Studio Ghibli Drawing Class

Studio Ghibli Drawing Class

By Izzy

7/31/20

Today Ethan and I had our second week of an online Studio Ghibli drawing class. Studio Ghibli is a Japanese Animation studio that has made many well-known and beloved movies such as My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, and more. The class is 5 weeks long and we learn how to draw different characters each week. Each class advances in detail and the characters get more complicated. The teacher makes an instructional video leading us through the drawing exercises for the different characters. 

    For our first week, we started out with the easiest characters from My Neighbor Totoro, the Soot Sprites or "makkuro kurosuke." I tried drawing them with a felt tip pen, but I thought they looked best with a charcoal pencil because the color was the most true to soot. In My Neighbor Totoro, they don't have arms or legs but in Spirited Away they have arms, legs, or both like the picture below. We then learned how to draw the Bird and the Mouse from Spirited Away. It seemed hard to draw at first, but the teacher broke it down into steps and shapes that were easy to draw. After I outlined it in pen, I colored it with colored pencils and I'm proud of how it turned out.

These are the makkuro kurosuke.                    The Bird and the Mouse from Spirited Away.

    For our second class today, we started out by drawing the Kodama from Princess Mononoke. They are pretty simple characters but are fun to draw because of all the different ways to draw them. We did three different characters, all in different positions. Next, we drew Calcifer from Howl's Moving Castle. He is a talking flame and one of my favorite Studio Ghibli characters. He was a bit harder to draw because I had to try a few times to get the flame outline right. We are supposed to draw four versions with different expressions, but I've only done one so far. As you can see from the picture of my drawing, we use a circle as a base for Calcifer. You then draw some jagged lines around the circle's outline and draw the big flame line.     Our last character for this week is Jiji from Kiki's Delivery Service. He's a cute talking cat who accompanies Kiki on her adventures. We are also drawing four versions of Jiji with different expressions. I haven't finished the first face yet but will soon. I am so excited to be learning to draw these characters because I love all of the movies and have been watching them since I was little. In 2017 I got to go to Japan and visited the Studio Ghibli Museum which was so cool! I really hope to go back soon, as soon as it's safe of course.

 

These are the Kodama.                                        This is Calcifer from Howl's Moving Castle.

                                                

                                                                    This Jiji.

                                                        These are my Kodama drawings.

My first drawing of Calcifer.

                                                    My unfinished first drawing of Jiji.

Which sports are safe to return? By Ethan V.

                                               Which Sports Are Safe to Return?                             7-31-20

By Ethan V.

    Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many group sports have been postponed because of the risk of infection. But some sports are beginning to come back and you might wonder about how safe the different sports are. The safest way for teams to get back to playing is to only practice individual drills, but together as a team. The highest risk for most sports is full competition between two teams from different areas.

    Personally, I play for the San Diego Sharks Basketball Team and they have been trying to get us back to do individual drills but haven't gotten a permit to be allowed to. I haven't played with my team since March and COVID-19 cases in San Diego are still high, so I only expect to have to wait longer until I can play basketball again.

    One of the safest sports to play during the COVID-19 pandemic is Tennis.  Izzy and I went to a Tennis camp during COVID-19 and saw that there are very few ways to spread the virus from playing the game. One reason it is safer is because you use your own racket. Also, if you are playing singles you are a lot more than 6 feet apart and on opposite sides of the court. Another good thing is that the only object you and your opponent both touch is the tennis ball, and as long as you use hand sanitizer and wash your hands you should be safe. 

    It's too bad that Jiji isn't around because we could play tennis with him.

Why I Should Get a Puppy Part 2

Why I Shoud Get a Puppy Part 2

By Izzy

7/30/20

One of the cutest puppies I've seen on Petfinder is a Chihuahua Terrier mix so I decided to read up on both breeds. The puppy's name is Fuzz and she's 4 months old. I want a smaller dog that I can cuddle with, which is why Fuzz would be perfect -- she's estimated to be around 15 pounds fully grown. Fuzz is a blend of Chihuahua and Airdale Terrier, which petguide.com says makes a playful, protective, energetic dog. 

