Reflective

Choose one post. (My favorite? My least favorite? The one that surprises me the most when I reread it?) Analyze it in detail. Explain the "behind-the-scenes" of how it was written, what it truly means, where its inspiration came from, etc.


In what way(s) have I surprised myself this semester on my blog?


How is the open-ended writing I do on my blog different from the more structured academic assignments I write?


During this past year, i have learned a lot.  i have improved my speed writing and the ability to write for fun. Before, it would take me hours to compose a simple paragraph and i would hate it.  now it would take me a mere minutes and would actually be fun for me.  Over all, i enjoyed writing this year.  My favorite post was the one about the iPad.  this year, i improved a lot, and that surprised me.  I loved how we could write open ended, it made me actually enjoy writing. 

My favorite post was the one about the ipad.  I like this post the most because i wrote it in about 10 minutes and just jotted down what came to my mind.  In the end, it turned out really well, and i didn’t have to edit anything.  I like this post the most because it is proof of how much i improved.  At the beginning of the year, i took at least an hour on each post, trying to over come writers block.  I think blogging has improved my overall ability to write quickly.  Having these blogs weekly improved my ability top write quickly because i learned how to just write and not look back.  before, when writing, i would try to make every single sentence perfect the first time i wrote it.  As i wrote my blogs, over time, i realized that the end result is much better and it is much faster to write if i just wrote the first thing that comes to my mind, and then i would come back and edit at the end.  i would not have learned this skill without the help of weekly blog posts.  The posts made me rush each week because of procrastination, but in result, i learned how to write more efficiently, and more comprehensively.  this was my favorite post because of how it turned out.  I think it turned out nicely because  i liked the topic and it was easy for me to write about it.  I found that, like with everything, it is easier to write about something that i like, just like it is doing something that you like, compared to doing homework, work, etc. as i moved on through out the year, i found that i have improved my speed of writing and the ability to make the writing understandable.  

Over the course of this year, i think my writing has improved in quality a little, but what really changed was my ability to write more, more quickly.  each week, i have procrastinated on blogs until Friday night. that means i would have to write them rushed in time to turn in before 12 at night.  This was actually beneficial to me because i learned to write what popped into my mind and go back to edit later.  Without this experience of constant rushing, i would not have learned to write fast.  i would still be trying to make my first draft into a final.  i think my ability to do this will help me in the future, greatly.  Learning this skill started over the summer.  i had to go to Hawaii the next day, and i had not done any of my summer readers.  i stayed up all night working.  At first it took me more than an hour for each reader.  after a while of rushing more, i lowered my time to about  thirty to forty-five minutes each.  over the year, i lowered that time even more.  i could now write a blog (350 words) in about fifteen minutes.  many of my blog i have done in the past are rushed, but i think they all turned out relatively well.  i like the blog idea because i am able to just put up what ever i believed and publish.  at the beginning of the year, i spent more time, trying to make each blog perfect, and i continued this until i realized the blog is more for fun and just putting up what i believe online.  it is about spreading my opinion.   Over the year i think i improved greatly on a skill that would help me through college.  i will have to write numerous long papers and having the skill of speed writing would help me be able to finish quickly. Developing this skill surprised me greatly.  

I love the open ended ability of writing in blogger.  I love how you assigned free writes and it was just like a journal.  i think those were the most fun because i could just put up what ever i wanted and talk about anything.  For example, i wrote about pizzas, fears, Harry Potter, iPhones, cross country, my day, and many more.  These few were just recently, and over the year it was interesting to look back on what my interests are.  With the free writes, i could see what i was interested in at the time i wrote it.  in these, i loved the ability to write freely and informally.  I wrote like i would talk and, therefore, i learned how to write even faster.  the free writing made the blogs more fun and cushioned the other assigned home work, making those a little more fun too.  plus, the free writes where fun because i could get what ever was in my mind, clouding my head up, off my chest.  It was just like a journal that others could read and give comments to.  i loved having free writes and having people respond or comment because i like the fact that people are actually reading my thoughts.  i don't like the assignments that are clear cut because i feel like it is a little too structured and it doesn't feel like my own direct feelings.  i like being able to just write what ever is on my mind.  that is why this essay is a little more informal.  I feel like if i just try to write like i would talk, it is directly from my head and not clouded up by the fact that i have to make sure the wording is formal.  over all the free writes helped me have fun writing, and helped me learn how to write faster.  The blogging experience has been extremely fun for me this year.  Next year, i know that when i am bored, i will have something to do.  As i wrote my blog, i felt like i was expressing myself in an indirect way.  it was like an art to me, so i would like to thank you for this year, Mr. Sutherland.


next year, i would like to focus more on redundancy and fluency. I would like to practice avoiding repetition and get to the point to have my writing have more power. Also, this helps with fluency. Sometimes, i tend to write run on sentences, and that confuses my writing. I would like to work on that. this year, i got to the point where i can write fast, but i want to improve my writing so that i do not have to edit as much in the end. i want my first drafts to get better so that my final is even better and i would not have to work as hard. overall, i am satisfied with this years writing experience, both in English and in writing. I have improved greatly, and learned to enjoy writing again.

The Magicians Final

What was the author's purpose(s) in writing this book, and how can you tell?


If you've read other books in this same genre, how does this one compare?

