16 Nations, 16 Years

Hello everyone,

This past month, I was given the awesome chance to go to Brazil with my family. I recently arrived back to my house in Sammamish and realized how amazing it is to go to different countries and experience the various cultures there. I love geography and learning about the world. I hope to go to many more countries in the future.

On January 22nd, 2024, I am going to turn 16 years old. I have currently visited 16 nations and I wanted to share those places, a picture from each of them, and a couple of sentences explaining what the experience was like. They will be in chronological order from the first being the first country I visited and the last being the latest country I visited. Hope you enjoy!

1. United States of America 

I was born in San Jose, California, United States of America. However, I have visited many regions of the United States such as the East Coast, the Midwest, and where I am currently living now, the West Coast. I have also been to the capital, Washington D.C. This picture shows us biking in Central Park.

2. India 

My country of origin and my favorite country, India, is the nation that I visited second. In India, I've visited both the South and the North. The food is awesome, and I love being a part of the Indian culture. I hope to visit more parts of India such as the Northeast and the Andaman Islands. This picture is in Amritsar, specifically in the holy Golden Temple.

3. Mexico 

I first visited Mexico when I was 2 years old in the beautiful city of Cabo San Lucas. Since then, I went to Mexico two more times to the city of Cancun and the island of Cozumel, both located in the Yucatan Peninsula. In Cancun, I visited one of the 7 Modern Wonders of the World, Chichen Itza. Mexico is a wonderful country filled with great sights and I can't wait to visit again soon. Below is a picture of my dad and I in Chichen Itza.

4. Canada 

Due to the close proximity of Canada, I've been to the country many times. However, the first time I visited was in 2014 to the beautiful parks of Banff and Jasper. Since then, I've made several visits to the province of British Columbia and hope to go to the East Coast sometime soon. Here is a picture of Whistler in British Columbia.

5. Czech Republic (Czechia) 

In the summer of 2018, I went on a trip to the Eastern Europe side with my parents. It was very cool to see the many castles and city squares dotted around the wondrous capital city of Prague. Below is a picture of my family and I in the Old Town Square Plaza.

6. Slovakia 

From the city of Prague, I ventured out on a day trip to the capital city of Slovakia, Bratislava. The plethora of cathedrals and the mix of medieval and modern cultures gave memorable experiences which won't be forgotten. This is a picture of I next to the statue of Cumil the Sewer Worker.

7. Hungary 

Further on the trip, we arrived in Budapest, Hungary. Situated on the Danube River, the city had immense history that was very fun to explore. The cities of Buda and Pest were separated by the Danube, but each had their distinct differences. Below is a picture of my mom and I in the streets of Budapest.

8. Austria 

The last country that we visited in our Eastern Europe trip was Austria. Austria was amazing as we went to Vienna, the capital city, and Salzburg, where the iconic movie The Sound of Music was filmed. As a music buff, visiting Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's house was incredible. Right behind my dad and I is a statue in Belvedere Palace, Vienna.

9. Jamaica 

In the winter of 2018, my family and some of our family friends went on a Caribbean cruise which was very fun. Our first stop was the eye-catching country of Jamaica. The tropical weather, blue water, and kind people made this visit one to remember. This is a picture of me about to take a swim in the Caribbean Sea.

10. Cayman Islands 

The second stop on the cruise was the British Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands. I had very cool experiences in this territory including swimming with stingray and snorkeling. This is me thrilled to be entering the Cayman Islands.

11. England 

In the summer of 2019, my family and I did a United Kingdom and Ireland trip. Going to London was a definite visit and one that was worth it. The plethora of iconic sights such as the Big Ben and Buckingham Palace looked like they were from a movie. Below is a picture of me at the iconic Wimbledon Stadium.

12. Ireland 

Dublin was a beautiful location. Close to the Dublin Bay, the city has many traditions that are famous all across the world. In addition, the shining White Cliffs of Moher were windy but eye-catching. Right here is the Cliffs of Moher where the gusts could almost pick you up.

13. Spain 

The Spain trip of the summer of 2022 was my favorite trip so far. The rich history dating back to the rule of the Moors to the current day as well as the detailed culture was very interesting. I visited the cities of Madrid, Seville, Barcelona, and the Balearic Island of Mallorca. This trip was amazing, and I would love to go back again. Below is a picture of me at the famous Camp Nou stadium of the F.C. Barcelona football/soccer team.

14. Turkey 

I went to Turkey in the summer of 2023. I first visited Istanbul which is the capital. This city was filled to the brim with layers of history dating back to the rule of the Byzantines and Ottomans. The Hagia Sofia and Blue Mosque were incredible. I also was given the opportunity to go on a hot-air balloon ride in the town of Capadokya. Overall, this trip was definitely a 10/10. Here is a hike that we did in the Goreme Open Air Museum in Capadokya.

