We celebrated Black History Month in March, and now May is Asian Pacific Heritage Month! 

What's the historical stuff behind it? Well, in 1976, the president of the Organization of Chinese American Women, Jeanne Jew , was worried that Asian Pacific Americans weren't being included in our country's bicentennial celebration . She worked hard to change that…and BAM! On October 5, 1978, President Jimmy Carter  declared the first 10 days of May Asian Pacific Heritage Week!

Fast forward 14 years, and President George H. W. Bush  proclaimed May as the official Asian Pacific Heritage Month. He signed the bill into law on October 23, 1992. Woot!

Oh, if you're wondering to yourself, "Why May?", it's because two special things happened: The first Japanese arrived in the United States on May 7, 1843, and the Transcontinental railroad  was finally finished on May 10, 1869 — most of the workers were Chinese immigrants .

So while we celebrate, there are some special people we should pay tribute to. Let's see…

There's Bruce Lee , known for being the most influential martial artist of the 20th century — not to mention a HUGE cultural icon. (Yes, I own the collectible figurines!) Then we have Chien-Shiung Wu , the "First Lady of Physics," who's known for her expertise in radioactivity  and her work on the Manhattan Project .

Don't forget about architect Maya Lin , who designed and created the Vietnam Veterans Memorial  and the Civil Rights Memorial .

And Tommy Kono , U.S. weightlifter, who won gold medals in the 1952 and 1956 Olympic Games. He also set world records in four different weightlifting classes! Now THAT'S muscle power!

What other special Asian Pacific Americans can you think of? And how are you celebrating this month?

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Personally, I'm not a huge fan of haunted houses — I'm actually a pretty big scaredy cat. So no, I haven't explored RandyLH's haunted mansion. I already got a nice dose while taking a tour of the outside.

If you look closely at the fire on the gate, you'll see something just not quite…normal. Then when you walk in, you can't miss a spot that RandyLH calls "lost souls." And oh, take a look at the windows on the second floor — what I saw was more than enough to keep me outside!

Do you dare to enter? If you do, it's at your own risk!

Tell us what spooked you! And come on, don't say nothing scared ya! Someone or something is watching…

 

 

 

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Not the real kind of boxing, silly! I'm talking about the red boxes that have been showing up all over the island. No, it's not an alien invasion — those things are actually fellow islanders trapped in a big red square!

If you've been struck by the red box syndrome, try changing your clothes! And if that doesn't work, send an email to:

support@stagecoachisland3.com

Tell them you've been red boxed, include your island name, and they'll fix it! No worries, we won't be boxed in for too long!

Also, Feather came up with a few random tidbits to share:

1. If you have a job, please post it if you'd like so everyone can see what you do!
2. The tax building is located at 46S 70E.
3. You can learn to build from the SI Realty building.

Other than that, don't forget today is Cinco De Mayo — the day that celebrates Mexican heritage and pride! Read more about it right here! 

 

 

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You know, it sounds harder than it really is — I mean…there are lots of ways to pay for college without having to smash your own piggy bank to pieces. And since April happens to be "Financial Literacy Month ," I wanted to take a poll of how many of you are thinking about attending — or trying to pay for — college!

If you are, and are kind of stressing about it, fear not! I know some people, who know some people, who know more people that can help you out! When I was planning to go to school, I applied for grants and student loans, but everyone's different. Scholarships and financial aid  work too. You should definitely do whichever works best for you, but don't let your dreams sink just because of the "$" sign!

We've got some awesome resources in case you want to check them out. In the meantime, ask us anything and we'll try our best to help!

Rock on and keep savin'!

 

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The weather has been awesome and toasty on the island — perfect for hanging out and catching some sun! While I was chilling at the game park, a couple of us chatted about our pets and Disneyland  experiences.

I once had a little froggie that my Grammy flushed down the toilet. Don't worry - it was an accident, and actually a little funny in a weird kind of way.

What kind of funny pet memories do you have? Share, share!

As for my Disneyland story, I told them about the time when I was an itty bitty kid, Chip (or Dale...they look the same to me ) stepped on my foot and made me cry. Hey! His foot was ginormous, I swear!