Pick a character that interested you and write about them in depth

The novel, The Magicians, portrays a 17 year old Quentin who is a born magician.  Written by Lev Grossman, this book comments on real life issues.  Quentin, like many, is always wanting what he cannot have.  Humans are never content with what they have, and this could be what helps us excel and what causes us misery at the same time. Also, I've read many books like this one.  the genre is unclear.  It is a fantasy in everyday, average life.  It is like magic that can happen, but we are unaware of.  Other books like this, include Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Harry Potter.

Grossman wrote this book to show that people should reflect on their life and realize how good they have it and not seek for more.  He shows this through telling the failed life of Quentin.  He was a really smart, and liked by everyone, but he didn't have the girl he liked so he was "miserable".  Next, at Brakebills, the college for magicians, he was completely content when he got there, but after a while, he began to get bored and felt  not content.  He yearned to get out, and when he did get to the real world, he partied and drank and did drugs all day and night.  During this time, her ignored hsi girlfriend and ended up cheating on her.  He soon regrets it and realizes what a great girlfriend he had (they got back together later). He was still no content with life and went seeking for more. He then entered Fillory, the place he fantasized of visiting his whole life (the alternate world of adventure. a utopia).  Here is where everything feel apart.  the fun adventure they thought they were going on turned out to be a mad competition for survival.  His thirst for fulfilling his life (which was already complete, with all the greatest things ever) lead to the death of his beloved girlfriend.  He then realized how much he already had before, and that he should have never looked for anything more because he had magical powers, people who loved him, and all the money he could dream of. He didn't need anything else, but he was just being selfish. 

Grossman sums up all of this in this quote:  "You just go from one thing to the next, don't you, and you think it's going to make you happy.  Brakebills didn't. I didn't..."(255) here, it shows that Quentin is unsatisfied by small things and tries to move onto the next thing.  he tries to move on and make himself feel better.  Grossman shows this wrong and that you should look at all the great things that you have in your life because in the end, Quentin lost everything.  I think this is true.  Some people take things for granted, and they must realize how good they have it.


In this story, magic is real, and instead of attending Princeton, Quentin attends a college for magicians called Brakebills for five years instead of four.  There, they learn basic magic.  Normally, they are placed into their "disciplines", something like a major, and they get placed into their specific housing area.  For some strange reason, Quentin didn't place in any of the Disciplines.  Then in their fourth year, they go on a trip to prove who is fit to become a first class magician.  They set off on a trip to Antarctica, and there, they make a five hundred mile run to the South Pole, without any clothes on or food.  Only Alice, Quentin's girl friend and he made it.  They were the only ones that tried.  During their fifth year, they graduate.  This school hidden from the outside world and the people stay concealed from the outside world.  This school reminds me of Hogwarts, and the book reminds me of Harry potter. 

It reminds me of Harry Potter because it is about magicians going to a concealed, mystical school.  There are some major differences though.  They use hand gestures to cast spells, instead of wands.  I really liked how Grossman referenced the Harry Potter series in his book because throughout reading it, I always thought to myself, “this reminds me of Harry Potter”.  He reference how the magic in each story is difference:

“He’d look at the kids with an obvious flawed feature… and wondered why they didn’t get somebody to fix them up, like Hermione with her teeth in Harry Potter.  But in reality it always ended in a disaster.”(page 188)

This was interesting to hear a reference to my favorite series in what seems like my new favorite book.  This book also reminds me of the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, in the fact that there is a whole new world living right in front of our eyes, but we don’t notice it.  I like these types because I feel like it can actually happen to me.  It can turn my boring life into a life of adventure and excitement.  

throughout this thrilling novel, Grossman layers on the importance of loving what you have in front of you, and not wishing for crazy, unattainable things.  He also portrays Quentin as a strong, perfect hero, but then in the middle, he takes him down.  Grossman writes about how a hero bounces back from being down on his knees.  This exhilarating story is recommended for anyone over the age of 15 because it has crude language and drug and alcohol suggestions, but it is a great book.  It is exciting, and fun for anyone looking to indulge themselfs into a world of fantasy and magic.  

I would say youneed to talk more about the plot to clearup some points. also, you should try and include more evidence and concrete details into your writing.- troy

I would say that you should clear up, and make the TAGS part for better. Also, include the questions at the beginning, and you should make your writing alittle more formal- kathy


hey. i think you did a really good job here. one thing i thought you could improve on is that the language is a little informal. also, i think you can change up the sentence varieties. they seem all kind of shortish... it seemed a little awkward to me. otherwise, a great post! -luis

What was the author's purpose(s) in writing this book, and how can you tell?
The novel, The Magicians, by Lev Grossman portrays a 17 year old boy, named Quentin, throughout his life at a college for magicians. In the second half of the book, Quentin graduates from Brakebills and moves onto the real world. He thinks that he can avoid boredom by partying all day and all night. He and his friends finally decide to do something with their life and they go on an adventure to Fillory. Fillory was always thought to be fake because it was written in children's book. They had always thought the author just made it up, but then they found out it was real and they took the adventure. there, they faced a beast that ends up killing Quentin's girlfriend.


