: Edgar Allen Poe, Shel Silverstein, E.E. Cummings, Oscar Wilde and, of course, Emily Dickinson. 

So here is some simple but sweet poetry for your thoughts: 

In honor of final exam season for students...don't give up! We're almost done...

(Source: Courage-Hope-Strength)

For those who are afraid to speak up...

(Source: My Sakura Nights)

and this is for anyone who loves them some Seuss (even though technically The Lorax isn't a poem):

(Source: Driving Yellow Cabs)

What do these poems mean to you?
(Challenge: Write a simple haiku with the classic 5-7-5 syllable meter that features a hummingbird. Share with us in comments below!)

National Poetry Month: Reading Between the Lines

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Interview: An Evening With Writer Jordan-Marie Smith

Today we have Jordan-Marie Smith from Where Lies My Tarp? here with us to talk about her thoughts on the writing process and what her source of creativity comes from. I have known Jordan since the near beginning of high school, and she is simply AWESOME.

JMS will be graduating from high school in June. She will be attending American University in the fall with a major in International Relations and a minor in Journalism. Jordan enjoys writing various short stories and poetry (both fiction and non-fiction), all of which come from experiences that she has gone through in reality. When it comes to writing, it is her wish that readers will be able to "feel the weight of the characters' emotions". Her favorite color is black.

TRA: Why do you write? What drives you, inspires you?

JMS: Frustration, anger, and the inability to be honest with myself forces me to write. I'll create a character who acts as myself and faces the same complexities in her life between her boyfriends, her mental illness and the world in general.

TRA: Every writer goes about the writing process in different ways; it's a unique experience for everyone. Tell us, what is the writing process like for you?

JMS: I don't really have a process. If you mean process in terms of planning when to write, I've never really been into that (as you can see from my lack of recent blog posts). I've tended to trust myself to spontaneously burst onto the keys of my Netbook and begin. I will say, though, that I must must must have music to write, especially creative writing. I find it much harder to sit and write and not get distracted when I don't have music. When I have something playing in my ear, it seems that it almost guides me beat for beat into beautiful words. I usually listen to UNKLE, Radiohead, Underoath, Boards of Canada or Crystal Castles--powerful and unique.

TRA: What is your favorite piece that you have written and why?

JMS: These are actually a bunch of pieces made into one big piece, but I'd have to say "The Masses" is my favorite. It's essentially a collection of very short stories written about people that I may or may not know or may or may not be me. For instance, one is about a girl who despises the company of others, another is about a boy urging to be a stud...there are others about a girl stalking a couple on a date, a girl alone and hopeless, and more. I am an observer by far (maybe even to an extreme extent). I love wondering what people's lives are really like below the shadowy exterior, even if I have to make those people up.

TRA: What is your favorite book and why?

JMS: Oooooo! I know this one! A Few Short Notes on Tropical Butterflies by John Murray! It's pretty much the same as "The Masses", but I hadn't known that when I'd written it. The book has at least seven short stories about different people's lives. Some of the running themes are dense and include marriages that are falling apart, Indians (whom I love), immigration and the loss of home, helping others through medicine, and realizing that your life may not be what you want. I absolutely love this book, he writes so beautifully and speaks so truthfully about human nature.

TRA: Tell us about your literary accomplishments.

JMS: Hmmm, well I am the Editor-in-Chief of my school's Literary Magazine and have been the Assistant Editor of my high school newspaper's Entertainment section. I wish I could have devoted the time to writing a short book or novella, or to winning an essay contest but as of yet I still have achievements to make. My mother constantly urges me to write because she sees that as my way of making a difference on the world, so I'm taking her advice and--in the near future-- plan to start concocting more short stories to make in a novella.

TRA: When you suddenly get a brand new idea, do you first plan out what you're going to write or just wing it?

JMS: Sometimes I plan what I want to write. I wanted to do a weekly syndication article and that was called Inspiration Fridays. But most of the time I just write what I want, when I want.

