One Hundred!

As of today, if you have completed every one of the journal assignments, you will have completed 100 journal entries. This serves as a record of your thoughts and feelings about the topics that were covered in this course over the entire academic year (even if you delete your blog, I have saved it all). Whether you realized it at the time or not, this journal writing was one of the most important elements of this class. It was intended to encourage you to think on your own terms about the topics we covered in class, and to express those thoughts in writing. Looking back at the experience of keeping this journal, write about how you feel about the practice of writing daily about your life, whether related to school or not. Do you think it is a valuable habit? Why or why not? Explain.

• The practice of writing daily about life can be both good and bad. First, if you have a bad memory, writing a journal would definitely be good because it reminds you of what happened before. Second, writing daily about your life provides material for you to remember what happened in the past even if a lot of time has passed. However, one of the bad things for writing daily in a journal is that if you write something personal or private, or some secrets in it, someone who accidentally finds it might see them, and it might cause you some trouble. However, I still think it is a quite valuable habit because it allows you to practice your thinking and improve your writing skills. It also tests your memory because you may sometimes forget to write or type your journal of the day. 
• I'm extremely glad that I have finished all my journal entries for the year (I have just checked my blog and if I exclude this journal entry than I have exactly 99 entries; in other words, with this journal entry I will have completed my 100 journal entries for the year)! I sometimes (actually, a lot of times) forget about my journal, and I'll have to make it up the next day, or the day after the next day. But I'm still glad that I made them up and completed my 100 entries!

Final Exam

How do you feel about your final exam? Are you ready? What parts do you feel unsure about? What parts are you confident about. If the teacher were to say as he was passing out the exams, "Don't worry, this exam is very easy," how much would you want to kill him?

• I would say that I feel quite fine about the exam, except that I am a little bit nervous, as I always am before exams. Though I say I feel quite fine, I would definitely say no, I am not ready for the test. This is because I will never be ready for any test. I know this is a weird logic, but who cares? That's what I think! Anyways, the parts that I feel unsure about are the comprehension parts where the question asks about the content of the story. I feel unsure because I sometimes don't really understand a feeling, tone, or mood, or what a character or the author is trying to convey to me. What I am confident about is the vocabulary. This is because I have spent a really long time looking up the words and memorizing the words, so I feel confident. Finally, I would say that if any teacher passed out the exams while saying "Don't worry, this exam is very easy," I would definitely want to kill him, because if he thought that it was easy, then why even give out the exam!? Can't he just be nice and say, "Oh, you guys are good, so you don't have to take the exam"?

Group Work

Yesterday you were asked to write about situations in which strangers had to work together for a common goal. Many times as students you are put into groups to perform various tasks. How do you feel about group work? Do you like it more than working by your self, or less? Why? What makes it better or worse? Do you think you are a net contributor to the groups you are in, or do you tend to just let others in the group do most of the work? Why do you think teachers make students do group work so often? For example, do you think they are really trying to teach students to learn how to work together, or are they just making their own jobs easier by reducing the number of projects to grade? How do you think group work in school will prepare you for life after high school? Given the fact that in college you might have to work in groups even more than you have had to in high school, and after college you will certainly have to work in groups, how do you feel about the value of group work? 

•  I do not have any particular feelings towards teamwork. My feelings for team projects mostly depend on the situation. If the project is really hard, then group work is good since I can kind of depend on someone else to do it for me (evil, I know, but it works sometimes). However, if the teammates that I work with are incapable of doing the job and lazy, then I would rather work alone than in a group. I would say that I am usually one of the contributors of a project, unless I'm in the same group as "nerds", which include people such as Sarah and Alyson, etc. XD I believe that teachers tell students to do group projects because one, they want to grade less assignments, and sometimes two, they really care about the students and want them to learn the skills of cooperating with each other. I would say that most teachers do this because of the first reason (just my opinion, though; never know what the teachers are thinking about). Anyways, no matter what the reason is, learning to do group projects is an important skill for a person. We can only survive in this cruel world if we learn how to cooperate and communicate with our superiors and partners. To sum it all up, group work is something that everybody needs to know, even if they don't like it.

Strangers Together

Throughout “102 Minutes” the authors emphasize that people are strangers and that they are alone. However, they also point out that the rescue depended on the efforts of many people. What main idea is suggested by these two points? Can you think of an example from your own life or experience of how people can simultaneously be both strangers and collaborators?

•  The main idea that is suggest by these two points is that even though people are strangers and may not know one another (or maybe they dislike each other even without knowing others), strangers sometimes have to work together with other no matter what when the situation calls for it. 
• One of the examples in my own life where people can simultaneously be both strangers and collaborators can be found in MUN, or Model United Nations. When we first attend a meeting, we do not know anyone who is there, since we come from different places. However, we are at the meeting in order to work with others in order to solve a problem or an issue that is plaguing the world in the current world. We have to be able to communicate with others and merge our ideas together, and we slowly turn from strangers into allies, and from allies, we turn into friends. In MUN, lobbying is the experience where we have to be able to find people with the same point of views, and then we merge our solutions for the issue (our resolution). Then in the debate, we have to try to support our own allies, and try to pass our solution. I believe that MUN is a great activity where we can turn strangers into friends by working together and collaborating with each other.

Project Reflection

What did you learn by doing the project on the book of your choice? How would you characterize the level of effort it took to read the book? How much effort did you put into the project? How long did it take you to complete? In the final analysis, do you feel like the exercise was worthwhile? If so, why? If not, why not? Could it have been a deeper learning experience in some way? Did your own participation and effort have an effect on the value of the project as a learning experience?

• There are quite a lot of interesting things that I learned from the reading project. First, I learned some names of Italian schools and universities, the name of a German university (University of Gottigen), a German address and a German phone number, and also what should be included in a peer evaluation form for teachers and for professors. 
• I believe that my level of effort in a scale from one to ten would be about 9. I said nine because I believed that I placed a lot of effort into researching the information that was not clarified within the book. I spent a total of about six to seven hours to finish and complete the book report, the reading project, and also the presentation.
• I believe that this is a worthwhile project. For me, researching more and creating a more detailed analysis would help me better understand the characters that I am reading about. I believe that this learning experience is set up quite well. 
• Participation and effort definitely have an effect on the value of the project as a learning experience. If not effort was placed within the project, nothing would be learned.

911

There is no doubt that the terrorist attacks of September 11 were terrible. What about the aftermath? Considering the state of world affairs today, what effect do you think 911 has had? Did the United States respond appropriately? Is the world now a safer place? Now that Bin Laden has been killed, do you think that the survivors and those who lost loved ones in the attacks feel better?

• The aftermath of the September 11 attack on the Twin Towers was that people became more aware of the fact that there are terrorist groups who are willing to sacrifice themselves to that level for their cause. The event also made people more aware of the dangers that they face every single day, every moment, and made them fear these terrorist, and made them really jumpy about events. 
• The United States first response was to find out what the motive was, which was a quite appropriate response. The attack on the Twin Towers also started the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan. I personally believe that the United States should stay more out of foreign affairs and just strengthen their national security. Getting themselves involved might only increase the risks of the United States being attack by the terrorists again. Therefore, I believe that the starting of the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan was not that appropriate.
• I believe that the world is not a safe place. We can use the death of Bin Laden as an example. The death of Bin Laden does make the people feel better, but does not make the world a safer place, but instead, a more dangerous place. This is because the death of their leader may cause the terrorist groups to want even more revenge.