15. Brazil 

My most recent trip, Brazil, was something that I can never forget. The city of Rio de Janeiro was something that I've only seen in movies but it exceeded my expectations. The tight streets paired with the tropical weather was great. I went through the Tijuca National Forest and visited another one of the 7 Modern Wonders of the World, Christ the Redeemer. I also saw the massive Iguazu Falls which was unreal. Below is a picture of the world-renowned Christ the Redeemer where it was crowded but worth it. 

16. Argentina 

While at the Brazil side of the Iguazu Falls, we were ready to go on a day trip to the Argentina side. It was definitely worth it and I got a small taste of how Argentina as a country is. It was wonderful and I hope to visit more of the area soon. Here is a picture of my family on a boat in the Argentina side of the Iguazu Falls.

I hope you all enjoyed, and I am greatly looking forward to visiting more countries and places!

Technology for a Better Future

Hello everyone,

This past month, I was able to advance to the district level of the Reflections Arts Competition. This competition is held by the PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association) across the United States every year, focused on a particular theme. This year's theme is "I am Hopeful Because...".  This competition is dedicated for the arts. Students can create their own works of many genres of art including literature, photography, visual art, movie, dance, and music and submit it for the competition.

I have been participating in this competition for seven years and really enjoy creating my own art. This year, I created a literature piece, photography piece, and a music piece. I wanted to share my literature piece, "Technology for a Better Future" with you all as it was recently selected to advance to the district level of the competition.

As we enter new decades and ages, technology has been growing at an increased rate. With the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI), certain sectors and people have greatly benefited from it, one of the most prominent being the healthcare industry. My piece, “Technology for a Better Future”, talks about these prodigious effects such as doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals being able to treat their patients knowing which medicines are most effective using technologies such as AI, as well as being able to identify common symptoms to prevent the spread of diseases. AI truly has and will continue to advance our society as a whole.

Without further ado, here is "Technology for a Better Future".

In this ever-changing world of ours, new technological developments are being made each minute. Whether it’s new ways to harness clean and renewable energy, or advances in transportation, one piece of tech remains prevalent: Artificial Intelligence (AI).

 

AI is a wondrous development and shows the peak of human thinking. Imagine you have some friends coming over to your house for dinner. Everything seems to be going well but you realize you have barely anything in your fridge. In comes artificial intelligence where it can easily tell you a delicious recipe that you can make with the ingredients you have. However, this is not the limit to what AI can do. Additionally, it can create music, draw beautiful pieces of art, and even autonomously drive cars.

 

To me, the most important use of AI is its medical functions. In the medicine field, AI is not only being used widely in this moment, but it is also increasing in use. This is why I am hopeful for the future. AI in medicine has been revolutionary in terms of it helping millions of people across the world. For example, AI-enabled robots assist doctors while they are performing surgery operations, to make sure that no mistakes or harm comes to the patient. Another use that AI is being used for in the medicine field is its ability to perform medical imaging. AI isn’t just physical health though, it also includes helping with mental health in its arsenal of uses. Through chatbots and monitoring apps, programs can check on patients’ well-being and how they are feeling.

 

For many diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s, it is hard to cure people and it often takes a long time to help them recover. AI though accelerates this process by doing many tasks while medical workers can work on other urgent work. Not only is AI able to identify any abnormalities in CT scans, x-rays, and other diagnoses, but it is also able to apply cognitive learning so that it can pick out those patterns in the future from other scans. For active cancer treating, AI calculates the approximate location of the tumor and directs the radiation therapy to that precise location, sparing the healthy cells. Furthermore, machine learning programs are able to use different factors from the patient and see what they need to create a personalized treatment plan that is specific to the person. Through vast datasets of different medicines and their effectiveness, a program is able to select the medicine that will target cancer cells the best and eliminate them. In a study done by the CDC in 2020, 602,347 people died from cancer. From this revolutionary technology, people won’t have to suffer and can get treated with the required and most efficient treatment plans.

 

Whether it’s actively participating in medical examinations or aiding in the recovery of patients, these AI programs are incredibly useful to everyone. People are also supporting this integration. In a survey done of healthcare leaders in the United States (in 2021), approximately 41-45% of respondents reported using AI at a fully functional level or for healthcare data integration. This shows that professionals, after witnessing the wonder of machine learning and artificial intelligence, are using the invention for their and their patients' benefits.

