.... King laid aside his scepter, the staff of Niord, and surrendered to the new power: Kaid. Imperial Kaid, at that time, was an emerging culture from the sandy banks of the River Namm. Because Kaid lies in a veritable desert wasteland, the Kaidites were protected from enemy attack, until one day they burst forth in a conquering fury, and none in their path could withstand them. The Kaidites brought with them their strange customs and gods. The supreme Tamian god, Niord, god of light and fury, was replaced with the warlike Helk. Ahrimal the forked-tongue had a temple right against the wall of the Palace itself. Tamian gods, save for Nio .....

.... my life soon would change forever. After spending nine years in Vietnam, our family moved to a totally different environment. This I knew would be my toughest challenge to date. As a third grader attending a new elementary school in a new country, I felt left out because of my inability to communicate and adapt with the environment. Some kids assumed that I did not understand them at all, so they made rude remarks about me and my race. I understood them, maybe not completely, but I knew the intent of their messages. All that I had was my Apple II computer at which I just sat and programmed when I came home from school. At home, my parent .....

.... five bell peppers, several herbs and a peach tree named Packwood (named after creeping under my skirt once too often). Everything was going along nicely. Then we went on vacation.... We came back to find a sea of green. Tomatoes covered everything. We had to transplant two of the eggplants, and we lost the one with the red and white stripes. Most of the herbs had disappeared. The peppers and Packwood were ok, but we hadn't planted any tomatoes in that box. But the tomatoes in the next box over were trying to invade it. Tomatoes overflowed everywhere. After a few weeks of picking, I noticed a few things. The first was how .....

.... and see the animals then probably eat some more. Daddy was a bit tense and growly, his usual demeanor when traffic was thick as it was on that Friday morning. "Everyone and their Grandma is on this one road to Denver," he grumbled. My Daddy is claustrophobic. He hates traffic which is the main reason I think we moved long ago to Wyoming, the land of wide-open spaces. "You can drive more than a hundred miles on a Wyoming highway without seeing another car," Daddy would often brag. That was not the case, however, in Colorado. The cars were lined up one after another, traveling 75 miles per hour, to the horizon and beyond. We passeng .....

.... Following my socks I put my jeans on, both legs at once. I then put on my shoes, right then left. I put on my shirt which is always 100% cotton. Now that I'm dressed it is time to fix my hair. I pull my hair up using three clips, a big one and two small ones, all made by Goody. The big clip holds the majority of my hair, while the two smaller ones hold down my fly away wings. I do not use hair spray. Once I have finished my hair, I can do my makeup. My makeup is the last step in getting ready. I use and apply it in this order; Lancome black eye liner, Estee Lauder's Blush All Day, Natural Cheek color03 Rosemarble, Lancome black Magnif .....

.... extra study time on that subject. Also, I could get better at basketball by staying after practice and working on my weaknesses. I will do anything to improve. Self-discipline is another key in my goal to achieve. Self-discipline is a matter of how hard I am willing to work when no one else is watching or grading me. I must discipline myself to keep my focus and maintain a positive outlook that is sometimes difficult in the life of a teenager. I determine my performance by my attitude. No one ever gets anywhere by being negative. I also make sure that I involve myself with people and an environment that will help me, instead of bri .....

.... about how exciting it would be if we won the lottery, as well on how we would spend all the money. The talk consisted of where we would go and how to invest it, and what type of vehicles we would go out and buy, along with our new house. Then the phone rang and brought us back to realty, after the phones call we both agreed that it would be to win, but it will never happen. As we sat there on the couch, the lottery came on the TV. Suddenly silence fell over both of us as they started the machine that holds all the lottery balls, my adrenaline started pumping, as I sat there with anticipation. When the first ball came rolling out my heart ju .....

.... the Role Model award for my entire school. I received a bike and a plaque that I still have today. These examples prove that when you are a leader people do notice. Being vocal on the football field and basketball court are also examples of my natural leadership. Saying something that needs to be said or leading by example prove my teamwork abilities. I have participated in many community service activities in my community through school and church. I am a member of my schools Service Club. One of our activities was to buy gifts for needy children. I also raked leaves for seniors and delivered food to their homes. I was also .....

.... and sisters. The couple filled a pot with water and started to boil it. Once the water was ready they put the mother chicken in when she was still alive. The little chicks had just seen their mother die and suffer, so they were really sad. The oldest one was so sad that he jumped in the pot right after her mother did and the rest followed him. The monk saw this and felt sorry for them and felt that it was his fault. He made the little chicks who cared so much for their mother into stars in the sky in order to honor them. The constellation that the stars form now are known as the Big Dipper. .....

.... privileges. I would set a bag of fast- food down on my dresser or bed and turn on the TV or radio. My small ceramic Christmas tree blinked on and off all night. I could hear other people in the house milling around or talking but I felt like an intruder if I joined in. My parents called once a week and I talked to my boyfriend everyday for awhile. A feeling of distance seemed to come between my parents and I. After the initial 'how are you' and the weather conditions at each location there just wasn't much to say. Instead of independent I was beginning to feel detached. When my parents asked what I wanted for Christmas I went b .....