Buried Alive

Today we will begin reading a true story about two men who were trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building. What do you think it would be like to be buried alive or trapped in some life-threatening way? What thoughts do you think might go through your mind? Who would you like to have the chance to send a message to? Would you want to have done something differently in your life? If you were trapped with others, do you think that you would all work together to try to survive, or would it be “every man for himself”?

• I believe that being buried alive would be very, no, I should say extremely, uncomfortable. How would it be comfortable, anyways? It'll make you feel like you can't breath at all. And, also, depending on the situation, you might either be very wet, or very muddy, or in anyway, be "dirty", to sum it all up. 
• I can almost be absolutely sure that if I ever get trapped alive, my first thoughts would be swear words such as "CR*P" and "SH*T" and "F**K", etc. I would say that almost anyone under that kind of situatioon would think like that, unless you are someone who is extremely weird. 
• If I had a chance to send a message out, it would be of course to someone I love the most. If, during that time, I have a lover of some sort, then maybe the message would be sent to him to tell my family about my current situation. If, however, I don't have a lover of some sort, then the message would definitely be to my family. I would say that I would want my grandparents to read the message first, then my parents, then my cousins. Weird order, I guess, but whatever. 
• I would not have really wanted something to be redone if I know that I'm going to die. At least, not right now. I believe that I have nothing in my life that I have to regret for.
• If I were really suck in such a life threatening situation, I believe that I would want to work together with other people and try to survive instead of fighting with each other and making the situation even worse.

Jargon

Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, group, or event. In "Into Thin Air" Krakauer uses jargon to describe some of the equipment and activities involved in mountain climbing. Try to recall some of the terms he uses that are particular to mountain climbing, then try to think if you use any jargon yourself. Is there any activity you take part in that has it's own vocabulary or slang? What about being a student? Are there special terms that are particular to that? Hint: sometimes we are so immersed in our activities that we don't even realize that we are using specialized language.

• A few examples of Jargon used in "Into Thin Air" include "rappel", which means "to descend a mountain by means of a double rope around the climbers body so that he or she can control the slide downward and make the descend", and also "short roped", which means "to help a weak or injured person climb down a mountain by hauling him or her". 
• Some of the jargons I use myself include "MB", "Walrus", "Toad", and "Hippo". You don't have to guess what they are, because unless you are at our school, you won't know who these people are. Also, you have to be within my specific circle of friends to know what these terms mean. Yes, they are people who are quite annoying, who many others don't like. However, I can suggest you to quit guess who they are, because you'll never get it! Ha ha ha XD. I would say that these are jargons for being a student (at least within my small ciricle of friends).
• One activity that involves a lot of jargons is basketball. In a basketball team, the strategies and exercises are all different and specified for basketball. Therefore, terms such as "typhoon", "chocolate", "2-3", "3-2", and "4-1" can be considered as basketball jargons. 

Risk for a Reason

In the event of a disaster, would most people risk their lives to save a stranger? Think of true tories you have heard about people who, facing danger, save the lives of strangers. Why do some people risk their own lives to save others? Why do some people look out for themselves first? Which do you think you would do? DO you thin kthat the reason for the disaster would make a difference? For example, if there is a disaster because people foolishly put themselves at risk, would you be less willing to help than if the victims had no responsibility for their situation, such as in a natural disaster?

• No, I believe that not a lot of people would risk their lives to save the lives of strangers. Right now this moment, I cannot think of any true stories where people who, facing danger, save the lives of strangers, but I guess that firefighters saving some trapped drunken men may act as an example. I think that people risk their own lives to save others because it's their instinct. Also, the person may be very passionate or are very nice people. Others who would not risk their lives can be said as selfish, because they want to live longer. These people are the majority of the population. I am also one of these so called selfish people, because I would definitely go for my own life first. I also believe that the reason for disaster is an important issue, and sometimes also the person. These factors make a difference. I would definitely be less willing to help someone who is in danger because they put themselves at risk. If you really want me to save someone during a disaster, then it has to be a natural disaster, and, as I said before, the person and my relationship with the person also changes my decision.

Why Take Risks?

What does Krakauer say about why mountain climbers take such risks? Think of the kinds of risks people take, both physical and otherwise. Do his conclusions apply to other risk takers as well? In your own experience, when you have taken risks or seen others take risks, what do you think the reasons were? Do they match up with what Krakauer says?

• Krakauer says that mountain climbers take risks because nothing that happens during mountain climbing can be predicted, so we cannot prepare for all of the diasaters that might happen - we can only do some basic preparations and precautions.
• Kinds of risks that people take mainly include physical and mental risks. Physical risks include extreme pressure and strain on your body to challenge both your physical and mental limitations. Mental risks include decision making. For example, in the stock market, when you make a good decision and buy the right stock and sell at the right time, then you will benefit and gain a lot of money. However, when you make the wrong decision, then you might loose a large amount of money. 
• I believe that Krakauer's conclusions also apply to other risk takers. Actually, everyone is at risk, because you might die the next second even though you're just sitting down and doing nothing. I totally agree with this, so I believe that we should live our life. 
• Some reasons for taking risks include the satisfaction that one get's after they completed the challenge, or when they overcome a fear. Peer pressure may also be an important reason. For example, if everyone else are brave enough to do something, then you will also want to do it to prove that you are a part of their group.

Cause and Effect

One way that a story-teller moves the story forward is by relating the events to each other. This can take the form of cause-and-effect relationships. There are many different ways to describe this relationship: focus on causes, focus on effects, or focus on both. Sometimes an effect has many causes, sometimes only one of several possible causes is sufficient to have an effect. Many times the cause and effect relationship takes the form of a complex chain in which several causes create an effect that in turn creates other effects. In the excerpt from Into Thin Air, try to examine what happens and why. What are the causes of the events that happen? What are the effects?

• In this excerpt from Into Thin Air, we start out with Krakauer, who had just arrived at the summit of Mount Everest, tired and exhausted. He is tired and exhausted because he has not slept for about 3 days, has barely eaten anything, and also because the oxygen in his tank is running out, so his brain is functioning a little bit slowly. The second main event was that his oxygen tank completely ran out of oxygen, because one of the people who came climbed up with him accidentally released all of the oxygen. This was caused because Krakauer's teammate was also tired and quite out of oxygen, so he wasn't able to think clearly. Later on, the death of Hall was and the others were caused by the carelessness of the climbers, and also their lack of caution. They should have paid more attention to the weather that was worsening. The causes of some people's deaths also include the fact that there wasn't enough oxygen, and without oxygen, the climbers were not able to think and make good and smart decisions. For example, Hall was told that there was no oxygen left when there are actually two full tanks because the person transmitting the message from the camp to Hall was lacking oxygen and heard the wrong this, which cost Hall's life.

Compare Disasters

Think about the Krakauer story and the story of the Titanic. How are they similar? How are they different? What about the way they are told? Are there similarities and differences in the narrative accounts?

• The Krakuer story and the story of the Titanic are similar because in these two stories, there are both disasters that took away many lives. Also, both of the disasters were resulted because people were too careless and proud. In the Titanic, people were too proud and believed that the Titanic was unsinkable. They didn't even bother to watch out for ice bergs or do emergency practices. Also, because they were so proud, not a lot of people went on the life saving boats. This was what caused the tragic death of so many people. 
• One of the main differences between the Krakauer story and the story of the Titanic was the the previous occurred on land while the latter occurred on the sea. The reasons why people died were also different. In the Krakauer story, people died because of a lack of care for the weather. In the story of the Titanic, people died because of their pride, which eventually caused them to bump into the ice berg and freeze to death in the freezing sea water. 
• They story is told in very different ways. In the Krakuer story, the story was told in a first person point of view in a story form from the author and narrator, Job Krakuer. In the story of the Titanic, however, the story was told in a third person point of view in the form of a story as well. The different point of views changes the style of the story. Also the time for when each story was written also effects the style. The story of the Titanic was written a long time after the event actually happened, while Krakuer's story was written quite close to the time period after the event occurred.

