The Next (horrible) Day......

So yesterday at night, I found out that my dad's parent's grandma, whatever the term is that, recently got sick. This brought about a terrible pain in my heart. Even though she probably doesn't remember me, I still have great great respect for her, being she raised most of my long extension of uncles, and even outlived her own sons. Something isn't too good about her lungs, something like with water in lungs or something, but hopefully she will be okay. I don't want another loss of a relative in this year AGAIN.

Last year, two of my very respected relatives passed away, Grandpa and his brother, my great uncle. Both have been through events that I have never imagined could have happened to anyone I would know. The thing about my great uncle was that he was missing one of his toes. I never asked about it until the week he was gone from this world. Most of my relatives in back when they were in Vietnam cut off a body part, so that they won't have to fight in the war. That's pretty hardcore, but who would sacrifice their lives for a country they don't belong to and dislike? They were Chinese, and from China, not like my parents, who were born in Vietnam.

My great uncle, even though he was old, still had a peppy, funny personality. I won't forget the time when he gave my brother and me 7 year old expired Pepsi. xDD

My grandpa was even more amazing. Our family were multimillionaires. However, southern Vietnam was under Communist rule, and they though are family was corrupt, and the Communists took away all our land and most of our money. Oh, how their lives changed. That was supposedly the last straw, and my grandpa was fed up. Using the remaining money they had left, he bribed the State government of Vietnam to let them escape. They smuggled out of the country in two separate groups, because my family was too big. Grandpa went in the second group. The first group, which included my father, went off relatively safe, IN THE BEGINNING.

The boat with my father and some other relatives was small, and the ocean was relentless. Countless people died, and my father and others were forced to eat the remains of the dead. Honestly, I can't believe how horrible life was for my family. And my dad. Whenever he gets angry, I could see why. Don't waste food, Kevin. From his story, I always tried my best to eat all my food. Brings tears to my eyes when I heard his stories of the boat and living in a refugee camp. Makes me angry that so many of you stupid Americans don't know how life is outside of the USA. That's why my dad gets irritated so easily at those idiots of American society, and people with no manners. I don't blame him. The abuse he gives me, I think, I felt what he felt during those troubled times.

Well anyways, back to my Grandpa. It was the state government that allowed my family to escape, not the LOCAL government, who didn't get any money, and they wanted some. The day when my grandpa and remaining relatives were to leave, they were arrested by the local police, and the police took all their money that they hid in their soles of their shoes, and toothpaste.

Lucky for my grandpa, we had a friend who worked in the state government, and he told the state what the local police did, and boy, the local police got a beating. Grandpa got his money back, and got on the boat.

The boat trip must have been hard for him too. Countless weeks on a crowded boat. And my whole family was now separated now. They went to different refugee camps. And from there, they went on different paths. All my relatives ended up in different parts of the world: Canada, Texas, California, New York, Germany, France, Vietnam, China, and Australia, and maybe another country I forgot to mention.

Well, my grandpa ended up in Canada because in the refugee camp that he went to, they give first priority to any soldiers or ex-soldiers in the war. My grandpa used to be a soldier; however, when the USA ambassadors people asked for his paper work, he didn't have any. The North Vietnam government took it away from him during his escape. And the US ambassadors still didn't believe him, and he got angry and badmouthed the Americans and the USA, and so he went to Canada instead. I guess our male lineage is full of anger and short-temper? Hopefully I don't seem short-tempered, I'm trying my best to change myself for the better, I don't want what happened in middle school to happen again, do I? I'm soo inspired to be different from my father, and not abuse my children or yell at my wife, a personal promise to myself.

I will miss the times grandpa came over during winter and gave my a watch from the Olympics...too bad I was so young and didn't know the value of those watches.....

Well I hope my great great grandma gets better, makes me sad to find out that she got sick....and also getting teary eyed from thinking about family history....

Overwhelmed by Influence and Greatness from Sacramento CTC

So today, some of my friends from KEY Club went to Sacramento for CTC, Candidate Training Conference. It's about learning how to be and run for Lieutenant Governor, which is sort of like a club president for multiple schools in your district. I was thinking about running for that position for a while, because the experience I have gained and the great people I have met from being an officer in our school's KEY Club has introduced me to the other KEY Clubs and key clubbers outside our own club. I wanted to expand on this and also to meet other great people and bring some ideas I have in my head, but it's hard for me, and I never get it done. Maybe that is why some people look at me and think I'm lazy or whatever? Honestly, the things that go through my head, I wish I could just go out and say it, but it gets too emotional for me when I think about it.

Well, after a long trip to Sacramento, we arrived at the place where CTC was held. Again, I was too shy to go and meet some new people whom I could be great friends with. Sometimes I seem like loud or crazy, y'know? But that's only because the energy I get from other people put me into that mood. Otherwise, I'm just quiet and shy.

So during CTC, there were many workshops that teach you about being a LTG and proper attire and presentation and whatnot. I, however, was most inspired by the LTGs who presented the public speaking workshop. They were true pros in what they did. Making the whole room laugh and also making their talking so engaging. Something I wish I could do automatically. They answered random questions from the top of their heads, incredible answers that I could not have come up with even if you gave me five hours instead of one minute. I guess they worked very hard to get that far.....and look at me.

We had some practice with public speaking, with some LTGs in our small group asking us questions relating to KEY club, and I failed compared to the other peoples' responses. I can't believe how amazing their answers were, and they only had about five seconds to think of an answer. Makes me wonder if i am truly prepared for a position like LTG...

Especially near the end of CTC, where they held a mock caucus, and all the volunteers, man, their one minute speeches and answers to random and rediculus questions like: entertain me for 30 seconds, and "Compare KEY Club to a toilet." Oh man, their answers were incredible. It was like they already had the answers before they got up there. Inspired me sooo much.

But with all of this, I'm thinking even more about if i really want to run for LTG. If I could become a LTG. If I wil bring about good changes to all these Key Clubs in our district. I met some of the people who are running, and man, they truly know their stuff and can do what is needed of them. Especially the person running for LTG in our district. Very very qualified for the position. And makes me compare myself. I have what it takes in me; I always think to myself in my head, and I think of all the opportunities that I have passed up, how I could have been someone who contrubuted more to his school and community, more of a person than what the garbage I am now. All these inspirational speeches I ALWAYS make in my head, no one ever hears about it, only me. And I DO get inspired by it. If only, I could show everyone one else, what I can do, and if only I could speak like an inspirational speaker to everyone in a room instead of only to myself in my head.