TRA: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

JMS: Your sucess is built upon your perception. You may not be where you want to be in a year or two as a writer, but if you can tell that you have grown as a person and as a writer - you've made it.

TRA: If you could ask anybody, living or dead, any question at all, who would it be and what would you ask?

JMS: ....[ten minutes go by]. I would ask God for 13 more questions. I'd ask if aliens were real and for him to give me their history in American culture. I'd also ask about the secrets of the presidencies, when the world will end, why he put us through pain, what Heaven and Hell are like, how the world will end, and such questions like that.

~~~

To learn more about Jordan-Marie Smith, visit her About Me page here and ask questions here.

Interview: An Evening With Writer Jordan-Marie Smith

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Top 10 Songs Blogfest

Question of the Day: What motivates you to blog?

Yes, yes, another blogfest! :) I promise you, the next post I write won't be a blogfest entry haha. This one is hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh, and we are supposed to list our top ten musical hits. :)

Between my piano, my Pandora radio, and YouTube, it's safe to say that I'm a total lover of music. I like everything from rock to classical to pop, so I have a very broad range of tastes. Hope you enjoy!

In no particular order...here are my current favorites:

1) Firework by Katy Perry -- this is such a happy, energetic, and inspirational song! It makes me want to dance, sing, scream, and run all at the same time. Listening to this song helps me believe in myself.

2) Marry You by Bruno Mars--I would love to have this song hosted at my wedding! The lyrics are so sweet, and it will make you feel young and in love. :3 The "Glee" version of this song is even better in my opinion.

3) Love Story Meets Viva La Vida by Jon Schmidt -- this guy has INCREDIBLE talent. I have never heard the keys of a piano or the strings of a cello plucked away so gracefully and with such passion. I listen to this all the time, I can never get tired of it! It is truly amazing how a beautiful song like this one with no lyrics can sound more like a poem than cleverest rhyme. Credit is given to Love Story by Taylor Swift and Viva La Vida by Coldplay.

4) Fireflies by Owl City -- Being a person who often can't go to sleep and is stimulated by any sort of movement or flicker of light, this song is right up my alley. "Everything is never as it seems....as I fall asleep." The video rocks.

5) Thunder by Boys Like Girls--what I like so much about this song is how it takes me back to the days of when my friends and I were young and carefree. It reminds me of the days when we were perfecting MySpace profiles instead of resumes, when homework was done to get incentives from parents instead of good grades (and thus a career), when love mattered more than financial compatibility. Ignorance is bliss when you are a kid.

6) Piano Man by Billy Joel--Billy Joel is the man. His rich, authentic voice is almost as seductive as chocolate. I love how lyrics make this song seem almost like a bedtime story.

7) Hanging by a Moment by Lifehouse -- This song brings back a lot of memories, as I danced to it at the first real "dance" that I went to back in middle school. It reminds me of how it feels when you first fall in love.

8) Fur Elise by Ludwig van Beethoven -- Years have gone by and I've learned many, many songs on the piano (I've been playing since age six, for those of you who don't know). Even when I forgot how to play all the other tunes from memory, I never forgot this one...so it pretty much feels like I've grown up constantly playing and performing this song. Beethoven and I are pretty tight.

9) 100 Years by Five for Fighting -- even though the lyrics make a lot of people really sad and nostalgic and all sorts of mixed up feelings, I think it's good for us. It reminds us that every moment counts. We choose how we live and we need to make the most of it because we only have a 100 years [or so] to live.

10) Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day -- There are just some days when my mood status is: absolutely alone and depressed. That's when I listen to this song. It doesn't exactly make me feel, well, not alone anymore...but the lyrics accurately depict how I currently feel and, to a degree, I suppose that gives me some sort of comfort.

This was a fabulous blogfest...thank you to AJC for hosting it! Forgive me if my comments come around a bit late. My Economics homework is calling to me and telling me my opportunity cost of commenting today is less time to get a good grade on my homework--and thus, a good grade in the class! Nevertheless, I shall get around to all the entries this week. :)

Hope you enjoyed!!

Top 10 Songs Blogfest

