Alvin

=**Alvin Chai: The Next Donald Trump**= =**By Victoria Klein**=

Born in Victory Memorial Hospital thirteen years ago is the friend we all know now, Alvin Chai. Currently an eighth grader at Herbert Hoover Middle School, Alvin is the easy-going, philosophical speaker we all laugh and smile at everyday in math class. Yet, despite his jovial personality, when it comes to education, he can really get down to business.

If you’ve ever wanted to know what a life on the move is like, Alvin is certainly the person to ask. All throughout his life, he’s moved to different states and cities. This situation obviously makes having friends a little more difficult, so Alvin’s never really had a “best friend.” I can only imagine how hard it is to keep in touch with old friends when you are constantly moving. However, even though Alvin didn’t always have a best friend, he did have his sister; however you could hardly say their relationship is better than any other brother or sister.
 * Adventures on the East Coast **

“Bribing, lying, and blackmailing” are only some of the ways that Alvin and his sister Cindy, 18, get along. Anything notorious is what it takes for them to make it day by day in the same house. The biggest fight that he can remember happened two years ago. That day, Alvin had just arrived home when Cindy unexpectedly exploded on him. She started screaming and shouting about some small indiscretion that was thought to be forgotten. Chasing him up the stairs to his room, Alvin “grabbed his BB gun and shot his sister’s door”. They both ran in their rooms and stayed there for several hours. When they finally cooled off and saw each other, it was as if nothing had ever happened. To this day though, the mark from the BB gun is still on Cindy’s door. Even though Alvin’s relationship with his sister may be rocky, he’s still got some close friends that he’s met during his three years at Hoover and through his parents. Alvin states “My closest friends would have to be my cousins and the children of my parent’s friends.” However, his home near Donaldson Park has been the place Alvin’s stayed the longest in his whole life; so naturally, he has some buddies like Aaron, Sukhpal, and Trae that he can laugh and be himself around. From what I or anyone else can see, Alvin certainly enjoys relaxing and just letting loose with his cronies. That’s when he’s not in battle with his sister!

The long tunnel/journey that we take to high school is especially recognized by Mr. Chai. He believes that you can choose to take either of the paths presented to you, the path of immaturity or maturity. He says “you have the opportunity to define yourself and you have a little more time until you really have to buckle down for the next big chapter of your life”. Alvin thinks that Herbert Hoover is “sort of like purgatory, a place to mold yourself into who you want to be”. The subjects that Alvin enjoys the most are math and social studies. The thing that holds an appeal for him in math is the “straight out facts” that you don’t have to second guess about; in other words, things that will always be the same. For social studies, Alvin likes learning about the path of evolution. “The mistakes and good choices humans have made brought us to what we know in 2010 and it’s interesting to see how exactly we got here”. The teachers that make learning enjoyable and pleasurable for him are Ms. Spiezio and Ms. Hewitt. In Alvin’s point of view, these two teachers have the ability to see through the eyes of a teenager. Both of them can understand the pressure and responsibility we feel as middle-school students.
 * HHMS: The Long Tunnel **

As of now, Alvin sees himself as a different person than he was a few years back. In his own words he is a “two way guy”. I can go either way personality wise. I can be a formal type person, but I can also be casual and let-loose, yet I can also act serious when needed. You can hate me or like me. It just depends on the moment we meet.” Very well said, it is clear that Alvin is a well-rounded person with many different sides that can only be discovered through spending time with him.

Beginning a restaurant chain with his father is Alvin’s true dream. The restaurant his family currently owns (SushiO) is Alvin’s inspiration for his future. His father is also the one who gave him the idea to continue with the family business. Investing in real-estate and stocks on Wall Street with all of the other money-loving fanatics would be something else he’d like to participate in. Basically doing whatever he can to quickly make money and pay off college is his goal. Rutgers University would be his first choice for college because it is close to his house and he absolutely despises dorm rooms! Lucky for Alvin there is a great college so close to home! Unsure of his major, he knows it’ll be something to help him open a restaurant and make wise decisions regarding money. Alvin’s absolute goal is to survive college and then begin working at a job he loves. This job would be “the kind of job that gives you days off without complaint and gives you a well-deserved break”.
 * Restaurant and Stocks Future **

After a long day at work, Alvin wants to be able to come home to a nice, large cozy home. In Edison, there is a beautiful house that he dreams about owning one day and personalizing to his own style. He would change some features around to make the house have a fireplace, ceiling to floor windows, a balcony, and an in-ground pool that takes up at least half the yard. A master bedroom and bathroom would definitely be a must-have in addition to four other bedrooms. The house would have an eastern-meets-western style with a lot of pieces and furniture from different cultures and parts of the world. A few examples of pieces you’d see for the “east” side would be a large Buddha statue, bonsai trees, gongs, and a feng shui bridge with a small waterfall. On the “west” side would be a moose head, a rifle on the wall, a samurai sword poised above the fireplace, possibly even a portrait of himself with his shotgun. Alvin’s home would be the place to go to after a long, hard day of work and frustrations. Who knows? Maybe he’ll even have a massage chair! Some activities that Alvin would, as an adult, enjoy would be hiking and canoeing along the Raritan River. In addition, hunting and fishing would be a frequent hobby of his. The body of Alvin’s prey would also be displayed on his wall upon his return. In addition, he is the type of person who could just sit on his back deck staring at the sky, wondering about the world. These hobbies definitely reveal his love for the great outdoors. Nature just lets him relax and clear his mind. This would be his “Alvin Time” to enjoy the moment and forget about his troubles.
 * “Alvin Time” **

To sum Alvin up, he’s a puzzle that is still being put together by those around him. He has so many sides and opinions that you know without a doubt, he’ll make it in this world and he’ll do it with dignity. By spending time with him, you also realize that it is near impossible to fully understand Alvin because just when you think you got it, he does a 180 on you and gives you a whole other perspective. However, everyday you spend with Alvin gives you another piece to the puzzle, and the picture becomes a little clearer.
 * The Mystery Has Yet to be Unveiled **