Participation

Jon Krakauer went on the Everest expedition as a paid observer for a magazine. This is called “participatory journalism,” and it can be quite dangerous. What do you think the job of a journalist is or should be? What challenges might a journalist face who writes about an event in which he or she is also a participant? Where do you draw the line between being an observer—outside the event—and being a participant—inside the event? How does a journalist deal with events such as disasters without becoming emotionally involved?

• The job of a journalist is to uncover the truth that the people want to know about, or the truth that they would care about. Or, journalists may also help spread the ideas and opinions of a person or a group. I believe that the jobs of the journalists is not to exaggerate and also not to spread rumors around the world, rumors that might not even be a bit true. 
• I believe that the challenges of being a participant is that he or she has to experience and record down the events and details of the experiment at the same time. And while he or she is doing this, he or she might get into another unexpected trouble.
• An observer of an event would be the one who barely uses up any energy. A participant, however, actually enters the event that he or she is reporting on. For example, an observer of a basketball game would watch as an audience, while the participant would go down and enter the game as well to better understand the feelings of the players. 
• I believe that to deal with disasters without becoming emotional, you have to be able to see through meager but important things, and also be able to quickly find a solution to your problem. One way to do this is to think in the point of view of how the world would treat this problem (or if you were an observer, what would you do?).

Risk

Why do you think some people are drawn to risk and adventure? What is the attraction to danger? Do you like to take chances? Why or why not? Describe a risk or adventure you have had or would like to have—perhaps due to something you have seen someone else do.

• Some people are drawn to risk and adventure because they enjoy the feeling of being nervous and the the feeling of being tense. It gives you a satisfied feeling. Also, when you face the risk or adventure, and when you benefit from the risk (or win from the risk) or when you complete the adventure, you will have a feeling of being extremely satisfied. This satisfaction makes you addicted to wanting to win. This is the same reason as why people are attracted to danger, because you feel the satisfaction, and if you face and danger and you "survive" or "win", then you might become famous, you feel yet another wave of satisfaction. I like to take chances, yes, but only when the possibility of benefiting is higher than the possibility of losing. For example, if there is a 60 percent chance of winning, or higher, then I would take the chance. Don't think that I am being a coward, because you still have to consider the fact that you have a 40 percent chance of losing. So, when you take chances, never underestimate the risk or feel too confident. A risk that I took before involves a dare - I had to make a prank call. It was quite fun, because you had to find ways to make the person answering the call feel awkward, and you also have to "disguise yourself", for example, making your voice sound different.

Free Write

Write about a topic of your choice. Be sure to write at least 200 words.

•  Today, just this morning, something shocking happened! Well, to you, it might not be a shocking event, but to me, it is really shocking because I would never expect something like this to happen. It's kind of stupid, but who said that I couldn't act stupid once in a while? So exactly what happened? Well, every thursday in English class, we would have tests on Latins roots, Greek roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Today we had our suffix number four test. The suffixes this time were very hard because they were very similar, both the base and its meaning. For example there is -ment, which means action or process, and also -ment, or product of thing. Really confusing, isn't it? Anyways, here's my main point. Sarah, who is one of the best students in our class (and also one of the nerdiest person in our class), has never gotton a score lower than sixteen out of twenty. However, this time, when she took this test, she only got thirteen out of twenty! This is unbelievable!
• The next thing I'm going to talk about today is the fetal pig lab that I'm doing in AP Biology. Vincent and I were dissecting the brain of the big. Under the skin is a thin layer of brain membrane. However, I thought that it was really thick, so I cut it really hard. And the result? The whole brain was cut up and mushed by me. It wasn't a pleasant sight, but it was extremely funny!

A Challenge

Do you enjoy challenges? What kind of challenge do you enjoy? Physical? Mental? Why do you think this is so? Can you give an example of a challenge you have faced, or one you would like to face? How about a challenge you would not like to face? If you don’t like challenges, explain why you don’t.

• Yes, I enjoy several different types of challenges. However, one thing that bothers me a lot is that the challenges I enjoy are extremely specific, and most of the time my passion for solving that challenge would fade away, and I would only challenge it when I feel like it. It's a weird habit, but something that I can't change. It's just like when you first listen to a good song, you like it a lot, so you want to keep listening to it. However, after you listened to it too many times, you will start to be annoyed by the same song. The challenges I enjoy are mostly physical challenges. Very few of them are mental challenges. I like physical challenges because I enjoy feeling the strain and stress, because it makes me feel like "I'm there". It's weird, I know, but, I just enjoy it. One example is the condition training we get during basketball practice. The training we usually do include running the stairs (up and down, causes a lot of strain on your leg, and it sores like HELL), push ups, and also sit ups. I don't like mental challenges because I am never good at them. Even if I try really hard, I could never get the mental challenges, such as brain twisters. My brain can never really "twist fast enough" or it can't even twist around.

Highwayman

In “Typhoid Fever,” Seamus says that there is a similarity between what happens to Frankie and what happened to the highwayman. What is the similarity? Do you agree with Seamus’s conclusion? Why or why not? Explain how Frankie’s situation might be compared to a romantic story, and how it is different.

• Yes, I agree with Seamus's statement that there is similarity between what happened to Frankie and what happened to the highwayman. Now, let us think about it. In the excerpt that we read from Angela's Ashes, Typhoid Fever, we learn that Frankie was moved to another room because he kept on talking with Patricia, and because they were reciting English, non-secular poems and even reading the history of England, though it was the English that made them suffer like that. So to make it simple, Frankie was moved to another room because of a girl, Patricia. In the poem about the highwayman, the Highwayman gets killed by the Red Coats also because of a girl, the landlord's daughter, Bess. Bess was killed, and when the Highwayman found out about Bess's death, he was in rage and went back to avenge Bess, but in the end he was shot and he died. To make this simple, the Highwayman gets killed by Red Coats because of a girl, Bess. When you compare the two generalizations, you will realize that they are very similar. 
• When I compare Frankie's situation with a romantic story, the connection that I think about is Romeo and Juliet. Kind of weird, I know, but when you compare the two stories, you will find the similarity. Even though Frankie and Patricia are not in love, they are being separated, and one of them is going to die (even though it's the girl, Patricia, who dies.)

Humor's Role

"I had to laugh 'cos I couldn't cry no more."                              -- anonymous
Angela’s Ashes is a novel filled with sad events, yet the author’s style always adds a touch of humor. In the scene we read, the nurse from Kerry asks, “What is there to laugh about?” What is there to laugh about in this story? What role can humor play in a sad story? Look up the word “catharsis” and see if you can use it in your explanation.