Grossman wrote this book to show that people should reflect on their life and realize how good they have it and not seek for more. He shows this through telling the failed life of Quentin. He was a really smart, and liked by everyone, but he didn't have the girl he liked so he was "miserable". Next, at Brakebills, the college for magicians, he was completely content when he got there, but after a while, he began to get bored and felt not content. He yearned to get out, and when he did get to the real world, he partied and drank and did drugs all day and night. During this time, her ignored hsi girlfriend and ended up cheating on her. He soon regrets it and realizes what a great girlfriend he had (they got back together later). He was still no content with life and went seeking for more. He then entered Fillory, the place he fantasized of visiting his whole life (the alternate world of adventure. a utopia). Here is where everything feel apart. the fun adventure they thought they were going on turned out to be a mad competition for survival. His thirst for fulfilling his life (which was already complete, with all the greatest things ever) lead to the death of his beloved girlfriend. He then realized how much he already had before, and that he should have never looked for anything more because he had magical powers, people who loved him, and all the money he could dream of. He didn't need anything else, but he was just being selfish.


Grossman sums up all of this in this quote: "You just go from one thing to the next, don't you, and you think it's going to make you happy. Brakebills didn't. I didn't..."(255) here, it shows that Quentin is unsatisfied by small things and tries to move onto the next thing. he tries to move on and make himself feel better. Grossman shows this wrong and that you should look at all the great things that you have in your life because in the end, Quentin lost everything. I think this is true. Some people take things for granted, and they must realize how good they have it.
If you've read other books in this same genre, how does this one compare?
Currently, I am half way through the novel, The Magicians, by Lev Grossman. This book portrays a 17 year old boy, named Quentin, throughout his life at a college for magicians. Instead of attending Princeton, Quentin attends a college for magicians called Brakebills for five years instead of four. There, they learn basic magic. Normally, they are placed into their "disciplines", something like a major, and they get placed into their specific housing area. For some strange reason, Quentin didn't place in any of the Disciplines. Then in their fourth year, they go on a trip to prove who is fit to become a first class magician. They set off on a trip to Antarctica, and there, they make a five hundred mile run to the South Pole, without any clothes on or food. Only Alice, Quentin's girl friend and he made it. They were the only ones that tried. During their fifth year, they graduate. This school hidden from the outside world and the people stay concealed from the outside world. This school reminds me of Hogwarts, and the book reminds me of Harry potter.

It reminds me of Harry Potter because it is about magicians going to a concealed, mystical school. There are some major differences though. They use hand gestures to cast spells, instead of wands. I really liked how Grossman referenced the Harry Potter series in his book because throughout reading it, I always thought to myself, “this reminds me of Harry Potter”. He reference how the magic in each story is difference:
“He’d look at the kids with an obvious flawed feature… and wondered why they didn’t get somebody to fix them up, like Hermione with her teeth in Harry Potter. But in reality it always ended in a disaster.”(page 188)
This was interesting to hear a reference to my favorite series in what seems like my new favorite book. This book also reminds me of the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, in the fact that there is a whole new world living right in front of our eyes, but we don’t notice it. I like these types because I feel like it can actually happen to me. It can turn my boring life into a life of adventure and excitement. I know; I’m a nerd.

The Magicians Draft 2

What was the author's purpose(s) in writing this book, and how can you tell? 


*Spoiler Alert


The novel, The Magicians, by Lev Grossman portrays a 17 year old boy, named Quentin, throughout his life at a college for magicians.  In the second half of the book, Quentin graduates from Brakebills and moves onto the real world.  He thinks that he can avoid boredom by partying all day and all night.  He and his friends finally decide to do something with their life and they go on an adventure to Fillory.  Fillory was always thought to be fake because it was written in children's book.  They had always thought the author just made it up, but then they found out it was real and they took the adventure.  there, they faced a beast that ends up killing Quentin's girlfriend.  


Grossman wrote this book to show that people should reflect on their life and realize how good they have it and not seek for more.  He shows this through telling the failed life of Quentin.  He was a really smart, and liked by everyone, but he didn't have the girl he liked so he was "miserable".  Next, at Brakebills, the college for magicians, he was completely content when he got there, but after a while, he began to get bored and felt  not content.  He yearned to get out, and when he did get to the real world, he partied and drank and did drugs all day and night.  During this time, her ignored hsi girlfriend and ended up cheating on her.  He soon regrets it and realizes what a great girlfriend he had (they got back together later). He was still no content with life and went seeking for more. He then entered Fillory, the place he fantasized of visiting his whole life (the alternate world of adventure. a utopia).  Here is where everything feel apart.  the fun adventure they thought they were going on turned out to be a mad competition for survival.  His thirst for fulfilling his life (which was already complete, with all the greatest things ever) lead to the death of his beloved girlfriend.  He then realized how much he already had before, and that he should have never looked for anything more because he had magical powers, people who loved him, and all the money he could dream of. He didn't need anything else, but he was just being selfish.


Grossman sums up all of this in this quote:  "You just go from one thing to the next, don't you, and you think it's going to make you happy.  Brakebills didn't. I didn't..."(255) here, it shows that Quentin is unsatisfied by small things and tries to move onto the next thing.  he tries to move on and make himself feel better.  Grossman shows this wrong and that you should look at all the great things that you have in your life because in the end, Quentin lost everything.  I think this is true.  Some people take things for granted, and they must realize how good they have it.