With all this information, the future is clearly looking bright for medicine facilities all across the globe. With the help of AI, treating and providing care for patients will only get better. Gone is the time where doctors, nurses, and medical professionals struggle with treatment and in come the times where we as a society use our thinking to the advantage of healing others. I am hopeful for the future because of what artificial intelligence is doing for the well-being of humans.

The Art of Lego

Hello everybody, 

In this post I wanted to talk about the art of Lego and how it is more than just a toy that you build. If you did not know, Lego is a toy company that was founded in Denmark in 1932. Originally, they focused on building wooden toys but eventually evolved into plastic bricks that you can snap together and create wonderful structures out of instructions or your imagination.

Ever since I discovered Lego, I have loved it. The idea of building an iconic vehicle, building, or even something from my imagination out of miniature bricks fascinated me. Since then, I built a variety of sets and objects from my imagination. A few examples include the Apollo 11 Lunar Lander "Eagle", James Bond's Aston Martin DB5, the BMW Motorcycle M 1000 RR, and even the Batcave from Batman.

To the plain eye, Lego might seem like just a time-pass toy, which it partly is. However, to someone who has built Lego sets and loves to do it, it's much more than just small bricks which connect together. It's an art of some sort. Lego is more like a place where you can unleash your imagination and build whatever you want. 

Building Lego actually takes determination and patience. It doesn't come easy and if not done right, can be very painful. For example, I have forgotten to add a piece many times in Legos. It was disappointing due to the fact that I had to restart all over again. But that's where the determination and patience come in. By being persistent and waiting for the build to be right, your work pays off. Another quality that you need to have while building Lego is problem solving. By being able to identify where you went wrong, you can fix your mistake and make your build better! In my opinion though, the most important thing to have while building Lego is to have fun. If you aren't having fun, then what's the point of building? Only by having fun, your build aligns with your vision.

I wanted to share three Lego objects that I have built, and I deem to be my most challenging but best paid off.

1. MINI Cooper

This MINI Cooper is one of the first "Expert" Legos that I ever built. It is a 1,077-piece set and it was a blast to build. My uncle used to have a MINI Cooper that looked exactly like the Lego one. The white complements the green well and the seats are a very nice tan plaid. This car's wheels can roll just like a real car and has doors, a hood (with engine inside of it), and a trunk that all open. The roof is detachable as well, but this car is not meant to be a convertible. A small detail that is very nice is the picnic basket in the trunk that has bread, cheese, glasses, a bottle of water, and of course a picnic mat. Overall, this set was a bit difficult to build but was a lot of fun.

2. James Bond Aston Martin DB5

The James Bond Aston Martin DB5 is definitely the coolest set that I have ever built. With a piece count of 1295, not only does it look sleek and just like the car from the movies, but it also has many features that are unique. It does have a trunk, doors, and a hood that opens where you can see the engine. Starting off with the cool features, the wheels of the car have small spikes in the center of them so that if 007 ever wanted to stop an enemy automobile, he can just ride close and puncture their tires. Another awesome feature is the ability to change the front and rear license plates. By just spinning them, the license plates are completely different. Moving to the back of the car, with one twist of the exhaust pipe, a bulletproof screen comes up behind the rear windshield. Therefore, if Mr. Bond just wanted a break to have some tea, he could pop that up so that he doesn't get surprised by anybody.

In the interior of the car, there are plenty of little secrets. The first being that a turn of a dial reveals a radar tracker next to the steering wheel. If Bond ever wanted to make a call, however, he could just pull down the side of his door and reveal a bright red telephone.

Now we move onto the two coolest features in my opinion: The ejector seat and the headlight-revealing machine guns. Firstly, with a pull of a lever in the back of the car, a portion of the roof comes off and the passenger seat is ejected out! It's quite fun to just see the seat flying. Next, by pushing the joystick up, the headlights flip to reveal twin machine guns. It's amazing to just see it flip over and over again.

3. BMW M 1000 RR

Now for the grand finale, the BMW M 1000 RR Motorcycle in Lego! With a whopping 1921 pieces, this Lego set definitely takes first place for my favorite Lego and the most complex I have ever built. This bike is extremely detailed and not a feature from the real bike was missed on this Lego set. The designers did an amazing job. Now, there aren't any special features on this bike, however, just the sheer appearance is enough to say that it is wonderful. This bike is the largest Lego Technic motorcycle model ever made and it has a crazy 1:5 scale. Due to Lego's partnership with BMW, the bike doesn't just have iconic BMW markings, but it also has suspension, a 3-speed gearbox, and a 4- piston engine that makes it fun to just glide it along the floor. The bike has the ability to be displayed on a display stand or a racing stand.