    The Airdale Terrier is known as an athletic and intelligent dog. Some cons of having an Airdale Terrier are that they can be very vocal, stubborn when training, and they are very active and need a lot of exercise. They also have a more wiry coat so they don't shed as much, which would be amazing compared to the amount of Noodle's fur we find everywhere. 

    I generally don't like Chihuahuas because they aren't the cutest, but after some further reading I learned that they are pretty easy to train because they like to please their owners. I also read that they don't need much exercise because they are so small and are pretty good watchdogs even though they are tiny. Some cons are that they aren't as easy to house train and need a lot of attention. Since Fuzz is a mix, you can't be sure which traits she would have from each breed but her description says she's sweet, smart, and good with other dogs.

    I also looked up training a puppy to get along with guinea pigs. A promising article from wagwalking.com said, "Many dogs are perfectly suited to living in peace with guinea pigs despite their instincts for hunting." I think that raising the puppy around the guinea pigs wouldn't be too hard with strategies like letting the puppy smell the guinea pigs' scent from the door as thenest.com suggests. An article about teaching your new dog to get along with your current dog from puplife.com says that most adult dogs will growl at puppies when they're too playful but it's necessary to set boundaries. Noodle isn't a super friendly dog so we would have to make sure that they get along before we took the puppy home. He's growled at other dogs who aren't even puppies, so our biggest concern is him not liking the puppy. 

Chihuahua                                               +     Airdale Terrier                                        =

                                                    Fuzz, one of the cutest puppies ever

Why I Want a Puppy

Why I Should Get a Puppy

By Izzy

7/29/20

Since Ethan wrote about why he thinks we shouldn't get a puppy, I'm going to tell you all the reasons I think we should.

    During lock down, many more people have been adopting puppies (or dogs) and some shelters have even completely cleared out their kennels. Since we're all spending so much time at home, many people have found it's the perfect time to bring a new pet home. I know puppies are a lot of work, but since we're at home I'd have even more time to take care of it. I've never had a puppy before and really want to have the experience of raising a dog and training them from the beginning. I know I'm very responsible and would make sure to research all the information for training a puppy. I am willing to wake up early to take it on walks and clean up accidents. (My dad is probably thinking right now that I should be helping more with Noodle, our current dog, and if that's what I have to do to convince you Dad then I will. ;)) I used to walk Noodle every day with Ethan after school and I'll do it again (if Noodle will walk with us -- he's pretty stubborn!). The point is, I'll basically do anything to get a puppy.

    I do have guinea pigs (Boba and Sesame) to take care of, but if we got a puppy I'd make sure to train them to be okay with each other. I think that getting a puppy and training it to like the guinea pigs would be easier than getting an adult dog and hoping we could train it. Taking care of the guinea pigs and a puppy might seem like a lot but I'm up for the challenge. I think I've learned a lot from raising Boba and Sesame and that experience will only make me a better puppy owner. Before I got the guinea pigs, I researched everything I needed to know including what they eat, what kind of cage they need, how to bathe them, etc.

    We would also have to make sure Noodle is okay with the puppy, since he's not always the friendliest with other dogs. My friend got a puppy earlier in lock down after talking her parents into it for a while. She already had two cats and she told me that it took a while, but the cats warmed up to her puppy and they sometimes sleep together. I know it might take some work to make Noodle like the other dog, but if we fostered it or let them get to know each other I think it could work. 

    Also, I know it would be harder to go out of town but we wouldn't leave for a while (because we can't go anywhere due to COVID) and the puppy would be trained by the time we do. I wish we didn't have to worry about the pets we have already because then I could get a puppy in a heartbeat. I would be willing to do all the work, especially since Ethan thinks we shouldn't get a puppy. I know it would all be worth it for the cuteness and a lifelong furry best friend.

Some pictures of some puppies for adoption near by that I really want

Why I don't want a puppy By Ethan V.

                                                               Why I don't want a puppy                      7-29-20

By Ethan V.

