Jumping One Step Closer

Because the Brown cohort has a new chaperone, Maricris Cruzat, we did another Meet and Greet Dinner! There is absolutely nothing that can ever go wrong with that. We got to eat delicious food and bond more with each other. Today, we met up at Tina's Place in Old Town Pinole at 5 PM. While we were waiting for the rest of our cohort to arrive, Komal and I went across the street to take pictures of my mom, Maricris and Krystal in front of the restaurant. It was actually somewhat difficult to get a good shot because of all the cars passing by but we managed to get it.

We felt like tourists.

When everyone finally arrived and we all greeted each other, we entered the restaurant which had just opened a few minutes prior. The waiter prepared our table which was at the center of the wall. Taking a look around at the fancy chairs and little bar, I knew the food would be great. I have heard that eating with people you like makes the food taste better, so I knew I would have a delightful time. 

Inside the restaurant

What should I get...

We took a long look at the menu, which had so many good choices that it made deciding what to get pretty tough. There were foods like pasta, chicken, salmon and turkey on the menu. I finally decided on an Italian Pasta Penne with a Caesar Salad. While we waited for the food, we discussed more about ourselves, such as our backgrounds and interests. I learned that Maricris was a principal in the Philippines and began teaching in the U.S. in a middle school, where she had a tough time dealing with troublesome students. She now teaches at Hercules High and is  very satisfied with it. 

Soon, our food arrived. When I saw the amount of food on my plate, I knew I wouldn't be able to finish it. I'm a really slow and light eater. Nevertheless, my entree and was delicious and I could tell everyone was into their food as well. We talked about more things, such as the SAT, driving, and goals after high school. A lot of us are till unsure on what we want to do exactly because there are so many options and possibilities. Hopefully, our time at Brown will help us get a better idea on our future plans.

Bread+Caesar Salad+Italian Pasta Penne = Deliciousness

We were all super full, so we headed out to the park nearby to do an activity. I had no idea what we were going to do, but I was excited. Maricris told us to stand in a circle and hold hands. She instructed us to say what she told us and to do what she told us. "Jump right!" she yelled. We all repeated her while jumping right. It went on like that for a while and it was easy until we got to the next part. She said to do what she told but say the opposite of the action. "Jump left!" she exclaimed. Suddenly, we were a huge mess jumping in all sorts of directions saying different things and stepping on each other's feet. It was hilarious and we tried it more times and got the hang of it, sort of. Then, she made us say the action but do the opposite of it. This hurt our brains so much. It's harder than it seems. It was a lot of fun though and this actually made me feel closer to them. We looked back at our pictures and we looked so happy, concentrated and confused all at once. 

We are family, I got all my sisters with me

Our Meet and Greet dinner was a great success and we ended the day waiting for our rides and giving hugs goodbye. The Brown cohort is the sweetest.