Allegiant! (The final book in the Divergent trilogy!)

Allegiant: [uh-lee-juhnt] 1. Adjective: Loyal; Faithful 2. Noun: A faithful follower; adherent. 

Announced on April 17, Allegiant is the title of the third and final book in the Divergent series! It was announced by Veronica Roth herself, the author the the popular trilogy, on her twitter page, in her bio. (The link can be found here). I am so excited! I DEFINITELY recommend this book series. It is phenomenal. Let me try and brief you in, and summarize the first book, without giving any spoilers.\
  
Divergent is set in Chicago...or more specifically, a post-apocalyptic Chicago. The story follows a girl named Beatrice. The city is divided into five factions, each one assigned for a specific trait. You are born into the faction that your parents live in. When you turn sixteen, however, you have the choice to change factions. You are given an aptitude test before that, though, to determine which faction you are most likely to fit best in. The five factions are as follows: Amity: The Peaceful, Erudite: The Intelligent, Candor: The Honest, Abnegation: The Selfless, and Dauntless: The Brave (To take a fan-made aptitude test, click here. You must have a Facebook account and Java installed...or use Photon on the iPad). The story follows Beatrice Prior, a girl from Abnegation. She is turning sixteen, and as the book says, one choice can transform you.

The final book comes out on October 22 of this year (2013, if you've been under a rock). I also have an exclusive cover of Allegiant! It is unknown if this is the real cover, or if it is just fan-made. Either way, it makes me even more excited for the book. Here it is (on the right)! In the center of the book, above the word "Allegiant" you will see the two clasped hands. That is the sign for Abnegation: The Selfless. Below this text are some other pictures. Anyways, that is it for this post! Talk to you guys soon! -Nate
 

26 Questions Tag! (Collab with The Green Plumber!)

Hey everyone out there! I decided to collab with The Green Plumber. She owns a blog about Mario and Luigi, so go check her blog out HERE! This is how it works: I'll be posting one half on here, while she has the other half.

The Questions:
1. Do you have any pets?
Nate: Yep! I have two dogs, whose names are Rosie and Luah. Luah is a Catahoula, and we don't know what Rosie is. We got them both at the Humane Society, and they're pretty old. Rosie likes to eat yummy foods, while Luah will eat just about anything.
      Luah has a low platelet-count, and she is on medication. She also tore her ACL in one hind leg, causing her to limp on the other leg, which weakened that one as well. She underwent electrical surgery, where the veterinarians used electrical shocks to "heal" her legs. She walks okay now, but she gets exhausted pretty fast.
      Rosie is a very cunning and I consider her smart. She knows how to open doors, cabinets, and I sometimes talk to her, haha. Once, she escaped from my mom's ex-boyfriend's apartment by opening the door, AND closing it (with the lock in place, so the door was locked and no soul could enter). She fled across the street, and we found her in a Lowe's parking lot, with her paws bleeding, drinking from a pond thing.
Sam: Yes, I have six fish. They're all African cichlids, and their names
are Chiquita, Jewel, Napoleon, Steve, Peacock, and Tiger.

2. Name 3 things physically close to you.
Nate: I have my water bottle, my backpack, and my friend, Sam.
Sam: My iPad, a biology textbook, and my friend Nate.

3. What's the weather like right now?
Nate: Blue skies, a single cloud, and hot. (According to the weather, it should be raining).
Sam: It's pretty cloudy. The community lightning alarm went off a little
while ago. But, of course, the sun is still peeking out through the
clouds and it's still as hot as ever.
Nate: Wait...what?! I thought it was clear...

4. Do you drive, and if so, have you crashed?
Nate: No.
Sam: I do not drive. I don't even have a permit.

5. What time did you wake up this morning?
Nate: I woke up around 6:18 A.M.
Sam: I woke up at 6:15 to turn off my alarm clock, but then I went back to
bed until 6:30.

6. When was the last time you showered?
Nate: I showered last night (as explained in my previous questions tag).
Sam: This morning.