The Magicians First Impressions

Currently, I am half way through the novel, The Magicians, by Lev Grossman.  This book portrays a 17 year old boy, named Quentin, throughout his life at a college for magicians.  Instead of attending Princeton, Quentin attends a college for magicians called Brakebills for five years instead of four.  There, they learn basic magic.  Normally, they are placed into their "disciplines", something like a major, and they get placed into their specific housing area.  For some strange reason, Quentin didn't place in any of the Disciplines.  Then in their fourth year, they go on a trip to prove who is fit to become a first class magician.  They set off on a trip to Antarctica, and there, they make a five hundred mile run to the South Pole, without any clothes on or food.  Only Alice, Quentin's girl friend and he made it.  They were the only ones that tried.  During their fifth year, they graduate.  This school hidden from the outside world and the people stay concealed from the outside world.  This school reminds me of Hogwarts, and the book reminds me of Harry potter. 

It reminds me of Harry Potter because it is about magicians going to a concealed, mystical school.  There are some major differences though.  They use hand gestures to cast spells, instead of wands.  I really liked how Grossman referenced the Harry Potter series in his book because throughout reading it, I always thought to myself, “this reminds me of Harry Potter”.  He reference how the magic in each story is difference:

“He’d look at the kids with an obvious flawed feature… and wondered why they didn’t get somebody to fix them up, like Hermione with her teeth in Harry Potter.  But in reality it always ended in a disaster.”(page 188)

This was interesting to hear a reference to my favorite series in what seems like my new favorite book.  This book also reminds me of the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, in the fact that there is a whole new world living right in front of our eyes, but we don’t notice it.  I like these types because I feel like it can actually happen to me.  It can turn my boring life into a life of adventure and excitement.  I know; I’m a nerd.  

Response To Vignettes

Over the past few days, I’ve skimmed a few blogs.  I especially liked Victor’s blog because it was funny and cute, Melissa’s blog because it was serious and emotional, and Alex’s blog because it was straight forward and had strong morals.   Though they were each different, I saw that all of them commented heavily on family.  They knew how important family was and how they couldn’t live with out their family.  I feel the same way.  My family backs me up on everything, and I know I would be lost with out time. Victor explains a situation where he got lost during a trip to the Sydney Opera House.  He explained how worried he was about losing his family. I would be too:

My eyes started to water as I felt the need to collapse. I thought that my whole life would end right then and there. I picked myself up from the ground, and started yelling out to my parents. I cried and cried while I started to lose hope. Not one adult bothered to help me. They just glanced at me in a sorry way, and just walked by. A few more seconds of me weeping went by until I finally saw my worried parents running towards me. The second I wiped my eyes to see them, my whole body relaxed. It felt like I was finally at peace after being tortured

This was amazing.  I loved the vivid details of how sad and scared he was without his family right beside him.  And on the contrary, he explained flawlessly how overcome with joy he was to find them.  He even compared it to being relieved from torture.  I think this is how family should be.  Family should be so close and interconnected that when they are separated, they feel physical pain. This is what makes a strong, united, loving family. 

Melissa also stated that family is forgiving.  She never held a grudge against her mom for leaving because she was her mom.  She would always love her mom no matter what and couldn’t stay mad at her: “I love my mother and I understand why she had to leave. I have no hate towards her because in the end I know she is my mother.”  I thought it was a very strong sign of family.  One should always forgive and forget in family, no matter what because without a family, who do you have to lean on? No one ever, no friend, no one, will ever have the same relationship with you like a family member.  Never.

She also showed that family had jobs and obligations that tops everything else.  He sister had to take care of her when she was young and that interfered with her sister’s social time.  Her sister deep down inside, didn’t enjoy taking care of Melissa because it made her sacrifice so much of her time.  Though she truly felt this way, she barely complained and never made Melissa feel bad about it because she loves her time, no matter what circumstances, they should love each other and never let anything, anything at all come in the way of that..  She knows that as an older sister, it is her responsibility to take care of her and this takes priority over anything else.  This is how family should be.  Family should be supportive and loving all the 

Leaving or staying?

i think that Esperanza will decide to come back to mango street.  She has had a lot of changes in her life here and is quite connected.  She also feels attached because of the people around her.  She also had a lot of influence to stay. For example, the three girls, The Fates, state that she should make a wish.  they were completely confident about the weather the next day. They were also confident that they would make the wish come true. Also, they were sure about what she wished for.  This shows that they are very magical or talented(in the book).  they could make the wish come true, but they warn her.  The girl with the pale, porcelain skin states that

"When you leave, you must remember to come back for the others.  A circle, understand? You will always be esperanza.  You will always be mango street. You can't erase what you know.  You cant forget who you are."

 She is taken back about how they knew what she had wished for.  But then she actually felt ashamed to wish for that:

 "I didn't know what to say.  it was as if she could read my mind, as if she knew what i had wished for, and i felt ashamed for having made such a selfish wish."

This will inspire her to actually come back and help out her family and friend who are stuck here. i think this changed her.  At this moment, she thought back to all that happened at mango and felt connected.  She was Mango. She feels as if she owes something and will come back after she becomes financially stable to help them out.

in the future i think that she will move away and go to school. She will get a job and buy her dream  house.  then she will start to feel guilty and sad and lonely and move back to mango and help them financially.  She will come back and help out.  this is all because of the Fates. she will feel as if she owes something and will come back and help out.  this will bring her happiness when she comes back and helps them out.  And her life will be fulfilled and she will live happily ever after. 

