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.

The Big Blue

    6:00 p.m.

    The Maldives

    The sunlight shimmered on the bright blue waters of the Maldives. It was early evening, about 6:00. The locals from the town nearby called this hour,  “The Time of Colors.” It was rightly named as it looked like there were a thousand pieces of gold on the ocean surface and that someone painted the sky in a beautiful array of colors. Orange, red, pink, it couldn’t get any better than this.

    “Alright divers, are you ready?” asked Captain Phillips. My dad works for National Geographic as an oceanographer. He’s supposed to take pictures and record different and new species of marine life. He’s kind of like an explorer but under the sea. I was lucky enough to be invited to go on a dive here in the gulf. We were supposed to do he usually does, but I was hoping to find a new species.

“I’m ready alright. Are you ready?” I asked my dad.

He chuckled. “Yep, I’m locked and loaded. You ready for your first dive in the open sea?”

“I have been waiting a long time for this moment.” I exclaimed.

    After several months of diving school, I was very excited. This would be my first wild dive. My dad and I put on our breathers and goggles and positioned ourselves on the edge of the boat.

“3,....2,.....1, you are cleared for the dive.” said Captain Phillips.

    I let myself fall into the water and I cannot explain what I saw next. It was like a whole ‘nother world down under. Except that this world had so many vibrant colors and life. Schools of tropical fish swam by me and dozens of manta rays glided across the waters. Marine life has always amazed me but this was something else. My dad was taking pictures of several bright orange and red coral. I decided to explore a bit. I went through arches of rock and sand. Turtles swam nearby me looking for food. I could see parrotfish, clownfish, angelfish, and so much more. I even saw a lionfish which looks really cool with its spines but I knew not to touch it as it’s poisonous.

    Then, I saw it. The one thing I was hoping to avoid. A whitetip reef shark coming towards my direction. I froze and my eyes opened wide in horror. I knew that this species of shark did not attack humans. They were even used to divers. However, I was still terrified. Anybody would be. I knew the key. Do not provoke it, and you’ll be fine. I just stayed very still and waited for the shark to pass. Luckily, it didn’t even notice me and was just looking for smaller fish.

    I let out a big phew. That was close. I turned around and swam towards my dad. I decided to tell him once we got on the boat. The coral reef that he was looking at was a nice sea green. I paused and looked very closely. I realized that two very rare fish were in one coral reef at the same time! That was amazing. I motioned towards him to quickly note them and take their pictures. I couldn’t believe it! It was a red long nose hawkfish and a black striped and spotted oriental sweetlip. I was overjoyed as I helped find two very rare fish. My dad gave me a thumbs up. We both checked our oxygen tank levels and realized we were running low. I gestured to go back up and he nodded. Once we got back on the boat, my dad gave me a pat on the back and was beaming.

    “Great job! You actually found two rare endangered species. I tagged both of them so Nat Geo will keep a track.” he said

“Thanks a lot. I also encountered a shark but made sure to let it be.”

“You did? Wow, that’s amazing and you knew what to do. I’m proud of you son.”

Captain Phillips then came out of the cabin. “Well kid, how was it?”

“I will never forget this beauty of a place. It was exhilarating.” I said smiling.

“Ah, it’s a wonder.” the captain said as he started the motor.

As we were going back to the island we were staying at, I felt the setting sun on my face. I knew that diving will always be close to my heart.

The Chase

 10:30 a.m., June 6th, 1944

English Channel

D-Day

It was terrifying. I could hear the rounds being fired one after another all around me. The glass cockpit of my Hurricane protected me from the intense, chilly winds of the English Channel but couldn’t defend against the sound of the loud machine guns of the opposing Messerschmitt fighters. I was racking my brain. How can I, Lieutenant Robert McRogan of the Royal Air Force of Great Britain, be afraid? I’m part of the ruling air force in the world! But it truly was scary. 

At any moment, bullets could be going straight through your plane and you would be diving towards the dark blue waters in an instant. Everybody was hoping for the best. This was the day where we would save Europe. We, the Allies, were pushing back the Germans out of France. I could make out the landscape of the Normandy beaches where our boys along with the Americans were storming the German turrets and defenses. I knew that I had to help them. 

As part of the No. 122 “Eagle” Squadron, we had to defend the British and American armies on the ground from incoming German fighters. Without any protection, Operation Overlord as it was called would go to waste. Beep, beep, beep! The one sound I dreaded had finally rung. It was the aircraft detector and I looked behind me. Sure enough, it was a German Messerschmitt fighter chasing after me. I took a deep breath, zipped my bomber jacket, put on my air mask, and dove down. 