7. What was the last movie you saw?
Nate: I saw 42, a biography/true story about Jackie Robinson. It was great.
Sam: The Game Plan, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

8. What does your last SMS / text message say?
Nate: "RU guys in the locker room?? (to my friends that take a long time to change)"
Sam: "I'm at the beach, chillin'." Even though I'm not.

9. What is your ring-tone?
Nate: I don't have a ringtone...it's usually just on vibrate (I have a really old phone. FUN FACT: I've never had a phone until I was a freshman in High School, which is now. I needed one so that my mom could call me when she got here to pick me up). If this question refers to other people's ringtones for whenever I call them, then my mom's is "What Makes you Beautiful" by One Direction...haha.
Sam: Whatever standard ringtone came with my phone. I don't even know what it's called.

10. Have you ever been to a different country?
Nate: Nope! I don't even have a passport haha (SAD FACT: My mom went with her boyfriend to the Bahamas...without me, since I didn't have a passport).
Sam: Nope. Never. I've been to a bunch of different states, though.

11. Do you like sushi?
Nate: I don't really like it....the concept is awesome, and I'll eat the seaweed, but not the raw stuff. I do eat Califorinia Rolls every once in a while.
Sam: NO.

12. Where do you buy your groceries?
Nate: It varies from Publix and Walmart, to Aldi.
Sam: Publix.

13. Have you ever taken medication to fall asleep?
Nate: Yes, when I was really sick. Nighttime medication for when you're sick is to help you sleep, and for symptoms, right?
Sam: Nope.

That's it everyone! I hope you enjoyed...I did. If you haven't already, go and check out the other half on Sam's blog! The 26th question is my favorite! Until next time...bye! -Nate

My Taylor Swift concert experience!!

Hey everyone! So I went to the Taylor Swift concert at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida....and I'll tell you what: it was fantastic. The sets were elaborate, the "prequels" to each song were thoughtful, and most of all, Taylor Swift herself, along with Ed Sheeran, are both striking entertainers and artists.

Alright so I'll go ahead and tell you about MY experience. So I got the tickets for Christmas as a present, and I was pretty stoked. Taylor Swift is one of my many inspirations, just because she is so down to earth, and chooses to ignore the haters that constantly bully her (you GO Tay Tay!).

I was pretty occupied with school and everything, so I didn't have time to make a poster...until the day of the actual concert (Wednesday, April 10, 2013). I did have homework that day, but I made the unwise decision to start doing that at 1:30 A.M. the next day.Anyways, the posters my mom's ex-boyfriends sister and I made were pretty awesome. One reads "I will be enchanted to meet you," and the other just says "
"RED," which is the name of her album and tour.

While in the car to Miami, we still had to finish up the posters, since they were only a little past half done. On the drive there, I ate chicken tenders and macaroni and cheese...with a piece of bread. It was a makeshift dinner that my mom picked up from Publix, since we were running a little late to the show. When we got there, there were swarms of people densely squished into the admissions area where they check your bags and stuff to let you in. I say densely squished, because it literally was very tightly squished.

Once we got in, there were these cool lined-up television screen things that had ads and Taylor Swift on them, and they were pretty rad. I wish I had gotten a picture at that...but there were so many people hoarding it I didn't get a chance to :(

We had to go up a few flights of stairs, to the top floor I believe, in order to get to our seats. The seats weren't that bad..they were pretty far up, though (Section 309, Row 7, Seat 12 and 11).

There were two opening acts: Brett Eldredge and Ed Sheeran. They were both amazingly talented, and pretty entertaining. For all you Ed Sheeran fans (Sheerios) out there...he sang "Give me Love", "You need me but I don't need you", "Lego House", and of course "The A Team."