• The definition of catharsis is "the process of releasing strong feelings, for example through plays or other artistic activities, as a way of providing relief from anger, suffering, etc.".
•  In the short excerpt of Angela's Ashes in our Textbook, there is a scene where Frank and Patricia are talking. When they were talking, Sister Rita, a nun, came and disrupted their conversation, saying that they should be no talking between them. Patricia, after Sister Rita left, starts to imitate Sister Rita, which made Frank laugh out loud. Another sister from the country Kerry came over and scolded Frank for laughing so loud, and Patricia again imitated the sister from Kerry.
• Frank laughs in the story because of Patricia's weird accent, and he also understands that Patricia is trying to be sarcastic and make fun of the strict and formal sisters of the hospital. It's humorous because of the contrast between the sister's formal and serious voice of talking contrasted to Patricia's "heavy accent" voice.
• Humor can do several things in a story. It can lighten up the mood of a story, cheer people up both in and out of the story, and it can also be sarcastic and make fun of someone or something.

Sick

Have you or anyone you have known ever been very sick? Have you ever been hospitalized or visited anyone in the hospital? If so, try describing the experience. Use your five senses, as well as your emotional response to the experience. If you have never had any such experience, try to imagine what it is like and describe it. Try to create a mood using your own personal style.

• Yes, of course I have been sick before. Fortunately, I have never had to stay in the hospital for over a day, or half a day, if I remember correctly. Being sick is an experience that most people had had at least once in their entire lifetime (except for some extremely lucky people). I have also known someone who had been hospitalized, and had even visited him before. That person was my grandfather. He had to stay in the hospital for an operation for a tumor (again, if I remember correctly). This isn't his first time stay in the hospital for an operation. When I visited my grandfather, the surgery was already down, so I did not feel as nervous and tense as my parents felt because I knew that my grandfather is alright at that time. I did, however, worry about his body conditions, because his body has taken too many operations and is now quite weak. Overall, I was relieved and worried at the same time. The hospital smelled like the typical hospital smell, and it was not very pleasant. I hope that I don't have to go to the hospital again, because I don't want to see anyone sick again.

Perspective

How can our perspective contribute to the meaning of an event? In what way does a writer’s relationship to the people, places, and events she describes influence her writing? How might a memoir differ from a biography or a historical account? Why do you think perspective has the effect it does?

• Perspective decides whether the an event is counted as "good" or counted as "bad". For example, when a there's a girl who's starting to get popular has gotten, there can be two perspectives on the event. The first perspective is that this girl might be really bitchy, so some people decided to "give her a lesson". The other perspective is that another girl who is popular is jealous of the other girl becoming popular, and also wants to "teach her a lesson". Another example relates to the South, after the Civil War in the United States. Blacks were often tortured and killed by organizations such as the KKK even though they are now stated as "free and equal" individuals by the US Constitution. The two perspectives are that the whites think that they're doing justice, and that the blacks think the whites are being unjust and discriminating against blacks.
• Perspective influences a writer's writing by giving said thing (people, places, and events) a positive or negative mood. A memoir is different from a biography or a historical account because a memoir is more emotional than both of them. Perspective is effective because it affects the ways a person thinks and also mood.

Writing in a Style

You arrive at school and find that there is a big mess in the sofa area. Someone has left garbage from take out food, some clothing, textbooks, half-empty cups, and various papers scattered all over the area. Right away emails start to fly around in the discussion of the mess. For this journal, create three short email messages that might be sent by different people at school to discuss the mess. You can choose any three people from school that you want: teacher, student, parent, staff, or administrator. Write the “email” in a style that reveals the personal qualities of the person sending it. Try to imitate their speech patterns, tone, and diction.

To all PAS student:
  This is ridiculous! You guys are already middle and high school students! And it's almost the end of the school year! Yet you are still so irresponsible? What are you going to do in the future if you are so irresponsible? In the future, id you are this irresponsible, you will never be successful! There are other students out there, working way harder than you! Whoever made this mess, and you know who you are, you better come and clean this! I don't want to see this mess still here when I come to school tomorrow. Is it clear?

To _____:
  Hey, have you got the email that ______ sent? I got it, and you know, she sounds so~ angry. Did you make the mess? I don't think so. You're too responsible and serious. I can almost certainly bet that you and ______ didn't make it. I didn't too, but I know some of the people. Most of them are juniors, but don't tell them that I said that. They might be upset. Anyways, about...


To all hardworking PAS students:
  Good day! PAS is one of the best schools that I have ever been to. The students here are hardworking, smart, but also knows what's fun and how to play. The students here are the best and aim to become even better. However, before we are able to achieve that, we must learn to become responsible students. This is very important. I want all of the people who have created the mess in front of the office at the sofa area to go and clean the mess without people pushing them. There must be a leader amoung these students! If that mess is not cleaned up, then I will have to unfortunately give the whole high school division a detention. So please go and clean up!

Two Styles?

Review the essay by Jhumpa Lahiri in your text (pp. 448-450), then answer the “Talk About” and “Write About” questions on p. 451. Use the “Academic Vocabulary” on p. 451 to analyze Lahiri’s style and how she develops her subject. What was a major component of Lahiri’s growing identity as an American? How were the experiences of Lahiri’s parents and other immigrants different from those of subsequent generations? In what ways is Lahiri’s experience equivalent to that of other children of immigrants? Is the use of figurative language an effective technique in this essay? Explain.

• Talk About  Jhumpa Lahiri's style is brought through to us by different techniques such as diction, or the author's use or words. She develops her subject through her detailed and descriptive components that are subsequent to each other. 
• Write About  Growing up in American, Lahiri's identity was not only defined by American cultures and traditions, but also by her Bengal culture and traditions. Lahiri's parents and other immigrants differed from subsequent generations because they were not able to be influenced much by American culture, ideas, and ways of life. Lahiri is equivalent with other immigrant children because they all have two identities - their original identity and their new American identity. The use of figurative language is an effective technique in this essay. The reason is that the figurative language allows us to understand different things in a new and different perspective that we might have not thought about before. 
• I believe that it is Lahiri's two different ideas that allows her to be able to understand many different things that normal people wouldn't be able to understand, and it is those that teaches her and guides her as she grows up. Having two identities may be tiring, but it is also a very good tool in order to help you experience different experience that gives you the ability to create even greater works.

Two Lives?

Most of you have a combination of cultural backgrounds. For example, you are ethnically Chinese, but you live in Taiwan and you go to an American school. Some of you have lived in other countries. Each of these backgrounds has a n effect on you, and they synergy created by two or more culture creates yet an additional influence. Try to describe the different cultures which influence you, and how they influence you. Which of your backgrounds do you think has the most influence on you? If you were a writer, how do you think this might affect your style?

• The cultures that influence me includes my Taiwanese culture, the Buddhist culture, and the influence that came from New Zealand. Taiwanese culture influences me through our Chinese traditions. One example may be festivals such as Chinese New Year and Moon Festival. Buddhism has a smaller influence in my cultural background. The one that influences me the most is that sometimes we go and pay our respect to several important gods and Buddhas, and also our ancestors. New Zealand also influenced part of my cultural background. As a child, I went to kindergarten in New Zealand and start learning English. I also learned many western traditions there, and met quite a large diversity of people. This influenced by English career. 
• I believe that the culture which influences me the most is my parent's (and my family's) culture. I have lived in Taiwan most of my life since I was born 15 years ago. Also, since my family is Taiwanese and have all these Taiwanese/Chinese traditions, I am influenced by them as well. 
• The cultures that influence me may also influence my style of writing. For example, since Taiwanese/Chinese cultures are not as open as western society, my writing style may be a little tradition and not open. But my western part of culture may influence me so that I am able to write more openly. I believe that it really depends on the subject to decide whether my writing style is open or not.

Taking a Leap

When can taking risks help you do the right thing? What sacrifices do we make for the people we care about? Has anyone ever taken a risk or given up something to help you? Have you ever taken a risk to help someone else? Under what circumstances would you consider doing so? Under what circumstances would you not choose to do so?

