Yay!

I know, I give that name to my posts a lot... but yay! Today was my soccer game. I scored a goal from really far away- it was the first goal of the game! My team won 2-0. Yay! I have nothing much else to tell. I am now studying mind tricks and stuff for science- and I just learned a new one. I sadly cannot make it out of a computer keyboard. It is called something like the Murray- Lyes illusion (it probably doesn't have Murray but something else in it), and I actually figured it out. I also just received a message from a friend with a brain study. Can you figure it out? Here it is:

Hint: 7=t

Brain Study....

...I've seen this with the letters out of order, but this is the first time I've seen it with numbers.


F1gur471v3ly 5p34k1ng?
Good example of a Brain Study: If you can read this you have a strong mind:
7H15 M3554
53RV35 7O PR0V3
H0W 0UR M1ND5 C4N
D0 4M4Z1NG 7H1NG5!
1MPR3551V3 7H1NG5!
1N 7H3 B3G1NN1NG
17 WA5 H4RD BU7
N0W, 0N 7H15 LIN3
Y0UR M1ND 1S
R34D1NG 17
4U70M471C4LLY
W17H 0U7 3V3N
7H1NK1NG 4B0U7 17,
B3 PROUD! 0NLY
C3R741N P30PL3 C4N
R3AD 7H15.
PL3453 F0RW4RD 1F
U C4N R34D 7H15LL.

1f y0u c4n r34d 7h15 73LL m3

If you can abosulutely not find it out, and want to know what it is, you can shoot me an email or comment down below. I will give you the answer (yes, I figured it out, it is quite easy once you figure it out). Nothing much else has happened... except that I made some progress with the saddle! I sowed all the pieces together. I did not have to fix the puffy part because it kind of just settled down. It looks almost the same as before (since I had the pieces together then), so I will not bother with pictures. I now have some string for the tassels, but I don't think it is enough. I will use it anyways, and see what happens. I will keep you posted with (hopefully) illustrated updates.

My History Lessons

Today my topic is about the history lessons at school. Today two of my teachers told me about immigration problems in Australia. The first issue was about an event called "children overboard". It starts with a particular prime minister called John something. Anyways, I believe John wanted to be re- elected (or elected in the first place. I don't have my notes, so I don't remember). Wait, yeah, he wanted to be re- elected. Anyways, refugees from the middle east wanted to come into Australia. The first bad case was a boat with 400 people on it, which I believe was sinking. A boat called the (I believe) Tampa came to the rescue and picked them up. But then the Australian government wouldn't let this boat into Australian waters. Eventually the captain decided to dock because the people were not doing very well (I guess getting sick and hungry) and he landed. The government passed this thing called something like Pacific Peace where all the families, women, and children would go to New Zealand and the lone men would go to facilities where they would kind of be incarcerated (not quite). Anyways, ships kept coming in and eventually the government sent out war ships to try to scare them off. It didn't really work, since the people on the boats knew they wouldn't shoot at them because how would that make the government look like? So, one day one of these refugee ships were trying to get to Australia and it started sinking. They called for help, but the Australian war ships would not come to their aid. The people started jumping off the boat and trying to save themselves, since they didn't want to go down with the ship. Now, remember our prime minister John? He wanted to win his election. But all the Australians wanted the other party, since they didn't like what he was doing with the refugees. He found out about this event and started saying to the media that the muslims were throwing their kids off the boat. He said that he did not want people who threw their children off boats in his country. The people agreed, and he ended up winning the election. But then suspicions started to arise. There were only pictures of kids floating in the water- no footage of kids being thrown off boats. So the party that lost the election went and investigated. It discovered that one person on the ship had threatened to throw off the kids- but they had ended up doing it because they didn't want the kids to die. The weird thing is, John was elected two more times- he finally went out of power in February 2007. Just a note- all the people who went into the water were rescued.
The next lesson was by another teacher- this time it was about the White Australia Policy. Basically, the citizens of Australia didn't want all the different immigrants (especially the chinese) to get to Australia, since they were more industrial and would live with less pay and so on. So the government came up with this racist solution: to give these immigrants (except the ones from Europe, note- they didn't have to do a thing) a written test. Now, most of these people were from countries where they didn't speak a kind of european language. Well, all the tests were in some european language, and they were very hard. A person would read out 50 words to you and you would have to write them all down. I heard a sample of how this test went. It was really fast, and I could barely understand anything. Something about snow and being destructive. They would only repeat it to you once- and you wouldn't even know the right language. So these immigrants were given a chance- a chance to fail. Even if they passed this test the government would give them another- until they failed. It was sad, really. My teacher showed me some posters: one saying that non- whites shouldn't be let into the country and the other saying that the people of england should come and live with us. I also found out that at the time the only reason the six states of Australia united was to make this policy a law. Don't worry, it was abolished in 1970, but still... I can't believe the racism.
Anyways, back to life. My soccer team won 2-1. I didn't do very well. Tomorrow I have my day off! Its because of ANZAC day. It is kind of the Australian memorial day, except it is for one battle in particular. I wasn't given much details, but I believe ANZAC stand for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps or something like that. It commemorates the battle I think for somewhere in Italy (Gallipolli?), where many Australian and New Zealanders were killed in battle. Sadly it was lost, and (Gallipolli?) had to be evacuated. All these facts may not be true, but that is what I know about them.
Anyways, it has been raining since Sunday. My dad said it wouldn't stop raining until Sunday. So. I have not been very busy with the saddle (maybe I'll work with it tomorrow, its too late now). So yup. I also saw an episode of Star Wars the Clone Wars today. Do you want to know what a commercial afterwards? A new season of star wars the clone wars, double episodes starting May 4th. May the fourth be with you. I cracked up. Also- LONGEST POST EVER! History is very long. Also, district cross country calls (it is on THURSDAY!) Anyways, M2A out.