What about you? Who's your all time favorite Disney character? Post it and see which one is the most popular!

 

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Today is Earth Day , which means another chance to appreciate and make a difference for our awesome green planet! I know, I know…sometimes I sit around and think, "What can I do?"

Well, there are actually lots of things!

Hmm...we can recycle  more, use plastic bottles instead of paper cups, don't toss gum wrappers (seriously, that's bad), plant a tree  for your community, or hey, you can even start your own little garden patch! I found these little one dollar pots with seeds that are easy and cute to plant, so that's what I'm doing — I've got my tomato seeds all ready to go!

AND for all of you that participated in "Earth Hour," and became part of the movement…woot! Give yourself a BIG pat on the back! For all of you that didn't, it's all good — in the end, it's the thought that counts. Actually, we've done some cool stuff too! Oh, and it can't hurt to know some awesome earth trivia, so check out Staci's Earth Day tips.

If you want to learn more about the Earth, you can watch my favorite DVD "Blue Planet ," an amazing Discovery Channel project! (I'm a nerd, I know.) Or check out the Planet Green website! 

Anyhow, it's Earth Day, so hug a tree (not literally…though you can if you want to!), make a difference, and be a part of the green movement!

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I've been taking itty-bitty snapshots of some new things rocking the island — they're pretty cool!

There's lostpoet's new pad at 3N 31W, which has a garden that runs all around the sides of the house and sports the best view of the moon. Adariene has a fancy schmancy skyscraper at 5S 35W that lostpoet says is a "perfect place to relax and enjoy the light from above." There's also a big, bright and green "Sara!" sign just flashing away in the middle of Olympic Valley. Maybe she's getting ready for Earth Day? 

Check 'em out!

P.S. Don't forget! The Island Summer Games are coming up so send in your competition ideas! We're about to host a HUGE building contest soon — get ready for the games to begin!

 

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If you've taken a look at the awesome skills Matt put into the Stratosphere restaurant and lounge, then you should definitely check out his new and completed pad! It's super plush, and the design is like something out of MTV Cribs  (I only caught a few episodes while channel surfing…I swear!)

Anyway, Matt's place has this modern and sleek look to it — I think it's very chic ! He's put a lot of time into it (and I mean a lot) and would love any feedback or ideas you have for him.

Post 'em here!

 

 

 

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If you haven't heard the island buzz yet, Matt's put together quite the restaurant for lane1 at 25s 42w — known as the great "Stratosphere."  It sits above a clear, spherical dome and appears to catch the moonlight…ooo la la! I know, it sounds kind of "out-there," but it really reminds me of a planet in orbit!

Its design totally rocks the island, and you should definitely check it out! Take a peek at the photos and let Matt know what you think!

 

 

Other than that, Serenity made an almost X Files-like  discovery: She found an invisible wall! It sounds crazy — but seriously, when you teleport to 3264N 3264E you automatically get stuck and can't fly forward anymore.

It's just like an invisible wall in space! Or maybe the end of the island world…though I dig the first explanation more.

What do you think it is?

 

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So I've finally decided on a date to run the newbie tours! And seriously, if anyone wants to be tour guide (don't all jump up at once!) let me know. In the meantime, I'll be guiding our little island adventures till some awesome possum — not literally — decides to take over.

I'm planning to lead tours on the last Thursday of every month at 1pm PT (4pm ET) — everyone is welcome to join! I know, once a month seems a little iffy, but if they get really popular and oodles of people want to join (yes, I said oodles) then we can revamp the tours and make more of them!

*waves her tour guide flag*

 

So here it is again:

Day: The last Thursday of every month
Time: 1pm PT (4pm ET)
Location: Welcome Center (it's where you drop in world)

P.S. For the islanders that have been wondering how much they were taxed, I stuck the breakdowns below so we can see how much of our cupcake and foodie shells went to taxes! It's a nice little chunk of change — that's for sure!

• Bronze level — §1000 per pay period (§850 after taxes)

• Silver level — §1500 per pay period (§1,275 after taxes)

• Gold level — §2000 per pay period (§1,700 after taxes)

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