Rujuta's Post

The Picchetti Winery

By: Rujuta Munshi

Over the spring break, I did many fun things. I went to P.E.P. for the first week and I stayed home the second week. I had sleepovers with my friends and lots of other fun, but my most favorite thing was going on a hike to Picchetti Winery with my friends. At the winery, we saw a peacock with all its feathers spread out. We also saw another one ¬near the shed. When we started the trail and got to the lake, we saw newts, salamanders, and tadpoles. Some people were catching the tadpoles to observe and then letting then go. My friend and I helped catch the tadpoles with our hands. When our parents told us we had to move on, we let the tadpoles free and went to the next trail, which took us up a hill that was very steep. We slipped many times but we finally made it. When we finished the hike we went back to where the peacocks were and when one of them saw us again it started making sounds and unfolded its feathers and then we had to go back home. What did you do over the spring break? Was it exciting or not?

Vinitra's Post

International ‘Creepy’ Cuisine

By: Vinitra Swamy

When I say International cuisine, I am sure you can imagine the delightful Thai cuisine, spicy Indian curries, flavorful Mexican cuisine, cheesy Italian pasta, colorful Japanese Sushi and so on. But have you heard of some creepy International cuisine?

People from all over the world have been eating various kinds of foods since long time back. In fact, some of these foods are so special and rare, that they have become part of their culture. Let me introduce you to some such strange and creepy foods.

Scorpions:
Yes! Scorpions! It is an Asian delicacy. People in Hong Kong, pickle the scorpions in wine, then deep fry it before eating them. To top that, some people in China, eat scorpions alive!!! Chefs get these scorpions drunk by giving them alcohol before serving them live to the guests.

Crickets:
In our neighboring Mexico, people fry crickets, then dust it in chili powder and other spices for a delicious crunchy snack. If you have been to Mexico, you can see people selling these delicacies by the bagful on street corners.

Tarantulas:
In Thailand, people eat Tarantulas! Yes, they are poisonous and big. They roast these hairy scary creatures and serve it with coconut cream and lime leaves. I would like a piece of Tiramisu with coconut cream and lime leaves instead.

Bats:
People even eat bats. That’s right, bats! Poor Stellaluna! People of Guam (an island near Japan) boil whole bats and eat them. Some bats have wingspans of three feet and weigh about three pounds. They even leave the fur and the wings on when they boil the bats. Imagine the size of the pot in which they are boiling it!

Are you ready to try any of these delicacies? The scariest thing for me is to eat a scorpion alive or even to watch someone eating it alive. Which is the scariest food for you? Do you know of any other creepy foods to add to my list?

Lights, Camera, Action!

Vacation To Mars

Our play practice will be starting up right when we get back from April break with auditions. You must have your dialogue memorized and be able to sing along with the music. In order for you to practice over the break, I've included the music to the song in this post. Sign-ups for auditions will be the week we get back. I want to encourage EVERYONE to sign up. Our play is going to be fabulous!!!
Are you nervous or excited? Tell me why! What part of the play did you like the most? Funniest part? What part would you like to have?

Amulya's Post

MY LAST BIRTHDAY!!! (in the U.S.)
By: Amulya Raju

Today, March 31, is my last birthday in the U.S. I will be moving to India on May 17. In other words, my last day at Portal will be May 9. Yesterday, Sunday, I had my 10th birthday. I invited all my friends. My birthday took place in Westfield Valley Fair Mall. At the mall we were going to go on a scavenger hunt. My friends came to our house then we took them there. At my house, we chose teams. One team was called The Pink Butterflies (PB). The other team that I was in was The Wierd Banana Slugs (WBS). When we first got to the mall, we went to PICTURE PEOPLE, a photo studio. Since we had some time left, we tried to finish our first clue. I remember that PB went to the childrens place to find a cute spring outfit for me that was under $30. WBS went to Sanrio to find all the characters they were selling. After the picture, we tried to finish the other clues. At the end of the first round, the PB finished first. The final round was the hardest. The PB went to LIMITED TOO to find clothes that matched with the picture given. WBS went to the tricky one answering ?s about the APPLE products. At the end, we got to buy our own things at either SANRIO or CLAIRS. I got a Hello Kitty saying March 31 on it. After that, we ate ice cream. I had eaten Cotton Candy with Kool-Aid Munch Crunch. Whe I opened the gift cards from each of the teams, I found that I got $20 for SANRIO (yes!) and LIMITED TOO (boo-yah) each. When we got back home everyone got a present. Oh dear, I forgot to tell you something really important. Yesterday, when I woke up, my brother & dad suprised me with a Nintendo DS lite!!!! If it was your birthday, and you could make one wish, what would it be? Why would you chose that?