Yay!

Yay! I placed in cross country! I ran 3 whole kms and then placed 11th place. Only ten from each age group can go to districts, but kids in a younger age group were in front of me so I got in! Yay! I never thought that I would be able to get ahead the main pack and then stay in front. I am so excited for districts, even if the odds aren't in my favor. I'm so excited! Anyways... I am doing well. I kind of stopped working on the saddle, but don't worry, I'll keep going (sometimes I feel like working on something, sometimes, I don't)... I think while I remember I'll fix the saddle seat right now. The next step after that is sewing all the parts together, and then to make the tassels! Wow... it will be so detailed, and so cool! I can't wait to finish it and take a picture of it on my horse. Oh yeah, and then I have to make the bridle... but who cares! I have plenty of time. So yup... tomorrow I have a soccer game- wish me luck! And I will keep you updated on everything else- the saddle (the saddle, you know which one), cross country, everything.

Saddle Update!

Since I have barely anything else to write about, here is a saddle update, illustrated version! No, okay. The only news is that tomorrow I am going to cross country- problem is that I am still a teeny bit sore from the soccer game (that I won!) and I am not going to do well. Sorry to not think positively, but really... does anyone who knows me think that I could win or place in a cross- country competition? Not a chance. Okay, anyways, back to the update (illustrated!). Some pictures:

 Just to tell you, all the pieces aren't sown together yet (but soon they will be!) and I know the saddle seat is kind of really puffed- out (that will be fixed as well, soon!). I still have to make a bridle, a chest plate, and a girth, but those will come whenever I decide to make them. The bridle in particular will be kind of hard- but I'll manage, and it will look good! I also have all the little tassels to make- at least like 100 of them! Yes, I have to hand- make them, since they have to be so tiny,

 and that is why this project will take so long! But I will manage (when I find some string!). Now that I remember, I also have to glue on some tiny sequins (if I find some). Do you like the fabric? I finally found a purpose for it! It was on sale at a fabric store, and since it was pretty I picked it up and decided that I would make something with it. Although this project will use almost nothing of the fabric, since there is so much... but who cares, the more the

better! I'll make other stuff out of it- although I could figure out if there is a sort of blanket that can go with the costumes- I would LOVE to make a full set! So yup, that is about it... cross country, and do PLEASE comment or email me, I would love to hear your feedback!

Parakeets

My topic is Parakeets because there are lots of parakeets here. This morning I was walking to a soccer game and one almost smashed into my face (like the pigeons). This was because there is a tree in someone's yard close to a park that lots of parakeets stay in. Also, during soccer practice, there are also tons of parakeets flying around (like 50 of them or something) and we often scare them away when we go jogging. The ones during soccer practice are very dull, but the ones close to the park were very bright. I have also seen them in other places (one location being in a tree next to the same park, that was the first time I saw wild parakeets). My mom has also apparently seen a parrot a few days ago, and the cockatoos are super loud.

Anyways, as I said, a parakeet flew into my face on my way to a soccer game. That game turned out really well: 4-0. My team won. I didn't score any goals, but I was close to... I was running hard. I had fun- and my team won! Last season I played only one goal was scored (in the WHOLE season) and that was because I ran really hard (like today). My team lost every single game, so it was a little disappointing- but who cares? Now I'm happy, and at least my salary doesn't depend on the team winning (I don't even have a salary).
And one more thing: I have decided to make a traditional arabian horse costume! Not a real one, of course- but one for one of my toy horses that looks like this:

Cool, right? I decided to do it for this one since it is a part- bred arabian- and it is my biggest horse! I read a model horse tack- making article and saw that I had to have my references, so here they are (mine of course will have some ideas of mine so it will be different):









This is the full tack set and a halter (which I just used for a bridle).














So yeah... hopefully it'll turn out well! It is going to be a blue- green (its kind of like tye- dye) saddle and bridle. It won't be quite as detailed as these pieces- but it definitely will have tassels and a bit! It will take forever to make (because of the tassels) but I will do it anyways- and maybe it'll be worth it. I'll keep you posted. It is already started (I am about to sew the main saddle part together). And yes, for those who don't know me so well... I am a great lover of horses, and like making crafts.

The Hamburger that Wouldn't Decompose

This hamburger has apparently been sitting on this plate for two years:
As you can see, it hasn't changed a single bit... sad, isn't it? As you can see, it is from McDonald's- so DON'T GET STUFF FROM MCDONALD'S! The french fries refuse to decompose as well.
Okay, anyways...
I'm back from Canberra! It was cool. I got to see parliament, the war memorial, a renaissance art exhibit (too much Madonna and babies), and tons of kangaroos! I read this book about Australia before I moved here, and it said that Canberra had tons of trees, almost like a forest. It definitely has a lot of trees (not like a forest, but yay, ecofriendly!), and it is cool. We stayed at some friends' house. It was in the country (forest), so that explains why we saw so many kangaroos. They were so awesome to see- their bouncing was so funny and weird and they stared right at you... they would look so wise (even though they are completely dumb creatures- on the ride over to Canberra there were at least three dead ones at the side of the road). Easter was awesome too- I went on like seven easter hunts (five in a friend's room and two outside in the giant backyard), but don't worry, I only got like 11 eggs. The easter bunny left us a little lindt bunny and two big chocolate bunnies... it is my duty to report that there is only milk chocolate in easter here, and no peeps and stuff- its still awesome, though! So yup, I'm back... but school starts on Monday.