The lights suddenly switched off. Screams could be heard from all over the stadium. Tension was rising. Anticipation. There was a RED stage sign thing ascending to the ceiling. It read "TAYLOR SWIFT: RED", flashing red lights that illuminated the crowd. Everyone was in this mental state, waiting for her to appear. Then there she was: her silhouette reflecting across the red curtains on the stage. Cheers and hollers echoed throughout the stadium. The music to the first track on the album "State of Grace" played to our heart's and ear's delight. I'm walkin' fast through the traffic lights...busy streets and busy lives and all we know...is touch and go. We are alone with our changing minds. We fall in love till it hurts or bleeds, or fades in time. Taylor's smooth, angelic voice lifted the room, and made it feel like the stadium itself was rocking. It was mesmerizing. 

The songs she played from her album "RED" were Red, State of Grace, Treacherous, All Too Well, 22, I Knew you were Trouble, Stay Stay Stay, Holy Ground, The Lucky One, Begin Again, We are Never Ever Getting Back Together, and Everything Has Changed ft. Ed Sheeran (she may have played Starlight...I'm not exactly sure though). From previous albums, she played Today was a Fairytale, You Belong with Me, Love Story, and Sparks Fly. She also performed a cover of "Ho Hey" by the Lumineers (maybe because the track has lines similar to You Belong with Me? I belong with you, you belong with me...)

The sets for each song were just captivating. Some were of little tinker-toys, escaping from a toy box (Love Story). Another, a haunted mansion with stormy weather, and with a masquerade-type feel. A rockin' violinist opened for it... (I Knew you were Trouble). Then there was a paparazzi dance sequence (The Lucky One). Next was an all-out dance party (22). Oh! I almost forgot about the flaunting red dresses and the flag bearers folding RED flags. And lastly...a circus with parasols and a ring-master costume.

Before her songs, she said a little speech about it. I loved how she did this, because they were great life lessons. This included that people will never outgrow their mean trait (Taylor explains how she thought when you became an adult, people will leave you alone and stop with the hate and bullying. Now, they're just in different forms, like the paparazzi and unreliable tabloids, just spreading fake rumors).

I also saw many other posters at the concert. Some read "LIKE EVER", from her song "We are Never ever Getting back Together", and "13" which is her favorite number. Most posters were either "22", or "RED". I could tell which people were super-rich, just by their posters. They were all fancy...bright LED lights that could be seen miles away. The clothes I saw were also pretty...different as well. A lot of people had the Taylor "RED" album cover shirt on (which is what I was going to wear, until Sarah, my friend that accompanied me to the concert, gave me a neon-green tee to wear). Some people were a bit adventurous, sporting tutus and dresses. I even saw three 7-10 year-old girls wearing LIGHT UP tutus. They lit up!!

Now for my Merch Haul! I literally stood in a clump of people for about 20 minutes, waiting to buy what I wanted. It was very miserable...there wasn't any air conditioning, I was coming in contact with these things they call "humans"...they were all practically breathing down your back. It wasn't fun. Once my friend, Sarah, got to the stand, I told her what I wanted, and gave her money to pay for it. I got a RED scarf, with Taylor Swift written in the middle, and her songs from the album all stitched in around it. I also bought a RED tour shirt, and a poster. Apparently, that all cost $60...very expensive merch.You can buy some of the merch here.

And that's all to it! I hope you enjoyed reading, as much as I enjoyed this concert.

50 Questions Tag!

Hey everyone! So I thought it would be fun and easy to do a questions tag...just some random stuff that I'll answer. Feel free to copy/paste the questions from the website found here and comment some answers!(Click Here)