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A Fulfilled Legacy

Question of the Day: What television show character do you identify with the most and why?

Today, our high school's literary magazine was officially published and printed. 25 brand new copies, trimmed and bounded by our lovely Graphics Department chair. Don't you just love the smell and feel of freshly made books? As editor-in-chief of the publication, I've been swelling up full of pride and joy over this third issue and been reflecting now more than ever about Graduation and what sort of contributions I have made to my high school.

You see, the school's "Lit Mag" had died by the time I was a freshman; it had been at least three or four years since the last issue had been printed and nobody had desired to pick it back up. So I did. Each year since then I've been brought back Lit Mag club and have now published three issues of the new Literary Magazine. And I have to say that this year's is by far the best.

The mag is more well-known around the school now, so we got a lot more submissions than we ever have before...more than 60 ENTRIES! We also had an amazing layout designer who worked everyday in class on the magazine, and some great editors that were a part of the club. It's been a ton of work--one year's amount of effort, in fact--but it's been sooooo worth it. This magazine has been my legacy to the school. There are students who were able to use our magazine to express their feelings and emotions through creative writing and visual artwork...students who often are overlooked, students whom others would never have guessed had an artistic side. And this, knowing that I'm helping my fellow peers get their work out, is the best reward I've gotten from printing this magazine year after year.

I am very proud of the club and of myself and am so glad this was able to be accomplished, especially right before my senior year is over. A great end to a great chapter of my life.

Here is one of the poems that got published in this issue of our literary magazine:

Magnification of Ten

(c) The Red Angel

My booming piece of laughter

and crystallized teardrops

along with the fluttering wings of my heart

Are all magnified by ten.

I've been told before

That my comforting arms are like that of an angel,

That my words cut deep like a knife.

And the sad thing is they are true,

for I can see the angel and feel the knife.

My love is like no other love

My jealousy is poisoning and plastic,

And my hatred is traumatic

Emotions of my being are extraterrestrial.

Dare you touch me?

Do any of you like to write poetry?

Here's a little photo of the day.

~TRA

*The photo and poem are owned by me.

A Fulfilled Legacy

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Home.

Question of the Day: Home is where the heart is. Where is your home?

Although I love North Carolina and have been living for the past ten years, the only place I have ever really felt at home is Massachusetts. When I am there, I feel completely happy and at peace. My heart is settled and I think that there is nowhere else in the world that I would rather be.

My favorite time of the year is when I get to visit my home. I have the time of my life there, and it is always a sad day when I must say goodbye to all the things that I am most familiar with. The days that I spend reminiscing, I have only sweet memories to take me back to "yester-year."* Here is a poem I wrote in 2009.

Daydream

I close my eyes to remember and imagine.
My heart pounds at the sound of soft rustling
generated by those never-forgotten willow trees.
Even after eight years, I can still see everything clearly:
See the bright sun smiling upon Charles River
golden and spreading everywhere, like hot melting butter.
See the endless V-shape of birds in the sky
passing over the endless row of skyscrapers.
See my beloved elementary school,
the one I had to leave behind eight years ago.

Like a home video playing through my head,
I rewind and rewind again and again.
Footage of Prudential,
and J.P. Licks ice cream store
and Anna's Taqueria quickly slide by.

There goes my childhood playground,
the one with blue swing sets and yellow slides.
One, two, three slides; four, five, six swings.
The middle swing was always my favorite.
I recall the adrenaline pumping within me
as I had kicked my legs up and down with excitement.
I imagine that familiar rushing feeling
pass through me once again.
I can see this crystal clear.

I open my eyes afresh, closing my imagination.
I sigh and realize that I'm back here.
The pounding of my heart slowly begins to fade.
Even after eight years, I still miss my old home.
And the awakening from my daydream reminds me once again
Of where I want to live when I grow up.

~TRA

*I got "yester-year" from Parent Trap the movie.

Home.

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