This Lego was definitely difficult to make, and I actually had to restart the whole cycle while I was halfway through. It was frustrating but I can't complain as to how fun it was. In the end though, everything paid off.

Thank you for reading, see you soon, and have a great day!

Sincerely,

Advaith

The Amazement of the Journey to India - December 2022

  The Amazement of the Journey to India

By: Advaith Shyam

Getting on the plane, I started the show.

Sitting on the seat, I felt ready to go.

As the plane took off from the runway,

I felt like a seagull taking flight from a bay.

Taking a 16-hour flight sure was tough.

To Qatar then Hyderabad, the landing sure was rough.

The heat of the humidity on my head, it made me love,

the true beauty of India, I felt snug like a glove.

Meeting my family, I was hoping to do since forever,

Even though it had only been a month, not never.

Once I landed we didn't waste time,

Meeting cousins and going to the city, shining bright like a green lime.

Taking a flight to the city of Chennai, it was tropical.

Feeling the ocean breeze with the mango juice, it was magical.

Arriving curiously to the cold city of charming Amritsar,

Seeing India's history and colonial effect through a banister.

Shining bright in the water, a symbol of hope

A signal to all, that we are connected through a rope.

The temple covered in gold, like a Sun in the lake.

They said come here only to give, not to take.

Arriving home, memories to the brim they were filled,

it's crazy to witness the world that we build.

The food, the sights, the family, oh brother!

This trip has been like no other.

Secretary of Treasury - Best Position Paper KingMUN 2023

 Hello all,

This past weekend (5/27-5/29), I went to a Model United Nations Conference called KingMUN. Model United Nations (or MUN for short) is a debate-styled competition where there are many committees each trying to solve an issue currently in the world, in the past, in the future, or even completely made up. Students (or delegates as they are called) are each assigned a position in the committee, and they have to work with other delegates to solve the problem while representing their position's stance on the view. It is a blast doing these competitions and trying to solve a problem while also debating with other fellow delegates.

in KingMUN, which was a MUN competition for those in the King County area in Washington State, I was a part of a pair of committees called JCC or Joint Crisis Committee. This type of MUN committee consists of two opposing groups that must solve the issue at hand while also coming to a consensus. Now, this specific topic was about the Vietnam War and the two opposing committees were the U.S. Government vs. the Press. As the U.S. were trying to combat the war, the press were constantly revealing secrets and other actions that the Government was doing. Thus, the Press and Government had to come to an agreement to let the public see the war while also not knowing any confidential information. I was apart of the Government Bloc and it was complete fun for two days. I learned a ton and found out about things I never even knew about.

Before the competition starts, each delegate must write a page called a Position Paper on their specific role's position on the problem. As part of the Government group, I was assigned the role of the Secretary of the Treasury. Writing a paper on the Secretary's role was really enlightening and I realized that there was more to the Vietnam War than what was actually going on in Vietnam.

At the end of every MUN conference, the winners of certain awards are announced for each committee. The awards include Best Speaking Delegate, Outstanding Speaking Delegate, Honorable Mention Speaking Delegate, and finally Best Position Paper. I am extremely proud to announce that I won the Best Position Paper award for the JCC Government Committee, and I am even more proud to share my position paper with you all. I would like to thank my Mom and Dad for pushing me to write to the best I can and showing me how much hard work pays off. Below, is my paper. Hope you enjoy!

______________________________________

Advaith Shyam, Secretary of Treasury

Eastlake High School

JCC [Govt.]

Topic A | Press at War: Vietnam

 

It’s 1964, and the Vietnam War has been ongoing for the past nine years now. After the retreat of the Japanese forces at the end of World War II, Vietnam was divided on the independence from Western influence. While the communist North Vietnam worked on uniting both the North and the Western-backed South Vietnam, the United States (U.S.) is now involved in the war to prevent the spread of communism, more commonly known as the “Domino Effect”. Due to the rapid increase in media and technology, the Vietnam War is getting covered by many TV news channels and outlets. It began with the reporting of successes of the U.S. military but is slowly evolving into the coverage of losses and bad actions taken by the military and even leaking of confidential government information. This is leading to a significant drop in public and military support. It is imminent for the U.S. government to act soon as this could result in severe economic repercussions as well as an increased number of casualties.

Early in the war, the U.S. government implemented actions to prevent the leaking of confidential information. This was done by instituting special news credentials that allowed the media to cover the right news from the Vietnam War. This was initially done during World War II to boost public morale and to prevent the leaking of confidential military secrets. The use of specific credentials saved millions of dollars that helped the U.S., and the Allies win the war. It is becoming evident that the U.S. cannot stop the media completely from covering the Vietnam War due to the First Amendment of the U.S. constitution that states "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press." Based on abiding to the constitution, the U.S. government cannot censor or suspend the press to cover news regarding the Vietnam War.