1. Where were you 3 hours ago?  I was eating breakfast with my mom.
2. Who are you in love with? Nobody...unless you count celebrities, which I don't really count as love. I love my family and friends, though.
3. Have you ever eaten a crayon? Nope. Never.
4. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? Yes! I have a pink rubber band...and a Victoria Secret Box that holds some of my paintings that I need to hang up in my room.
5. When is the last time you went to the mall? I actually went to the mall today, right after breakfast haha.
6. Are you wearing socks right now? Yup! They're white.
7. Does your family have a car worth over $2,000? Uhhh...yeah!?
8. When was the last time you drove out of town? I think it was when I went to Gainesville to see a UF football game...but I don't remember when (maybe sometime last year).
9. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days? No, although I went to see the Host last Friday.
10. Are you hot? Temperature wise? No. Looks wise? No (BUT...if people are hotter than me, then I'm cooler than them, haha).
11. What was the last thing you had to drink? Water.
12. What are you wearing right now? A black tee from Forever 21, and some blue shorts.
13. Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it? I don't have a car...but I would let the car wash do it.
14. Last food that you ate? I had breakfast. I ate a pumpernickel bagel, scrambled eggs, hash browns, two chocolate-chip pancakes, and bacon (FUN FACT: Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, if you haven't noticed).
15. Where were you last week at this time? I don't remember...probably doing some last-minute homework that I procrastinated to do on Saturday.
16. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week? At the mall, I bought two sweaters, some khaki pants, and a sweatshirt.
17. When is the last time you ran? On Friday, during P.E..?
18. What's the last sporting event you watched? I don't watch many sports, so no.
19. What is your favorite animal? I like tigers and sea turtles.
20. Your dream vacation? I want to go to Bora Bora, or the UK (I'm going to LA this summer! Yay!).
21. Last person's house you were in? I went to my grandmother's house on Friday.
22. Worst injury you've ever had? I've never had a big injury...so I would say none.
23. Have you been in love? No...BUT Love is a ruthless game, unless you play it good and right- Taylor Swift.
24. Do you miss anyone right now? I think it's in human nature that you always miss someone. I do.
25. Last play you saw? Wicked.
26. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex? My smile? I have really pretty teeth.
27. What are your plans for tonight? Eat dinner, and then fold clothes and watch The Amazing Race (Go #TeamYoutube! I'm rooting for you, Joey and Meghan!)
28. Who is the last person you sent a MySpace message or comment? Is MySpace still a thing?! I don't even know.
29. Next trip you are going to take? I'm going to LA in the summer, hopefully.
30. Ever go to camp? No.
31. Were you an honor roll student in school? I'm still in school, and I just got honor roll.
32. What do you want to know about the future? I want to know what I will end up doing in my life (as in my occupation).
33. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne? Yeah, I'm wearing the cologne from Hollister. I just love the smell in there (FUN FACT: When I was little, my mom would push me in the little stroller through Hollister, while I ate Mrs. Fields cookies. Hollister has a sentimental connection with me, haha)
34. Are you due sometime this year for a doctor's visit?  Yes, I go every year in October, or November, I think.
35. Where is your best friend? Right now, I think she's in Hong Kong. Her name is Valerie.

She travels a lot (we were friends since we were little. In the picture, she's on the right. That was when I had really long hair).
36. How is your best friend? She's doing okay. She's coming down to Florida to visit in the summer, around July 17.
37. Do you have a tan? Yes, but I consider it more of a skin problem. I used to be really pale, but now I'm really dark [insert sad Nate here]. I don't like my skin color now.
38. What are you listening to right now? Nothing at the moment. I've been listening to Taylor Swift's new album, RED.
39. Do you collect anything? I collect seashells.
40. Who is the biggest gossiper you know? My entire school gossips a lot. In fact, I wonder what people think about me...
41. Last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over? I don't drive.

42. Have you ever drank your soda from a straw? Yes. (FUN FACT: Did you know that the little can-lid thing on soda cans is to hold the straw?!)
43. What does your last text message say? "Do you need milk?" I replied "I have a half of a half gallon." (FUN FACT: I just recently started drinking 2% milk. I have always drank whole milk, until now).
44. Do you like hot sauce? I'm not a fan of spicy foods. I like soy-sauce though.
45. Last time you took a shower? Last night. (I take showers at night because it makes more sense. I mean, yes you can take a shower in the morning to freshen up, but you're basically sleeping in all of the germs that you accumulated throughout the day).
46. Do you need to do laundry? I just did my laundry. I do the laundry on weekends.
47 What is your heritage? I am Asian? Specifically, Chinese.
48. Are you someone's best friend? I hope so...
49. Are you rich? No. My mom is actually in a financial crisis...she can't afford to drop me off at school, which is 30-40 mins away, and then my mom has to go to work, which is in the opposite direction, about an hour away.
50. What were you doing at 12AM last night? I was reading a series I've liked since Middle-School. It's called the Kingdom Keepers, and it's about five kids who venture throughout the Disney Parks at night.