• When you have the right and considerable amount of risk while you are doing something, then it helps you. Sometimes when you don't take risks, you will never be able to escape a certain routine or pattern of life. Therefore, it is sometimes better to take some risk. However, one should never take too much risk. Of course, it would be fine if you were to benefit, but if you don't, you will lose a lot of things from taking that risk. 
• Everyone makes sacrifices for others. To show some simple examples, I may sacrifice some of my time in order to for my schedule to match with my friend's schedule, so we can go out. Something that's more significant and life-changing may be when I risk my job for someone else, or putting my job on the line for someone. As I mentioned, everyone has definitely made sacrifices, including me making sacrifices for others, and others making sacrifices for me. I would choose to make sacrifices when I believe that the percentage of me benefiting from my sacrifice is about 55 to 65 percent. When the risk is way too large, and when I believe that the possibility of me benefiting from the situation is low, I would not sacrifice.

Nature's Role

Think of an experience you had with nature or something you observed in nature. Maybe you were camping, or hiking, or maybe just going for a walk. Did anything surprise you? What role does nature play in our lives? How can nature surprise us? Can you think of how a writer might approach the subject of nature, and how it might be approached stylistically? How could different styles depict nature differently?

• Well, I do not have any specific experience with nature. If we really need an example, then we can say that an experience is when I walked in the park. There was nothing really surprising, but I enjoyed the trees and the natural breeze, etc. I believe that the role of nature in our lives is to provide us a living habitat, and also resources, and nature sometimes even provide us certain forms of entertainment, such as golf, etc. Another important role is that nature teaches us the mechanisms of life. Nature can surprise us because of two things. First, it has the power to destroy almost anything. Second, nature can recover from disasters that are caused by human beings.
•  When a writer approches the subject of nature, they can create style by using personification, metaphors, similies, and other figurative language. A writer can also create different moods by using different tones (for example, each season has a different mood). Different styles can be creates when depicting nature because there are different reasons for writing about nature, and also because of the different moods. 
• I believe that humans should cherish nature because one day, we may really destroy nature so much that it cannot recover. And that would cause extinction of ourselves. So it is not such a wise idea to continue to neglect what we have now. 

How Do Artists Convey Style?

Look at the painting on p. 445 of your textbook and answer the questions 1-5 on p. 444 and 1-4 on p. 445 (some are duplicates -- you don't have to answer twice). In your own words describe the style the artist used in creating this picture.

1.  What is the painting about? Is there action, or is it a still scene?     The painting is about a room. It is a still scene, showing furniture, which include a bed with a squared blue blanket, two tables, one big one small, two chairs, a transparent vase, two colorful plates, with a one under the vase, a cup with many patterns, and a very colorful design on the floor.
2. Consider the manner in which the painting's subject is presented. Is the subject depicted in a realistic or non realistic way?     The subject depicted in the painting is quite realistic (or at least, in my opinion).
3. Identify the artist's technique. How does the artist use color, texture, and shapes to show the subject matter?     The artist uses clear contrasting colors to show us a special feeling. The artist also uses a lot of colorful and decorative colors to describe an object. Shadows are also used to show a feeling of dark and light.
4. What mood is create by the artist's use of light and shadow?     The light and shadow effect somehow creates a warm, house-like feeling. It makes the picture look like it's showing one of those no-room apartments where everything can be seen if you stand in the center of the apartment. 
5. What adjectives would you choose to describe the style of this still-life painting?     The adjectives that I would use to describe the style of this still-life painting would be "warm", "relaxing", and "plain/simple yet colorful". 
6. How is the painting different from other paintings of similar subjects?     This painting is more of a "shadier" painting (as I would describe it). I would say that it's a room in the afternoon, illuminated by the afternoon sun that is just setting. I would think that other paintings would be livelier.

Making History

An important historical event can be determined by the changes that it brings to society: its legacy, and also how it influences the people of a nation's way of thinking.
Several important events that have happen throughout history (mainly associated with wars) include:

• American Revolution: learned in class about the reasons for war, the actual fighting and consequences of the war, and how many deaths and what the Americans needed to do after the war ended to start their new country
• Civil War: watched a movie and learned in class about the causes of the civil war, the battle, how blacks gained their rights, and the consequences of slavery (reconstruction of the country)
• French Revolution: learned in class about the reasons, actual battles, and consequences
• Russian Revolution: learned in class and on a tour guid about the history of Russia (the reasons, battles, and consequences)
• World War I: learned in class about the reasons, battles, alliances, and consequences of the war; also learned about the new inventions and technologies used in war
• World War II: watched several movies and learned in class about what the reasons for war are, the actual battles and the alliances of war, the consequences of war, and the legacy of the war.

Style

What do you think of when you hear the word “style” or “stylish”? How do you recognize whether someone or something has style? Or does everyone have style? How does one reveal one’s style? How do you evaluate between “good” style and “bad” style? Is style more permanent, or more temporary? Do you have a style? What is it, and how do you manifest it?

•  A person's style is the way a person expresses themselves to the outside world. Style can be classified into two groups: appearance and behavior. Appearance includes a person's clothes, their accessories, etc. Behavior includes the way a person talks, who they hang out with, what they do, and what their way of thinking is. Most people have their own styles, but only a few people have extremely catchy and unique styles. Some people, though immitate one another's style. I personally think that is really lame (no offense to anyone). I don't believe that a person's appearance cannot decide whether their style is a "good" or "bad" style. Appearance of a person only give a "feeling", but not the actual style. I believe that it is a person's personality and behavior that decides whether his or her personlity is "good" or "bad". Style can be both temporary or permanent. It really depends on your interaction with the environment and its people. I cannot really determine my own stlye, and my beliefs may be biased. I believe that my style is more of a person who is a bit more open and sometimes really stupid. My style is quite normal. Or should I say, I can't decide my style. For example, I can't decide what clothes I want to wear, because my mother won't allow me to buy or wear what I want, so I can't really express myself as much as I want.

A Daring Adventure

Helen Keller, the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, once said, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.” Write what this quotation means to you. What is fate? Who or what controls fate? What particular event gives a meaning in our lives? What gives meaning to our lives as a whole?

•  I agree with this quote. If people are not brave enough to step out their first step to do something, then what meaning is there to life? So I believe that people have to adventure at least once or twice during their life. This strength within people motivates people to do things that they might even think that they can never do, and this is what makes life worth living for. 
• I believe that fate is how the world works - who we meet, when we meet, and under what type of circumstances we meet under, and what happens to the relationship between two people who met for the first time. All of this may be fate. I believe that it is ourselves who controls fate. For example, if we go out and meet a friend at the market, it is us who decides when we leave to go to the supermarket and how long we take for going to the market. Events that may be significant in our lives include adulthood, marriage, giving birth, etc. Many events are meaningful to our lives, and all of them teach us an important lesson about life, and these lessons allow us to learn from our mistakes and continue to live on better.

Memories

What do you remember from your childhood that was important, unusual, or funny? Write about an early memory from the perspective of your childhood self. Be sure to use vivid images and descriptive detail. Are our strongest memories formed by happy or sad events? Why do you think this is so?