Cisnero's view on Gender

Cisneros thinks that children should be raised differently> she usually displays this through writing about reality and how messed up it is.  She uses a light sarcasm and it is hard to find, but it is there.  For example, She portrays esperanza as a child who needs a friend regardless of gender.  She shows that esperanza needs friends and her brothers are kinda to her inside the house, but outside, they cannot be seen with her:

"My brothers for example. They've got plenty to say to me and Nenny inside the whouse. But outside they can't be seen talking to girls"

Cisneros includes this situation in order to comment on how in real life, parents raise their children differently. and because of this, they feel like separate people.  They feel different and separated so they think it is wrong to interact with each other.  Cisneros actually believes that children should be raised that same in which they would be able to interact with each other outside the house without feeling sad. They shouldn't feel ashamed to help each other out.  this is what Cisneros actually believe and shows this through the sadness of Esperanza.  She plays that sadness of reality to teach readers that it is wrong.

Also, Cisneros says that womens' purpose is to get married and moved on: “What matters, Marin says, is for the boys to see us and for us to see them.” (27)  It may seem like she is stating that this is right but she says it is wrong.  She thinks that women have more things worth while and more things to live for than just marriage. she shows this though implication.  Marin, who stated that quote, is portrayed as lifeless. She is sad, and focused only on marriage.  Cisneros shows that she is wasting away her life.

I personally think that they should be raised witth he same basic rules, but raised differently emotionally based on their personality and the situation.For example, i think that parents should allow and encourage their children, boy and girl, to play sports.  Also, they should have the same bedtime or anything like that.  They should have the basic rules the same.  But on the other hand, each child is different and should be raised differently by their personality and situation because of this and only this. NOT gender. 

Vignettes

My Name

My name Is Yen.  My brother’s name is Duc. My other brother’s name is Liem.  And my parents’ names are Minh and Hanh.  These are all Vietnamese names, but my brother’s and my names are all America sounding.  My name sounds like Ian, my brother’s Duke, and Liam.  My parents picked this because they thought that it would be easier to fit in to the community, but I have always found it more difficult because I always want to correct people, but they think that they have already pronounced it correctly.  You see, when someone has a really Asian name, the teacher or anyone new would ask if they pronounced it correctly, but with yen, they pronounce it like the Japanese currency and move on.  Because of this, I do not feel comfortable correcting them because they didn’t ask.  They don’t, so I don’t correct them.  Sometimes I ask my parents why they named me such a weird name.  They told me that Yen and Ian sounds alike, and that it would make me fit in better.  Then I ask why they didn't just name me Bob or something.  Then I regret it.  My name represents who I am.  I can’t give up who I am.  My name is mine.  

Hair

Everybody in my family has different hair. My father has stiff hair, combed over but sticking up a little. And me, my hair is stubborn, it never changes its way without a fight. Duc's hair is very short and style-able. He can always move it to look right. Liem's hair is long and dry- it stays in place after styled.

My mother. She has soft, silky, shiny hair. Hey hair is like clay. Every morning, she blow dries it into place. The rest of the day, it stays in place. Her hair smells like oranges, when you walk into her room, you instantly get a rush of a sweet tangy smell. The smell of oranges. You could almost just taste it out of the air. My mother's have smells like oranges

            My father does the same hairdo every morning, whether he is working in the garden or going to an important meeting. He does a comb over, but it still sticks up.  He blow dries it every morning into place, and it automatically stays.  I’ve tried this with my hair before; it never worked. Why is my hair so different?

Tennis

            I love tennis.  If I could, I would play all day and never stop.  I started when I was about 8 years old, and kept with it all the way until I was 13.  I don’t really know why I stopped.  Maybe it was my lack of time to play, or maybe it was just my lack of skill, maybe both.  I would work really hard to improve, but right when i did, i would stop for a few weeks and lose my touch.  Soon, all of my tennis friends surpassed me greatly, and i was left in the dust.  I stopped playing in 8th grade, but it was only until i started at ASTI, that i realized i had quit tennis.  I always tell myself that i want to go back and play, but I don't have anyone to play with.  All my friends are too good, and no one else plays tennis that i know of.  As a freshman, I wanted to join the Encinal High School team, but then i took on some college classes and was afraid that if I did join, I would be overwhelmed with work.  Basically, I love tennis, and I would start playing again, but I just don't have the time and will power to start up again.  Maybe in the summer, I tell myself. Maybe

PWR

            As a freshman, i attended a Interact retreat called the President’s Winter retreat or PWR(power).  In different workshops, i learned many things.  I learned how to lead a club, how to relieve stress, how to move on, and how to speech publicly.  All of these are important skills, but really, the two most important things i took from that retreat were confidence and motivation.  When i went there, I only knew a few people, a couple from my school, and my brother.  We played ice breaker games, and during that time, i was very timid, and didn't talk to anyone.  Finally, on ice breaker did it for me.  We went around in a circle and introduced ourselves to one another.  This was the one where i learned to be confident, and talk to strangers and peers.  Before that, i didn't know how to approach others and always kept to myself, but from that, i learned that people are nice.  I learned to approach and start a conversation with the other person as a peer.  I had the confidence to do so, and it helped out a lot in my life.
            Also, during that retreat, I saw many people that opened my eyes to reality.  I always thought that i was one of the most dedicated people to interact, but during that retreat, i looked around and saw that most people were even more motivated to do well in their club than me.  that opened my eyes to the reality that I wasn’t the greatest.  From that, I took that I should step up and become a leader.  I started planning events and speaking out my ideas to raise more money.  I would say that from the two days i spent at PWR, I learned more of how to be a good leader than I ever did in my whole life.