That's it guys! I hope you enjoyed reading this...I had fun answering questions. Anyways, have a happy rest of your Sunday!

Let's Talk Movies!!

Hey everyone! So I just wanted to talk about some movies, and give some reviews. I'll post the trailers to these movies as well (if any), and maybe get you interested. Just so you know, I am not a big movie fan/junkie. I rarely watch movies, but when I do, they turn out to be really good. Some movies, I want to go see, but I just don't like the crowds and the whole "cinema experience" (you know...the kid that always kicks your seat, the sick person that decides to sneeze on you, etc.).

     As for my movie taste, I generally like a good plot. I noticed that I've been watching many post-apocalyptic movies and TV shows, as well as reading post-apocalyptic books too. Some post-apocalyptic books that I've read and LOVED are The Hunger Games trilogy, and the Divergent trilogy. I also like sob/tragic stories, like Marley and Me, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. although I have still yet to watch The Notebook. Action, Mystery, Fantasy, and Comedy are all great movie genres that I can never turn down. One genre that I am not typically fond of is Horror. I never really watched scary movies. When I was little, I usually just watched The Matrix and Charlie's Angels, along with your typical Disney movies (I LOVED Aladdin. I still do).

     Okay so on to the movies!! A movie I really enjoyed was The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Now, a wallflower is a connotation, and not just a pretty flower. It's a name you give people that are observant, one who "clings to walls" at school dances, etc. I would probably be considered a wallflower, since I only have a few good friends and I am not the social person that I try to be. I might also be over-observant...to the point where it may be considered eavesdropping... Anyways, this movie is just amazing. It's a tale of a wallflower, a freshman teen in high school named Charlie. He struggles with socialization, but all he really wants are good friends. There's a lot more to it than that, though, but I feel like if I say what, then it'll be a spoiler of sorts. I don't like when people give spoilers away..it's a pet peeve of mine. (P.S. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is also a book).

Next is The Hunger Games!!! Now, I love Los Juegos Del Hambre. It is such a tragic story...and the movie portrays that elegantly. I loved every single part of it. It is a post-apocalyptic movie, meaning the setting is after some sort of apocalypse, or just like another version of our world. After the last rebellion, the Capitol, which is basically the government, creates the Hunger Games. "And it was decreed that each year, each of the twelve districts of Panem must offer up one courageous man and woman between the ages of 12 and 18 to be trained in the art of survival, and to be prepared to fight to the death." This implies that there are 24 tributes in total, one man and woman between the ages of 12 and 18, with a total of 2 from each of the 12 districts. Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist of the story, faces these challenges in getting reaped from her district (spoiler!?). That is all I'm giving away. You'll just have to read the books (it's a book, FYI) or watch the movie to find out more!

Now I am reviewing The Host! I actually just saw it yesterday, and it was pretty good. It is another post-apocalyptic movie about "aliens" or foreign life forms that come to take over Earth...but not in the way you think. These life forms look like spirit flowers (similar to the ones in Avatar), and they occupy human hosts, kinda like viruses and diseases. When you are infected with the "alien", you are under their control; forced to live the perfect society in which they have recreated Earth to be. They take over the human mind and body. The story follows the character of Melanie Stryder, who becomes infected with the alien and is a host. That is really all I can give away, but trust me, it's an intriguing story. Since this book was written by the same author that wrote Twilight it has a similar concept: the love triangle. I personally don't like Twilight, but the love triangle isn't as present in The Host.

That's it! I actually wanted to talk about the Divergent movie...ooh! Although, there really is no trailer, just the castings. I decided not to talk about it for that reason (but in my opinion, Theo James is too old to play Tobias! Just saying...but since Veronica Roth herself approves, then we'll see). Talk to you soon! -Nate