    Ever since we've been in COVID-19 lockdown, my sister has been wanting a puppy. But I do not want one, and I have many reasons why not that I will tell you about. First, puppies can be very destructive. And I know that you can give the puppy some toys to help with this, but could still end up chewing up some pillows or ruining a couch. Another thing that would make it difficult is Izzy has guinea pigs and a puppy could try to play with them and potentially kill or injure them.

    Also, we have another dog (Noodle) who isn't friendly to some dogs and especially doesn't like very energetic dogs -- and we all know puppies have a lot of energy. I love Noodle and am on the Noodle train, which is also a major reason why I don't want a puppy.

    So these are my reasons why we shouldn't get a puppy. I would, however, want a second dog that's about 1 or 2 years old and house broken. That way I could still have many years with a dog but I wouldn't have to go through the puppy phase.

My 11th Birthday! By Ethan V.

                                                                 My 11th Birthday!                                       7-28-20

By Ethan V.

    On July 27th, 2020 I had my 11th birthday! I was very excited (as normal) and I had a very fun day. My sister and I created a fort on the 26th to stay up until 2:38 AM. The reason to stay up this late is because I was born at 2:38 AM so I wanted to be awake when I officially turned 11 years old. While we stayed up we played Minecraft and my friend Andres actually willingly stayed up until 2:38 AM with us via Houseparty. It was very fun and after about 1 AM we started to get a little crazy. 

    We went to sleep at 3 AM and I woke up at 9 AM so that I could have the most of my day. I was very tired which is not surprising but because it was my birthday I kept going. For breakfast I had a glazed doughnut which is my favorite flavor and I would recommend this to anyone who can't decide over which doughnut to get. Before I opened presents I played some video games with my friends (Call of Duty: Warzone and NBA 2k20) because both of my parents were on work calls. 

    At 11:00 I opened presents and was very happy with what I got. First, I got AirPods (which I knew that I was going to get) from my mom and dad. I also got 50 dollars from Momo and Jiji which I still have to decide what to spend it on, and Koko gave me NBA 2k20 VC, a book, and awesome Spongebob socks. My parents also gave me a bag full of little things that I love. The best were a Peppa pig PEZ candy and band-aids. I also got 2 football card packs where I still haven't pulled an Eddie Jackson card. Eddie Jackson is my favorite football player and I have opened many packs and still haven't pulled him.

    For lunch we had Poke which is soooooooooo good and is great if you love sushi. After lunch my dad took me to the zoo for a quick trip that was very fun. We saw African Penguins who were being fed, Malayan Tapirs who were being lazy, and my favorite -- many different snakes and lizards in the reptile house. We also saw a tiger who was lying on a ledge and hanging his head off of it, which was really cute. 

    I don't feel any different after turning 11 other than getting a lot of birthday wishes. Besides, I don't feel very old because 11 years old isn't old :).

Hippos Can't Swim?!?!?

Hippos Can't Swim?!?!?

Izzy

7/28/20

Today I found out that hippos can't actually swim -- I know, it surprised me too! They don't actually swim but are walking through the water or pushing off the bottom and propelling themselves through the water. I read the article, "Hippos Can't Swim--So How Do They Move Through Water?" from The Atlantic by Adrienne Lafrance who asked zoologists and wildlife parks about how the hippos actually move. One of the responses she got said that hippos are pretty much always touching the bottom or are using it for propulsion. The author included a video that showed a hippo charging at a boat, which made it even more impressive that they aren't technically swimming. The article states that hippos are often on two feet, sort of like they are walking. The actual definition of swimming (from Merriam Webster) is "to propel oneself in water by natural means (such as movements of the limbs, fins, or tail)." Since hippos rely on the ground to help them get around, it isn't really swimming. Lafrance wrote, "Hippos can do all this terrifying prancing because they've evolved with just the right combination of buoyancy and bone density to allow it." They are cute but we have to remember that they are dangerous--videos of them crushing whole watermelons in their mouths are a reminder of their huge teeth and powerful mouths. 