Riding on their rising popularity, the news channels in the U.S. are generating significant income from viewership by leaking both good and bad news. Leaked coverage included the Battle of Ap Bac and use of weapons of mass destruction such as the incendiary weapon, Napalm. This is leading to public outrage and enemy forces such as the Viet Cong are now more informed. It is also noteworthy to note from the Secretary of Treasury that the costs of the Vietnam War are skyrocketing to over $100B. This is in addition to the U.S. debt of $312B. Solutions need to be put in place to garner public support, prevent an economic depression, and abiding laws such as the First Amendment.

To solve this problem, the Secretary of the Treasury proposes a regular engagement between the government and the press.  This would lead to transparency in addressing concerns, gain trust from both the press and the public, and to keep the media informed. Additionally, the Secretary is proposing to assign journalists to certain military units from where they can cover and report the war. These journalists will be assigned to a certain military unit, allowed to stay within the premises, and will cover updates only from their assigned group. This will restrict coverage, gain trust, and save costs by eliminating the need to create multiple military operations. Both these solutions will bring the government and the press together and form a partnership to serve the public during this difficult time of the Vietnam War.

_______________________________________

Here is a picture of my award:

Thanks for checking out this post! See you soon and look out for another post.

Sincerely,

Advaith

Elvis: Movie Review

     Hello everyone. I am a huge movie buff and watching them is something I enjoy doing. This past weekend, I had just watched a very popular movie called Elvis. As you can guess, the movie is about the late and great Elvis Presley and his journey of coming to fame. No spoilers, so make sure to read the full review!

    Elvis, directed by Baz Luhrmann, is a spectacle of a film with great acting, awesome music, and wonderful cinematography. It runs for 2 hours and 39 minutes and is filled with very intricate and amazing details. The story pulls all the emotions and wonders from Presley's life and makes the audience enjoy it. Something that I was really amazed and impressed by was the fact that the movie is narrated by Elvis' former manager, Colonel Tom Parker, who is portrayed as the villain in the movie. This was really interesting as usually the protagonist would narrate the story but instead the antagonist narrated this story. The story starts with Elvis Presley's childhood and his interest in music, all throughout his Rock and Roll lifestyle, to his last concert show on June 26, 1977. However, it isn't just about Presley's show life but also about his family and relationships with Colonel Tom Parker. Watching this movie taught me new things that I didn't know about Elvis' life. Movies which teach me stories and new ideas are ones that I really enjoy.

In addition to the story, the overall set designing, costume designing, and editing was great. Watching the detailed settings and types of clothes from over three decades was something that I really appreciated. The editing to this film as well, showing how Americans felt about Elvis Presley and his music was intriguing. The actual music played was out of this world and I had to rewind the movie just to see the singing scenes.

Lastly, I wanted to talk about the acting. The two main actors, Austin Butler and Tom Hanks, played their roles beautifully. Austin Butler portraying as Elvis seemed like it really was Elvis Presley, as Butler got the right voice and mannerisms of the musician. Tom Hanks as the villain, Tom Parker, was top class acting as well as I really felt the character's greed and want for money.

Overall, I found this movie not only fun, but also informative. The music, characters, and story all blended together so well and kept me hooked on to it. However, I do feel that the movie got boring at times and could have used more on how Elvis recorded and created his songs. I would definitely recommend this movie to everyone. I rate it 8/10 stars.

Thanks for reading!

-Adi

Image Citations: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzMzNTJjYmMtZTkxNS00MjI4LWI3YmQtOTQ4MDZjZDJlZjQyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjc0NzQzNTM@._V1_.jpg

https://coreybrownasmedia.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/8-out-of-10-stars.jpg?w=920

My Name

In ancient Sanskrit, it means non-duality.

It reminds me of a bright blue sky.

Or even a lone bird flying above a forest.

The first time that it's read, it comes out like jargon from another planet.

"Adiwhite? Adivith? Bubbaith?"

Raising my hand slowly, I correct all of them.

When my family says it, it sounds perfect like all the pieces of a puzzle fit in.

Sounding like a fresh lemon's zing in your mouth, "Advaith" is said.

It was the name of an ancient saint who shared his ideas with the world courageously.

Having this name, I know that I have courage too like a brave warrior.

Nobody else in the world is like me: distinct and unreplaceable.

I know that for everything, I am capable.

By knowing my name's might.

Unique and one and only; that means Advaith.