I was the best pilot in my squadron. I had 10 recorded kills which I was proud of. Apparently, I was one of the best in all of England which I was amazed as I didn’t feel special. As I dove down with my heart still pounding, I waited until I heard the elevation alert screaming as it was urging me to increase altitude. I decided to pull up as quickly as I could until I was at a decent 10,000 feet. I frantically looked behind, checking if the German aircraft was still pursuing me. My heart started accelerating again once I saw the dark green wing. He’s good. I thought. I needed some expert maneuvers to outmatch this one.

10:45 a.m., June 6th, 1944

English Channel

Maneuver after maneuver ensued. I did a yaw spin, my opponent did a barrel roll. I unleashed a torrent of bullets, he sent a barrage of rockets. But not one weapon would hit each other’s plane. I knew that he also was trying his best to defeat me. But I would not go down without a fight. Just a few weeks back, I had created my own tactic. I called it the “Diving Eagle” and practiced it for hours on end in the free time that I had. I had never used it on the battlefield but I knew that I needed to use it now. I hoped that it wouldn’t fail, but in the air, you never know what could happen. I closed my eyes for a quick second, and dove straight up. As usual, the fighter followed me. But, I shifted the joystick and in a split second I was right behind him. I pressed the trigger as hard as I could and finally, the plane and its pilot dove down.

Rest in peace pilot. I thought to myself. He seemed like a good one and I did respect him. But sadly, he was the enemy. I looked around me and it seemed like my squadron was done with finishing off the opposition. Then, the radio rang.

*Kzzccchh* “Eagle Squadron, our boys on the beach are having a real tough time getting the turrets down. We need you to go to Omaha Beach and support the bombing planes so that the Army can cross the sandbar. Over.”

“Roger that Commander. We’re on our way. Over.” I said.

It was time to go to the center of it all. The beaches.

3, 100, 1700

 Trying to find a pattern between these numbers? Well let me tell you, when you find out what they stand for, you'll be shocked. This winter break, my family and I took a expected 5 day long trip to Los Angeles. We did lots of fun things there such as meet my cousin Siddhanth, go to Disneyland, the LA Museum of Natural History (the biggest in the west coast), The Malibu Hindu Temple, Universal Studios, and more. I had lots of fun. 

Sunday

The day we were supposed to leave which was Sunday, we went to the LA Museum of Natural History. There were many cool exhibits and artifacts in there such as dioramas of African and North American mammals and even skeletons of dinosaurs. We couldn't view the whole museum as it was very large but after we had our fill, we were heading towards the parking lot when my dad got a text message. The message was from Allegiant airlines and it said that our flight was cancelled! We were kind of expecting this since many flights across America were being cancelled due to insufficient crews, the new Omicron COVID variant, and severe snow in Washington. We panicked but calmly decided to eat lunch and then drive to Palm Springs Int. Airport where our flight was supposed to take off from. For lunch, we ate sandwiches from a well known Californian chain called Togo's sandwiches. My mom used to love eating from this shop and the sandwiches were pretty good. After that, we started our drive towards Palm Springs. It took 2 hours to reach the airport. Once we reached there, it was around 5 and it was dark. We had to return our rental car so we did that and then reached the airport. We spent another 2 hours there trying to book a flight the next day and asking the attendants at the booking desks for flight opportunities. Sadly, all the flights for Monday were fully booked. Because of the scarce options, we decided to stay that night at Motel 6 and decide what to do from there. We got a new rental car and drove to the motel. For the next 2 hours, we scoured Expedia, Kayak, Delta, and other airline/travel websites for flights. Not only were they not available, but they were also not coming to the Palm Springs Airport. We looked at many airports from my former house at San Jose to Burbank to San Diego. One airport was available though. Harry Reid Int. Airport at Las Vegas. There were no flights for Monday or Tuesday so we booked an Allegiant flight for Wednesday morning. Also, Las Vegas was only 4 hours away compared to the 7 hours to San Jose. Las Vegas was also where my aunt on my dad's side lived. We could stay at her house until Wednesday and then take the flight back home. My dad then called my aunt and she was overjoyed that we were staying with her. With this good plan in mind, we had a good night's sleep.