•  Right now, I can barely remember anything about my childhood self except for a few things. First, I was always lonely, and to be honest, I remember myself looking totally like a nerd, with childish glasses, nerdy clothes, and always having a book in my hands. I remember that I used to be a little autistic. Just a little, because I like to be by myself. The places that I used to love to go include the dance room and the playground. I always went there to eat my lunch, or just to sleep or do nothing at all, just staring at the wall. I remember that I always complain about why my life was like this, that everyone and everything is against me. I really feel surprised as I look back, because I can see the big difference between my present self and who I used to be. What a huge change!
• Strong memories, I believe, can be formed by both happy and sad events. If it was a happy event, then you would always remember the feeling during that time because if because a motivation in your life (at least, for me it does). Sad memories also have a similar effect. You learn from the sad memory, and you look at what caused it, and you would start to avoid the cause of this sad event. So overall, both happy and sad memories can bring us strong memories.

Your Role

Describe your role in the class Of Mice and Men video project. What is your job or jobs? What have you done so far? Has it been a good experience, or have you had some frustrations? What is left for you to do? What is your opinion on how the final project will turn out? Give an honest appraisal of your own level of effort so far.

• In the class project of the book Of Mice and Men, I am the scriptwriter, along with Sarah. There are currently a total of 8 scenes. I am responsible for the first 4 scenes, while Sarah is responsible for the second 4 scenes. Currently, I have only finished Act 1 Scene 1 of my project. The progress has been quite slow due to the international conference I went to in St. Petersburg for Model United Nations. I had to finish the part that I did on the plane! It was so tiring... I barely had any sleep out of the 24 hours of plane flight - I believe that I only had about 4-5 hours. So right now, I feel like dropping to my bed. Anyways, bad to topic, the scriptwriting is going quite well. I had a hard time deciding what type of format should I use, but I'm glad that I solved it. Right now, I have 3 more scenes left, which I would believe is quite easy, because the first scene is the longest and most complicated. I believe that if everybody does their part and that if the filming and editing shows the effects and mood we want, then it would be an extremely successful project.

Cruel or Kind?

In the novel Of Mice and Men, the characters often act cruelly to each other, but at other times we see acts of kindness. Describe at least one act of cruelty and one act of kindness from the novel and explain what you think the character’s motivation was. Are some characters only cruel? Only kind? Or is there a mixture of both?

• One act of cruelty can be seen when Curley starts to punch Lennie just because he did not want to see him, or just because Lennie is larger and stronger than he is. One act of kindness can be seen from the start of the novel and also throughout the novel: George has always kept Lennie with him and has always taken care of Lennie even though he doesn't have to, even though he could have just left him alone and not care about him. I believe that the motivation for Curley wanting to punch Lennie was because Curley was jealous of Lennie's large body size and also his strength (he was a big guy). The motivation for George keeping Lennie with him was because of his selfishness, because he wanted company, and he believes that Lennie is good company for him. There are not characters who are completely cruel or completely nice. All characters have a bit of good or a bit of bad in them. Curley, though most people believe that he is evil, still has a bit of good that can be seen when he is with his wife. Lennie, who may seen as the innocent character, actually has a bit of evil within him. This can be seen because Lennie went berserk and even killed Curley's wife. He didn't do it on purpose, but this shows that he still has a bit of "evil" in him. Most of the others are clearly people with a bit of good and a bit of bad.

Analyzing Visuals

Look at the picture on p. 409 of your text. Describe the picture, and then discuss whether and how it affects the emotional impact of the text. Does it contribute to your understanding of the event? Consider perspective, color, the use of light and dark, and any other elements you can think of.

• My first impressions of the illustration on page 409 in our textbook can be described by the words "dark", "dramatic", "ironic", "ocean", "sea", "lights", "blue", "ice", "cold", "stars", and finally, "shine". These words are impressions that I have concerning the illustration, which are closely related with the story R.M.S. Titanic. When I see this illustration with the story R.M.S. Titanic, it is able to amplify the dramatic effect of the tragedy. We can see the use of light and dark clearly - the Titanic is still shining its lights as it sinks, while its surroundings are pitch black, only illuminated by the stars. The color of the illustration is mainly blue and black. I believe that the the picture does contribute to my understanding of the event. It shows me one example of why so many people died. In the picture, there are only 2 lifeboats with people, even though there are still a large amount of passengers on the Titanic. More people could have been saved if the lifeboats were more filled. Also, I discovered something weird about the picture. The people on the lifeboats wore life jackets. However, because they were to confident about the Titanic, they didn't wear life jackets, did they?

Will to Survive

As you read about the sinking of the Titanic, think about other stories, movies, or books in which a character (real or fictional) has to choose between saving himself or herself and saving others. How does one balance the will to survive with the urge to help others? Do you think this is a conscious choice, or do people act on instinct in an emergency situation and only think of the danger to themselves later? How do you think you would act in such a situation?

•  One balances the will to survive with the urge to help others just like how a person balances their self value with their pride. What I mean when I talk about self value is that most people are afraid of dying. Most people do not want to risk their own lives to help others. This is selfishness, which is natural for human nature. However, pride contradicts their self value. Some certain people like to show off and be the center of attention, or be a hero, so they would want to help others so that they respect him or her as their "hero". Pride can be said as a person's passion as a "human being", which is being nice and friendly with each other.
• People do things both conciously and unconsiously. It really depends on the person, and what their personality is and what their way of thinking is. When a person does an act consiously, it is either because they are valuing themselves, or because of pride. When they are acting unconsiously, it reflects their passion for life. 
• When I am in such a situation, it really depends on who I'm saving. If it the person was my friend, then I would definitely save him or her. If the person was a stranger, then I might save them, depending on my impression of that person. However, if I do not like the person, then I would save myself first.

The Band Played On

What did the band members on the Titanic do as the lifeboats were being loaded? Why do you think they made that decision? Do you agree with their decision? Have you ever heard of people reacting in a similar way when faced with life-threatening danger? How do you think you would react in a similar situation?

•  When the Titanic bumped into a huge, enormous iceberg and began to sank, the band members continued to play their instruments, even when the others were loading the lifeboats, and when the people were sure that the Titanic was actually sinking. I do not believe that I can agree or disagree with the band members, because I am not a band member, and I do not feel extremely passionate for music. However, for them, music might be their everything, and they want the other people who might die enjoy music even at their last moments, before they die. Or maybe, they believe that they will definitely die, and want to continue to do the thing they love the most before their final moments. There are many different reasons, and we will never know for certain what the band members were thinking. I have never heard of anyone reacting the same way they did in this type of life-threatening situation. If I were in such a situation, I would be calm on the outside, but actually panicking in the inside. I would try my best to find a way to stay alive, so my first reaction in this case would be to find a lifeboat and get onto it.

Bad Choices

The sinking of the Titanic is a famous disaster. Versions of the story have appeared in songs and movies—some accurate, some highly fictionalized. Write a few sentences about what you know—or think you know—about this event. Comment on the choices that were made in the course of the disaster. What choices do you think led to so few people’s surviving the sinking of the Titanic?

•  The R.M.S. Titanic is the largest ship during her time period. The next largest is her sister ship, the Olympic. The Titanic set out on her first voyage, leaving Southampton, in Europe, and heading for New York, in the land of hope, the United States. However, on her way, she bumped into icebergs, and damaged her body frame, and eventually causing her to sink. The people who constructed the Titanic and who have heard about the Titanic were all too confident in her. This is the reason for why they ignored the 3 icebergs, and also the messages that were sent to the controlling board of the R.M.S. Titanic pertaining to the icebergs.
• The bad decisions that were made duing this course of disaster include the people from the control panel not reporting the messages about the icebergs, and also, even when they did report it, the people controlling the ship did not take the message and the icebergs seriously. Finally, a lot of the people from the Titanic died in this tragedy because one, they were all panicking, and the life boats were not filled, and two, because the passengers were too confident about the ship and did not expect it to sink, so there were safety checks, etc.