Architecture

            My dad is an architect, a very good one too.  He has and eye for details and the small things that most others don't have.  He redesigned our house and made it so user friendly, I feel as though the house is inside my head.  The house works for us, all the light switches were in the right places, light was bright but not blinding, the house was energy efficient, and the heating system is far superior than your average house.  Living in such a beautiful home and with the creator has opened up my eyes to how beautiful and useful good architecture and design could be.  Since about a year ago, i have decided I wanted to become an architect.
            Also, growing up, I always heard that we should recycle and be conscious of our waste and energy in order to save our planet.  I have really believed in this stuff since i was young, and I want to bring it into my professional life.  So therefore, I have decided to combine my two loves: the planet and buildings.  I want to major in Architecture and Minor in Environmental studies.  This way, I could combine the two and create beautiful houses while incorporating green technology.  This is what I know I will love doing my whole life.  I have my mind set on this goal, and I plan on making it happen

Trees

The novel “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros, a compilations of vignettes, is narrated by a young Esperanza who has to overcome adversity and finds comfort and support from trees. She does this through many symbols, and one of them is trees. Trees are constantly seen throughout the book as being forced to stay in one spot.  Trees symbolize the loneliness of Esperanza and outcast.  For example in “Skinny Trees” Esperanza compares herself to the trees. “They are the only ones who understand me. I am the only one who understands them. Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy elbows like mine. Four who do not belong but are here... But Nenny just sleeps and doesn’t appreciate these things” (page 74).  This shows that she is very different, and looks at herself in a low esteem.  She dislikes the way she looks, even if it doesn’t affect the way others look at her.  She also shows her difference by mentioning that Nenny doesn’t look at these things, the things that she looks at.  Also, she says that the trees are the only ones who understand her, and she understands them. This mean they are alike and Cisneros plays with the fact that they are both outcasts.

Also, she proves her point with this quote on page 24:“The kids bend trees and bounce between cars and dangle upside down from knees and almost break like fancy museum vases u can’t replace. They think it’s funny. They are without respect for all things living, including themselves” she shows that she is a child, but she is different of how she sees them as disrespectful and observes the other children from afar. This shows her isolation from the others.

Also Cisneros writes, “And then I don’t know why but I had to run away. I had to hide myself at the other end of the garden, in the jungle part, under a tree that wouldn’t mind if I lay down and cried a long time” (Page 97).  She shows thsi relationship between Esperanza and trees again.  It portrays how they are tightly wound together and understand each other’s feelings.  Also, it shows up when she is feeling left out.  She is left out from the others, and finds comfort and support from her loving, much alike trees.

Windows

The symbol of windows in this story represents the barriers on women from their dreams put on by their husbands. For the first one, on page 10, it shows Esperanza who is limited by the window and her husband who forced her to marry him. Windows represent the want and need of a better like but the obligations they still have at home. They want to leave but they can’t. Also, on page 70, Cisneros talks about a woman stuck in her room/ house and who is afraid to go outside. She sits by the window all day, looking out to the world she yearned to be in but cant and feels sad. This is another symbol of broken dreams and want of something unattainable. This time, Cisneros talks about how men trap women even though sometimes when they are trying to help. This woman's husband brought her to h America to help her out and escape her old life in Mexico. But she is more miserable and trapped here in America, than before in Mexico. Also, Rafaela is limited by her husband. He doesn't let her outside because he is afraid that she will run away. She looks outside the window and at her dream, wishing she were outside and in the world, but she can’t because her husband limits her so much. The symbol of the window is how husbands and men limit women from their dreams, even sometimes, when they mean well. 

I agree with the idea that people can trap others even when they are not trying to, but I don’t necessarily agree that men are always on this side of the relation ship.  Women can limit men as well.  Also, I think this has something to do with the setting of the story.  I guess generally at that time period, in that specific area of Chicago, women were treated unfairly.  I disagree that men should have rule over women, but I also strongly disagree that women should rule over me.  A couple must have a compatibility where they are equals, work out their problems, and come to a fair, and equal solutions, together.  

Blood Similarities

In the epistolary novel, The Color Purple, Alice Walker portrays a young Celie who lives her life suppressed but develops into a strong, influential woman. Celie has a sister, Nettie, who she is separated from early on in her life.  Celie’s abusive husband hid all of Nettie’s letters from Celie, leaving her wondering what had happened to her sister for many, many years.  Finally, after a long time, she finds all of Nettie’s past letters and finds that she had made a name for herself.  She developed her own views, based on her own life, while Celie developed her own.  Celie came to an idea that God was mostly a person to talk to in her time of need, when she was alone.  She had a shallow relation to god in a religious way.  On the other hand, Nettie preaches god’s words as a missionary.  Also, Celie faces a more direct downplay of women’s rights; she is physically and mentally abused, while Nettie faces a women’s suppression in Africa where girls were not allowed to go to school.  They each have very different views on religion and life but both go through a much similar lifeline.

As a child, Celie was molested by her stepfather.  When he does so, he tells her. “You better not tell nobody but God. It’d kill your mammy.” (Page 1) and this is what sparks her writings to god.  She writes to god out of a lack of anyone else to talk to. She just got into the habit of doing so, in order to express her feelings.  She rarely ever asks for anything from god, unlike what people usually do when they pray.  Also, she finds that Nettie is still alive, she stops writing to god and to Nellie instead.  Anyway, her “religious” views helped her move on and survive life.