Monday

My parents and I got up early so that we could reach Las Vegas fast. We had to return our rental car since we only booked it for one night. But we had another ready. Once we got in the car, we zoomed away from LA. We had to cross the Yucca Valley and Mojave Desert which is between Southeastern California and Southwestern Nevada. The area was so dry and there was barely anybody around. The clouds' shadows created mirages that made it seem like there was water in the distance. It was pretty mind-boggling but cool. I was pretty tired from waking up so early so I took a quick power nap. After 2 and a half hours or so, I woke up to the bright lights of a sign. I looked at it and it said "Wild Bill's Casino and Amusement Park". From this one sign, I knew that we were in Las Vegas. After dropping off our third rental car (we had one before the flight cancellation) at Harry Reid Int. Airport, we called my aunt to let her know that we had arrived. She said that she was here to pick us up and we met her. My dad was super happy to meet her since he hadn't seen her in quite some time. On the drive to my aunt's house, I could see an excellent skyline of The Las Vegas Strip which is a famous road that has a lot of casinos and shops. The rest of the night my family and I just talked and we called many of my relatives. My uncle and cousin were on a skiing trip while my other cousin was doing her medical work in Chicago. I was happy that we were almost going to go home.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, we didn't do much. My aunt helps work at the ISCKON temple in Las Vegas. What is ISCKON? Well it is a Hinduism organization that stands for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Followers of ISCKON worship and celebrate Krishna and Radha. We went to the Las Vegas ISCKON temple and had some very good food there. After that, we all just went home and relaxed. My parents and aunt watched a movie while I watched the new Disney movie Encanto. The movie was really good. For dinner, we just had chaat and bhel puri.

Wednesday

Finally! The day had come where we were going home! Everyone got up early so that we could catch the flight even though it was only at 11:00. As we packed all our bags and were eating our breakfast, my dad got another message. It told us that our flight had been cancelled. Oh no! All of us were super disappointed and angry. Why did our flight have to be cancelled!? As we were searching frantically for flights again, we found one! We quickly looked at the flight details and decided that it was perfect. It was a Delta flight that had one stop at Oakland. We didn't want a stop but we took what was available. It was a 2 hour layover and then from there we would reach Bellingham Int. Airport where we originally left from. We quickly booked the flight and were happy. For the rest of the day, we didn't do much. We just relaxed again and watched movies. In the evening, we got Mediterranean falafel bowls and for desert we got a really cool Japanese/Korean ice cream and cookie.

Thursday

We got up early again and luckily our flight wasn't cancelled. After my aunt dropped us at the airport we said our goodbyes and thanked her for letting us stay at the house. We got through security and then reached our gate. For lunch we bought taco bowls. But as we finished them, we noticed that our flight was delayed by 2 hours! We didn't want to come back very late so we changed our flight once again and then at 2:00, boarded it. After 1 and a half hours, we reached Oakland! Step 1 out of 3 was complete. What were the other two? The other two were board the flight to Bellingham, and then from there complete the 2 hour drive back home to Sammamish. We had a 1 hour layover so we bought Subway for dinner and hungrily ate it. Finally, after what seemed like a long time, we boarded the Bellingham-bound flight and took off! After 2 hours and 20 minutes, we reached the airport! I was overjoyed to be back in Washington. Step 2 out of 3 was complete. My uncle had come to pick us up and he also brought some shovels to get the snow and ice off our car. The whole airport and parking lot was covered in snow and it took 20 minutes to get the snow off our car. Once that was done, my mom and dad hopped in our car and I drove with my uncle since I wanted to talk to him. After telling my uncle all about our trip, I was pretty sleepy so I slept for most of the ride. I eventually woke up right before we reached our community, Timberline. I was amazed since the whole place was covered in lots of snow; more than the previous years. When we reached home, fireworks and celebration music played in my head since we finally reached home! Step 3 out of 3 was complete. The house was cold but after letting the heater on for a couple of minutes, the place warmed up. I slept very soundly after coming back home.

Phew! That was quite an adventure. The mysterious numbers stand for 3 cancelled flights, 100+ hours spent overdue in our trip, and 1700 miles travelled in total. I enjoyed writing about my winter break trip and I'll see you in the next post. See ya!

                                                                                  Sincerely,

                                                                                      Adi

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everybody! I am look forward to the new 2022 year and am happy that there are many chances and opportunities for good things in this year. I believe that this will be a great year and I'm looking forward to spending this year with my friends and family and you readers via my blog. Have a great year and I will see you in the next post!

                                                                          Sincerely,

                                                                               Adi