Sources

Do you know what the difference is between primary and secondary sources? Discuss what you think each one is and how they differ from each other. Give examples of what you think might qualify for each. Then think of a significant historical event, like the 921 earthquake, and think of what might qualify as a primary source of information about it, and what might be a secondary source.

•  Primary sources are first-hand information sources. These sources include interviews that include only questions and quotes, autobiographies, quotes, eyewitnesses, letters, speeches, and historical documents. Secondary sources, on the other hand, are second-hand sources. Secondary sources can also be describes as primary sources that have been interpreted by people other than the ones who are involved with a certain person, incident, or event. Secondary sources include encyclopedias, magazines, articles, textbooks, and biographies. Examples of primary and secondary sources are not only limited to the ones listed above. 
• One of the examples that I am going to use here is the 921 Earthquake that occurred in Taiwan. A large amount of people died during this earthquake. One of the primary sources can be a quote from an eyewitness of the earthquake when a building fell down, or from a diary of a victim. On the other hand, a secondary source may be an interview where the victim's feelings, views, and opinions might have been interpreted by the reporter. 
• As you may know, primary sources are more reliable than secondary sources in most cases. But we have to consider the fact that the point of view of that person might be different from another person's point of view, and if they have any hate towards a certain part of an incident of event, they might be biased. Secondary sources sometimes can be more reliable, because the sources have been collected by people who are knowledgeable in those fields.

Bosom Buddies

Describe the relationship between George and Lennie in Of Mice and Men. How would you characterize it in terms of the benefits one friend derives from the other? Does one friend benefit more or less? Who and why? Considering the definition of plot, how does their relationship function to move the plot forward? Consider your own relationships and describe one or more of them. Do you have any relationships that resemble that of George and Lennie? Are you more of a George, or more of a Lennie?

• The relationship between George and Lennie is a symbiotic relationship. Lennie benefits more from George, because Lennie has to have help from George, or else he cannot survive. George, however could like alone without Lennie, and quite a good life as well, so he is giving up more for Lennie. George only gets company out of his relationship with Lennie, and other than company, trouble. 
• The definition of plot is a series of related events that hold a story together. The driving force of the plot is George's protection of Lennie, and Lennie always relying on George, creating tensions that increase and decrease. For example, because George wants to protect Lennie, he doesn't let him talk to the boss, which cause the boss to be suspicious about George and  Lennie. Also, an example of trouble brought by Lennie is their conflict between Curley and Lennie. Curley doesn't like Lennie because he is a big guy, and George doesn't like Curley because Curley doesn't like Lennie and wants to cause problems for Lennie on purpose.
• I do not have any friend relationship that resemble the relationship of George and Lennie. If I compare myself to George and Lennie, I would say that I am more of an in-between person. I give while I receive. I believe that this is very fair.

Your Lennie

Think of someone who you have known most of your life; someone who is close to your age; your best friend or blood brother/sister; you have always protected each other. Then your friend is in a terrible accident. He/she now has some brain damage. He/She can still do most things; but he/she forgets things; acts very childlike (not childish). Still looks up to you for friendship and protection. Your other friends make fun of him/her and tell you to drop him/her as a friend. Would your friendship end? Why? Why not? How do you protect him/her from the cruelty of society? Can you? Why or Why not? 

• I am a person who believes that friendship is a really important thing in life. I take friendship really seriously, so I pick my friends carefully. Once I pick them, I hope that I can be friends with them forever. So, even if an accident like this happened and my friend now has a severe brain damage and cannot remember well or acts childlike, I will still treat him or her as a friend and try to help them as much as I can. Also, I believe that if a single accident can stop us from being friends, then we aren't really friends.

• To protect him or her from society, I would first check to see if he or she has any chance for recovery. If there is, then I would want him or her to first say in the hospital to take treatment. If treatment does not work, then I would have to help him or her settle into a hospital for disabilities. Then, when I grow up, I will find time to go and see him or her, and also donate money to him or her when he or she needs it. I believe this is the most that I, as a friend can do for him or her.

Emotional Setting

Setting is not only the physical time and place, but can also include the emotional atmosphere in which a story takes place. Describe the setting of the novel Of Mice and Men in both senses—physical (time, place, physical features of the environment) and emotional (is the atmosphere friendly, antagonistic, collaborative, dog-eat-dog, etc). In your description of the emotional side, explain what evidence from the text you are basing you interpretation on.

•  The physical setting of the novel Of Mice and Men includes nature, if we recount the first seen of the novel. There is the woods and the path which leads to a pond, where George and Lennie drank water from. The other physical settings include the new ranch that George and Lennie went to. There, the most described place is the dormitory for the workers; the bunks and the shelves are precisely described. The time for the novel is most likely in America during the time of the thirteen colonies, in the South. 
• The emotional setting is quite different from the nature and calmness of the physical setting. The emotional setting is very suspicious and  competitive. We can already see some suspicion when the owner of the ranch notices that George is always answering for Lennie. Then, there is obvious competition when Curley sees Lennie, because he doesn't like big guys, and Lennie is a big guy. This shows a dangerous feeling and mood, and also foreshadowing at the same time. However, there is a quite friendly emotional setting between George and Lennie.

Base Theme

In 1938 John Steinbeck wrote in his journal, “In every bit of honest writing in the world there is a base theme. Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love. There are shorter means, many of them. There is writing promoting social change, writing punishing injustice, writing in celebration of heroism, but always that base theme. Try to understand each other.” Comment on this quotation, as it relates to what you have read in Of Mice and Men so far. Take into consideration all that you have learned about literary elements. 

• I believe that John Steinbeck's quote contradicts with what I believe in. In fact, it's almost the opposite of what I believe in. Knowing a person more and more does not always lead to love. I believe that the actual situation depends on the person's personality, instead of depending on someone knowing someone or not. You might even come to hate a person more and more as you know them due to their personality. 
• Relating to the story, I believe that George would have the same opinions and point of views as me. This is because referring to George's darker, sharper, and more pessimistic character, he would think more negatively of people, and think of hate instead of love. He dislikes Curley's character, and after only one day, finds that he dislikes him even more and more. As for Lennie, I am not that sure. He is more simple minded and optimistic than George, so he might love people more and more as he knows them, if they have a personality that Lennie likes. However, with the same case as George, Lennie might not like Curley because even him, a simple minded person, could sense that Curley is very mean.

Magic Pictures

Look at the illustrations in your textbook on pages 356, 359, and 361. Choose one, or write about all three. Describe the picture(s) using specific sensory details. Then explain what elements of magical realism are in them (if any). Can you relate anything in the pictures to the story “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”?

• The illustration that I am going to talk about is the one on page 361.
• For the sensory details, the first word that comes to my mind when I see the illustration is "nature". There is a blue sky as the background, with green forests right under the blue sky. Up front, we can see a row of rocks that was formed by nature herself. However, the next word that comes into my mind is "weird" or "strange". This is because on the left had side of the illustration, there is an artificial like moon. The moon is mainly white, but contains faint colors of orange and yellow. This is supernatural, or "magical", because it is extremely unlikely for a moon to be sitting on one of the rocks that seem very high above ground, in nature. 
• My first thoughts of the moon was that, "the moon fell from the sky". But after some connection, we can think of it as mankind and other man made things taking over and destroying nature. Perhaps, a long time ago, people believed that it was impossible to destroy nature, for nature was Earth itself. However, right now, the possibility of mankind destroying nature is extremely large.