Celie faces a lifetime of abuses.  She is raped by her stepfather, and then married off to a man that she didn’t even like, who beat her all the time, just out of a lack of things to do.  For a while, she accepts this concept as a way of life, and doesn’t retaliate.  She also tells her step son to hit his own wife.  She then meets Shug Avery.  She helps shape Celie’s ideas, and refines her as a woman.  She gave Celie strength and guided her to breaking free from the bonds her husband had on her.  She had an influential hero that led her to success and power within herself.

Nettie, on the other hand, is a missionary and believes greatly in god’s power.  She states that god sent Olivia and Adam to Corrine and Samuel, and that she was sent to them by god .  

And then, they say, “God” sent thim Olivia and Adam.. I wanted to say, “God” has sent you their sister and aunt, but I didn’t. Yes, their children, sent by “God” are your children…(page 133)

She has a heavy belief that God will always be there and help her through out her life. This is greatly different from Celie's view because Celie rarely asks for anything and says that god gave her a really messed up family.  Also, Nettie proves her devotion by going on a trip to Africa, and making a difference in the community teaching at schools. This shows that she is willing to work, and contribute to the community. 

There, Nettie faces many gender discriminations. First of all, men had many wives.  Also, women and girls are not allowed to go to school.  This was part of their culture, and the missionaries didn’t press too hard on changing it.  But with the help of Samuel, Nettie enhanced the system, to which girls were allowed to attend school.

Both Nettie and Celie faced inequalities of gender, and they both used their religion to push on through life when it got hard.  Also, they both had someone in their lives that helped them develop and make a name for themselves.  Nettie had Samuel, and Celie had Shug.  All of these differences and similarities were sparked by the difference in community and environment, but the similarities were based on their blood relation.  These sisters had so much in common even though they were separated and put into completely different environments. 

Responce to Troy's Opening Statement

i was read Troy's interesting paragragh about how Parents should be able to modify their children's DNA, and i feel like i agree.  I especially like the idea that parents should have a lisense saying that they are sane, because pepole may be unfit to make the correct decision.  "I say that it is the parent’s choice, but they need to have some sort of license that signifies that they are capable to make the right decision."  To add on, i think taht people should go through a  series of drug tests, to make sure they are not on drugs.  They should also check the parent's alcohol level to make sure that they aren't drunk and making a spur of the moment decision that might be wrong for them in the future. I really liked how troy made the paragraph more personal, with out so many sources.  this made me feel as though i have a connection with those parents.  Also, the informal writing style made me feel as though i was talking to him directly.  it enhanced my understanding and enjoyment of reading this piece.My favorite part of the essay was the beginning. He said: 

I was reading the news when I came across a couple from Australia who had a miscarriage. They saw the baby’s face and instantly fell in love. They wanted to have another girl who looked just like her, so they tried again. This time they got twin boys. Since they wanted a girl the aborted the twins. I am against abortion, but I understand their view point.

This part was a perfect hook of the essay.  It made me feel connected to the piece on a level that just concrete details couldn't give me.  It was a wonderful aspect of DNA mutation.


One thing that i would point out to troy, is that he should put the sources and urls  and link the resources in the actual paragraph because it is more convenient for the reader.  Also, the paragraph should include more concrete ideas, because although i liked the personal level, i don't feel like it is strong enough by itself.  It would be a flawless essay if he was able to incorporate both parts.  Other than that, this paragraph was almost perfect.

Journal on Celie

In the Book, The Color Purple, by Alice Walker, young Celie has an interesting relationship with god.  I believe that she doesn't necessarily believe in god, but she resides in a society that does.  She is constantly told that god is the one who she should turn to when she needs help, etc.  She speaks to god as if he were her journal, in which she can just pour out her feelings in. She lives in a lonely world where she has no one to talk to, and so she turn to the person who would always listen, god.  She usually doesn't ask for any guidance or help, but when she does, it is usually for another person.  All in all, she talks to god as a friend who she can trust not to tell anyone, and listen to her dearly, not as a prayer.

Should parents modify their child's DNA?

Human DNA modification can drastically change a person's life. Genetic DNA could be used to create a "Designer Baby", where a parent has genetically customized their child's DNA to have certain genes and have none of another.  For example, a baby, was cured of cancer before he was able to walk because doctors were able to genetically mutate his genes.  They had to do this because his father's side of the family has had a long line of cancer and they didn’t want him to be diagnosed too.  They were lucky to be able to catch it earlier.  On the other hand, it could be used to change the appearance of a child, picking and choosing different traits.  It should be legal for a parent to choose whether or not they want to modify their child's genes (with some boundaries).  I believe that it is very beneficial to be able to change the genetics of one's baby, and  It would be okay for a parent to use this technology to prevent a genetic disease/ tumor but unethical for them to use it to change a looks of their child.

First of all, it is the parent’s decision on how they raise their child, whether being hard on them school wise, or letting them decide their future, etc.  In the same way, they should have all the right to mutate their children’s genetics.  If the family is ready to put their child through genetic customizations, then they should.  The same should be held for such actions on the physical appearance of the child (but I think this is completely unethical.  Children should be born the way they were meant to, not the way they are artificially made.  Their appearance is one of the factors what shapes their life, and changes of that may result in a completely different person.).  Restrictions and laws should be made to keep genetic modification safe.  People should never be able to use this new science to create a difficulty for the child in the future, such as causing a cancerous mutation.  A DNA modification pamphlet should be handed out to every single parent/ patient to read, so that they understand fully what the dangers, risks, and benefits of DNA modification really are.

iPhone 4 On Verizon

At a press conference in New York City, Verizon CEO Lowell MacAdam announced that the iPhone 4 will be available on Verizon's networkstarting February 2011.