    I thought this was interesting because I never realized that there was a distinction between swimming and whatever it is that hippos do. They spend so much time in the water so I was surprised to find out that they aren't even swimming. Mom even said that she noticed when she went to the zoo recently with Ethan that the hippos gliding through the water and pushing off of the bottom of their pool at the zoo. I hadn't payed attention to this before reading the article and will make sure to look at the hippos next time I'm at the zoo.

How close are we to a COVID-19 vaccine? By Ethan V.

                                                    How Close Are We To A COVID-19 Vaccine?             7-25-20

By Ethan V.

    There are many researchers in the world trying to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. But how close are we to actually making one that works? Currently there are 142 vaccines that are not yet being tested on humans, 17 vaccines in small human clinical trials, 13 vaccines in expanded trials, and only 5 that are under going large human clinical trials. 

    One of the vaccines that is closest to production is a vaccine developed by the University of OxFord. One of the trials of their vaccine resulted in 1,077 people making antibodies and T-cells that can stop COVID-19. This vaccine was heavily modified from the chimpanzee's common cold. It was modified so that it couldn't cause infections in people and so that it more closely resembles COVID-19. Antibodies are proteins made by the immune system that attach to viruses and can disable COVID-19. T-cells are white blood cells that find other cells that have been infected and they destroy them. 

    If you are curious about what it's like to test the vaccine, it is safe but it can come with some side-effects. So far, none of the side-effects have been dangerous but 70% of the people who tested the vaccine had either a headache or a fever. Overall we are still far away from a vaccine for COVID-19, but we are slowly getting closer and closer.

My first in-person playdate in 4 months By Ethan V.

                                                   My First In-Person Playdate in 4 Months                         7-24-20

By Ethan V.

    Yesterday, on July 23rd, I had my first in-person, socially distanced, playdate since the start of COVID-19 4 months ago. I got to go to my friend Joel's house. Ever since we've been in lockdown, I could only talk to him over the phone, so this was extra fun for me. 

    Most of the activities we did were the same as our usual playdates, but what made this different was we stayed outside the entire time and we always had masks on. 

    When I first got there we played NBA 2K20 while Joel's bulldog, Spike, climbed on me because he was so excited to see me. After we played one game of 2K we played real basketball, and it was getting hot so we got tired really fast. After we played a couple of real basketball games (I won most of them) we relaxed and ate candy while watching YouTube. We played more basketball after getting rehydrated and it was really fun for me to play against a real human being whom I can beat. We got hungry after playing these games and for lunch we had mini corn dogs, fries and ABC chicken nuggets-- so a very "Ethan" lunch. While I was eating my lunch Spike wanted some food so he jumped up and tried to lick my plate but all he got was a smudge of ketchup on his cheek. 

    It was then getting very hot so we decided to have an accuracy battle with Joel's water guns. But when we tried to refill them Spike would just drink all the water in the bucket, and even when we put it on a table Spike still jumped on the table and drank the water. 

    We finished the day by eating spaghetti with sausage for dinner at around 6 PM. It was very sad to go home after such a fun day but we agreed that we would hang out again in the next week so now I am looking forward to that :).

US Shops Are Running Out Of Coins By Ethan V.

                                                  US Shops Are Running Out Of Coins                      7-22-20

By Ethan V.

    As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, shops in the US are running out of coins for multiple reasons. First, most businesses that receive mostly coins from customers closed down because of COVID-19. This means that less coins are going to the banks and therefore the shops can't refill their change drawers. There are so few coins that Walmart is asking customers to pay with correct change or to use credit or debit cards. Some other businesses have just stopped taking cash completely.

    Another reason for the coin shortage is that because of COVID-19, the banks that have no coins are asking the mints for more coins but the mints don't have any to give. This is because it hasn't been safe for the workers to work at the mints during COVID-19.  

    Some businesses are swapping people's change for dollars bills in a effort to have some change in their stores. Also, many trade groups are encouraging people to get their coins back in play.

    One fun fact about coins is that Americans lose $62 million worth of coins on average in a year from dropping them or vacuuming them up. My mom told me that Momo has a gift for finding coins on the ground so she needs to look extra hard during this shortage.