Magic Realism

Many young readers have a problem with magic realism. Despite it being an establish genre since the early twentieth century, and one that has received many accolades (such as the Nobel Prize), for some reason many inexperienced readers find it difficult to understand and appreciate. Why do you think that is? Do you have difficulty with magic realism? If so, can you explain it? If not, why do you think others do?

•  Young readers do not understad the meaning behind stories that include magical realism. Usually, when they read stories that include magical realism, young readers think only think thoughts such as "This is totally nonsense! I don't know what it's talking about!" or "There's no meaning to this stupid story at all!" Young and inexperienced readers cannot understand the moral or theme of the story because they have not experienced much in life yet. This is why they cannot understand. Also, they have not faced hardships that more experienced people may have faced before that is needed for understanding the story's meaning. 
• I am like most young readers, finding stories including magical realism really hard and difficult to understand. There are a few reasons for this. FIrst. most stories including magical realism do not include a very clear plot, and for someone like me, I do not enjoy any story without a good and interesting plot. Because there is not plot, the story becomes quite monotone since it is without an obvious goal. Stories like these make me fall asleep, so I usually do not read them. The last thing is that these stories do not teach an important moral or theme, which makes it more monotone.

The Unexpected

Think of an unusual or startling event that you witnessed. Write a paragraph about how you reacted, and speculate about whether you would react the same way if the event occurred again.

• When talking about unexpected events, one immediately came into my mind. Just this morning, on the way to school, on Guang-Fu Road, I saw a car accident. A car had bumped into a motorcycle. I did not expect to see an accident this early in the morning. Several police, about 3 of them, were there regulating the traffic and inspecting the damage.
•  I was first shocked, but then the shock turned into sadness. I was quite comforted and happy to see that, fortunately, no one associated or not associated with the car accident had been injured in the accident. However, contradicting this happiness, when I think of other more serious accidents at occur quite commonly, I feel very down and depressed. Because people are careless, accidents occur, and many innocent lives have to sacrifice themselves to pay for the carelessness of other people. 
• I am very sure that if I saw another car accident, whether it's serious or not, I would feel quite depressed. As for shock, it depends on whether I have heard about the accident beforehand or not.  If I had not heard about it beforehand, I would be shocked, but if I had heard about it beforehand, I would feel very depressed.

Ode

An ode is a lyrical verse written in praise of, or dedicated to someone or something which captures the poet's interest or serves as an inspiration for the ode. You can write an ode to just about anything: your mother, happiness, toast, or a pair of old socks. Think about what you might want to write an ode about. Write down everything that you can think of about your topic. Try to come up with strong descriptive words that make clear images (colors, shapes, smells, tastes, sounds, and emotions). Don’t worry about writing complete sentences or paragraphs, just let the ideas flow out of you. 
 
 Figures of Speech

• personification
• metaphors
• simile
• rhyme
• internal
• end
• slant
• assonance
• consonance
• alliteration

• Ode to My Computer
•  shiny
• silent/occanionally chatter
• rectangle
• calm
• blue/silver
• efficient
• friend
• Ode to My Pillow
• milky white
• soft
• flexible
• bouncy
• rectangle
• changes shape
• smell of shampoo
• excited
• bouncy
• Ode to Human Nature
• calm
• cruel
• repetitive
• happiness
• depressing
• exciting
• unpredictable
• emotional
• kind
• Ode to Destiny
• unpredictable
• fear
• anticipation
• connects everything
• breaks people apart
• puts people together
• reunite each other
• plays games with us

Another P.O.V.

Write about which character and scene you want to use for your writing assignment on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Answer questions like, why did you choose this character and scene? What does your character look like? What kind of personality does he or she have? How does his/her attitude toward the situation differ from Christopher’s? What effect does Christopher’s words and/or actions have on your chosen character?

•  The scene that I chose to write my assignment for is the scene where Mrs. Alexander talks to Christopher at the park (p. 53 - 61). I chose this particular scene because it is an important scene where Christopher learns the truth about his mother, and the reason why he knows where his mother is. This leads to him going to find his mother in London when he is afraid of his father. Also, this is important because this is also one of the reasons why Christopher fights with his father.
• My character looks like an elderly woman who looks pretty wise and nice. Her personality and role in the story symbolizes a mother's affections, and she is also a sympathetic person. Mrs. Alexander's attitude about the situation is different from Christopher because while Christopher does not have a lot of feelings about the situation, she is very sympathetic towards him and what he is going through. Because of Christopher's words, actions, and the general situation he is in, Mrs. Alexander pities him a lot and feels very sympathetic towards him, and she wants to become friends with him so he can feel more loved, and not as lonely as before, even though Christopher does not understand.

Holiday Reality

Your last journal entry was to be about what you would like to do for your holiday. Today you will write about what you actually did over the holiday. Then, write a brief compare and contrast essay discussing how what you wanted to do was like what you actually did, as well as how what you actually did was different from what you hoped to do.

• My holiday was quite similar to what I expected it to be. First, I gambled everyday. I played mostly mahjang, and also some poker. I won quite a lot of money during the holiday. The next thing I did was watching television. Basically, I didn't watch any specific type of television. I watched whatever my family watched. The only movie I remember clearly is Harry Potter - The Order of the Phoenix. It was alright. The second thing I am sure that most people did - eat. My grandmother cooked a lot of different delicious foods, and we also went to department stores to eat our lunches for two days out of the holidays. I did do exercise for basketball team. However, I did them only during the night, because during the day, I was too busy gambling with my family. I also went walking the dog during the day with my cousins and my grandfather. This was something that I didn't expect before the break. The last thing about the holidays include homework. In the end, I didn't get to do a lot of homework because I spend most of the time gambling and just relaxing. I finished part of my algebra homework, didn't have time to do chemistry, and couldn't not do my AP Biology homework because our biology teacher didn't put the homework online. Overall, it was a nice break.

Holiday Plans

Write about what you would like to do for the holiday. You will also be asked to write what you actually did (when you return), so think about how you can compare your hopes and plans with the reality of what happens.

•  There are quite a few things that I would like to do during the New Year holidays. The first thing is, of course, to get a lot of red envelopes! In other words, to get a lot of MONEY!! :) I know that I'm quite crazy about money, but this is who I am. I absolutely love money. And once you have money, you get to do two things - save it, or spend it. Saving it would be the better choice, but you know that in reality, rarely anyone does that. Most of the people spend it. There are two ways to spend it as well- you either go shopping, or you go gambling. For me, gambling is the best choice. 
• Other things that I might want to do during the holiday would be to watch television, use the computer, and also play games with Wii, of course, with my other family members. I have planned to exercise. It's a part of my basketball practice routine for conditioning myself. 
• Another important thing that I definitely am going to do is to eat. To eat tons and tons of delicious food together, and chatting with each other in a happy atmosphere and mood. However, I have to make sure not to eat too much oily foods, or else it would be really tiring when I start my basketball practice again because I have to condition myself again. So tiresome...
• The last and final thing that I need to do is to write my homework. Not like I wanted to, but I have to. Sometimes I really feel like complaining to my teachers. "It's break! We're supposed to be celebrating, not writing homework!" But still, this is life, and life's not fair. I have 4 lessons of Algebra II homework, a chemistry packet, my Siddhartha essay, and tons of other AP Biology homework. Here's one thing for sure - life sucks when there's homework...