-http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/11/verizon-iphone-release-date-launch_n_807347.html

Recently, the iPhone was finally released to verizon after their exclusive contract with AT&T expired after five years.  This contract stated that the iphone was exclusive with att only for five years.  After a few years of iphones being on the market, they became a “hot” item, and apple was just waiting for them to be able to expand to other carriers, such as verizon.  Verizon has a lot better service connect and stability, while att has faster downloading speeds.  The users of att have been fed up with the unstable connection, and have been waiting for the contract to expire so that they could hop onto verizon, as shown by this video.  Living in the bay area, the connection stability is even worse than anywhere else because att neglects to improve their satellites over us.  In my house, when sending a text message, I have to send the text, then jump up and down and hold my phone above my head. And with that, it only works sometimes.  And sometimes is gets ridiculous and I cant send the message and have to go outside. 

Not to seems spoiled or anything, but I thought I was lucky when I got the iphone 4 for att for Christmas.  But now, I am really regretting getting it because that means that I have to wait another two years before I can jump onto the verizon wireless plan and have great service, and a texting with out jumping up and down around my house, waving my hand over my head. 

On the other hand, the antenna problem that everyone was complaining about a few months ago hasn’t bothered me at all, which is great.  I think it is because I have a case over my phone which protects interference with the phones connection.  That is an upside that I wasn’t expecting.  But overall, looking at it from another perspective, having an iphone on att is a great, great thing that many others don’t get the privilege of, so I shouldn’t be complaining at all, even if verizon users are going to get 5x better connection. 

Super Power

I found this quote on Victor’s Blog that I found fascinating

If I had a super power it would be the ability to create an item by visualizing it in your mind. Others might want to fly or have super speed, but if you could make things with your mind, you could just visualize a jet pack to fly or a race car for speed. You could make up anything you want from guns to fight crime to food to fight poverty. Visualizing items is the best super power since you could do whatever you wanted since you controlled matter.

I have never thought of this power, and I think it maybe better than the one I thought of:

  As a child, I always wanted to fly, and I dreamt about flying with super powers.  I thought that I could just lead a normal life, except just concealing my secret, which would be easy if I followed just one rule: don’t fly in front of other people.  I could just fly from place to place by flying at super sonic speed up above the clouds, then slowing down and taking my time(which would still be 100 miles an hour).  I wouldn’t be expected to save anyone’s life or get into fights.  This way I would never be late for anything.  Sometimes, I dream about becoming a pilot, but I think against it because I don’t want to hold the future of all the people in the plane in my hands and fail them because I tend to make a lot of mistakes.  Also, flying a plane has restrictions because I can’t go anywhere I want, I have a top speed, and I cant do tricks.  I thought about joining the air force, but that is dangerous, and I don’t want to put my life in danger.  I also don’t want to be involved in any killing or bombing. 

With victor’s idea of visualizing things, I could just make a hover skate board or a jet back or flying shoes that go as fast and I want.  I could also give food to people who need it.  But if I had any super powers, I would keep it to myself because I don’t want people to expect me to do good,a nd have me fail them. Also, I don’t want to become a human test experiment for scientists.  I would do good, but in my own secret way.

“I just want to fly” is what I used to think. But now when I think about it, I now know that flying is a sign of freedom, going as fast as you want where ever you want and whenever you want.  That is what I want, not just flying.

Throughout reading the seven debates about whether or not one attends an elite school, it affects their future, two especially stuck out at me: Merit and Race, by Luis Fuentes-Rohwer, a professor of law at Indiana University, and What You Do vs. Where You Go, by Martha (Marty) O'Connell, the executive director of Colleges That Change Lives, a nonprofit organization.  Merit and Race caught my eye as the least persuasive, and relevant essay.  First of all, none of the statistics given were backed up with any concrete sources, and also, Fuentes-Rohwer based most of his debate on ethnicity, which had little to do with the actual prompt.  He barely mentioned his position: the higher ranking the college, the better, and backed it up with little, unverified information, and moved onto how colleges were important for minority groups to survive in the real world.  I do agree with what he was saying, that elite colleges help minorities get noticed when competing for a job, where the employer is racist of has stereotypes in mind while decide who the best candidate for the job is, But it has nothing to do with whether or not an elite college is better, and more beneficial for all. 

On the other hand, I really noticed Martha O’Connell’s debate about how it is how hard one works and how he carries himself into the next stage that determines how well he does in his lifetime.  I enjoyed the mention of the first hand experience with the high school kids that she displayed how many successful people didn’t come from elite colleges or colleges at all.  This made me feel as though I was on a more personal not with O’Connell than with any of the other writers.  Also, I liked that her writing over flowed, with an easy-to-read vocabulary.  It made it interesting to read without getting boring.  Instead of using information from research, she used her own, first hand data and data that is undeniable (the famous people not going to elite colleges, just working hard). She also added a layer of SAT scores to finish off the debate, and give some strong concrete detail.  Over all, it was an easy-to-read piece with a lot of great writing and points.