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...

Omniscient Point of View

“Through the Tunnel” is told from the point of view of an all-knowing, or omniscient, narrator. Although the narrator focuses mainly on Jerry, we also learn some of Jerry’s mother’s thoughts and feelings. How would the story be different if Jerry’s mother were telling it?

•  If Jerry's mother was to tell the story, the story would be told either in a first person point of view, or a third person point of view. If she were to tell the story, the mother would not know the details of her son diving. She would most likely know only Jerry diving down, and then up, and then down again. She would not know what Jerry saw under the water. She know, however, that he is up to something, and that he has to complete the mission. Jerry's mother would somehow understand the feelings of Jerry. This also means that we would also somehow understand the feelings of Jerry.
• The whole story would be different if Jerry's mother told the story. It would become a story like a mother supporting her son to do something her son really wants, and what the feelings of the mother are. 
• I believe that the story would be better if it is told in Jerry's point of view. This is because we would understand exactly what he is trying to do, and also understand his motivation. When the story is told by Jerry, we would also be told the exact details for what Jerry sees and experiences, which is way more interesting if the story is told plainly by Jerry's mother.

Film vs. Print

How are movies different from books? What can a book show you that a movie can't? What can a movie show you that a book can't? Discuss the relative merits of each medium.

• Movies and books differ in many ways. Several ways include the different ways of visualization, how they appeal to our senses (sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste), words vs. pictures, and the relative slowness and fastness of each medium.
• When a person is reading a book, they have several advantages. First, when there is a passage of time, there can be detailed descriptions of how the time went by and what the feelings of the character are. Also, not only during a passage of time, but generally, in a book, a person's thoughts and feelings, especially feelings, can be clearly conveyed to the reader (or audience). When reading a book, the senses that you use are sight and touch. Many people prefer to read books because they can actually feel the book in their hands, which makes things feel more real. Also, imagination can be used when reading a book.
• The good thing about movies is that it can present an actual picture of the characters and the setting. Some people may feel uncomfortable, that they never know what the characters look like. Also, some people do not like to spend too much time watching the details of a long time passing, so they like the movie who go over a long period of time quickly, and show only the main and important parts of the plot. 
• Books are good because we spend a long time to finish a book, so we read books when we are bored, or when we have leisure time. Movies are a type of excitement that we also enjoy, mainly because of the action and adventure, and the fact that many people can all go and watch movies together.

Shaped by Time and Place

How are we shaped by the time and place in which we live? Think about your life today. How might your life be different if you exchanged places with someone your age in another country? In another time? Explain your ideas.

• We are definitely shaped by the time and place in which we live in. The time and place can be said as setting. We are mainly affected by culture. When we say culture, we are talking about how we live, where we live, how we communicate with each other, what language we speak, our values about the things we have and are around us, our relationships with each other, what types of jobs we have, what religion we are, and what kind of traditions do have. 
• If I exchanged places with someone my age in another country or in another time, many things would be different. I would suddenly have to face a different language, a different way of living, a different kind of job, different kinds of values, and different traditions. 
• A more specific example may include me being in the past, such as during the medieval ages in England. There would not be any electricity, which symbolizes a different way of living. Also, I would have to use old English to communicate with other people. There might be more rituals and ceremonies, which means a totally different tradition, since people during the medieval ages are more formal. The people would also have a very different relationship with each other. They would be mostly working relationships. Social relationships are usually between the same classes, and other types of relationship includes family relationships.

How You Present Yourself

Do our choices about how we present ourselves to the world conceal or reveal our personalities? Write a brief description of someone who presents an outward appearance that is completely different from what is on the inside. Think of a character from film, literature, or television, or make up your own.

•  Yes, our choices about how we present ourselves to the world can conceal or reveal our personalities. When people make choices based on their personalities and interests, they reveal their personality. When people make choices opposite to his or her ideas to benefit themselves, they conceal their personality and instead show an opposite side of who they really are. 
• I believe that I am someone who presents an outward appearance that is completely different from what is on the inside. Well, not completely, but kind of different. When I am with my friends and classmates, I show my happy side with my friends, but truthfully, I am sometimes very sad inside because of many other factors influencing my life. I would say that I am quite a good actor, because I am very good at concealing my feelings and thoughts when I really want to, and I can act completely indifferent to something that I may care about a lot. 
• Another character who presents an outward appearance that is completely different from what is on the inside is the girl protagonist from the book "BA357". At the start of the book, the girl always acts strong, even when her best friend died. She comforted her best friend's brother, who cried a lot for his sister who passed away. Fortunately, she later learned on to show her emotions and depend on others more.

Rites of Passage

A rite of passage is a ritual event that marks a person's progress from one status to another. Rites of passage are often ceremonies surrounding events such as other milestones within puberty, coming of age, marriage and death. Write about any rites of passage that you know about. Have you passed through any your self? What significance do the individual words “rite” and especially “passage” have?

•  I have known and seen the rites of passages mentioned above - puberty, coming of age, marriage, and death. Right now, I am going through the process of puberty. My brother is now meeting his so-called "coming of age". To me, I believe that coming of age means that you are finally going to be independent. So, going to college, as my brother is going to, is counted as his coming of age. I have also seen and attended marriages, and have also been to funerals. 
• The rite of passage that I am going through right now is puberty. Even though my growth spurt has already ended, I am still in this stage because rebelling is also a part of puberty. I think that I am very rebellious - I fight with my parents all the time, I speak to my parents with a bad attitude, and I always go against my parent's wishes. I don't know why, but I tend to fight with my mother about fairness a lot. She always wants me to be an adult and act more mature, but I always argue with her that if she does not treat as adults and give us that responsibility, how are we supposed to act like adults?
• Rite is a traditional ceremony that is carried out by a particular group or society, and here, it represents the ceremony or transition that leads from one thing to another. Passage represents the path that follows the rite.

Symbol of the House

In Julio Cortázar’s “House Taken Over,” there are a number of symbols. The house itself acts as a symbol. Try to identify what the house symbolizes, and then see if you can discover other symbols. Describe what they are and what they represent. 

• In the story "House Taken Over" by Julio Cortázar, the house represents many several things. Three of these representations may include sanity, home, and a sanctuary. To the narrator and his sister Irene, the house is the only "safe" place to go. They are not ready face the fears of the outside world, so they barely go outside. In the story, the narrator and Irene mentioned a "they" who were taking over their house. This "they" is another symbol that represents ideas such as insanity and fear. When "they" are taking over the house, one of the possible representations may be that because their life is too normal, and becoming more and more normal, that the narrator and Irene are driving themselves towards insanity. The doors are another symbol. They represent the narrator and Irene's last effort to keeping staying sane. Once the narrator and Irene are outside the doors, they have nothing. This may cause them to be desperate and slowing become lose their sanity. 
• Even though the story is a pretty logical story that represents different ideas that might happen in real life, I do not like the story. This is because I do not like stories without a clearer and more concise ending.

Being Tested

Think of a character in a book or a movie who faced a tough challenge. What physical and mental tests did he or she meet with? How did the character feel at the end of the ordeal? Write a brief summary of the character’s experience, then try to relate it to an experience you have had yourself.

• In the story "Flipped", Juliana and Bryce faces a tough challenge - they have diffuculties getting along with each other because they do not actually know each other very well. The story started when Bryce's family moved to Juli's neighborhood. The first time Bryce met Juli, he was scared of her. Juli, however, fell in love with Bryce at first sight. The two of them grew up together, with Juli chasing Bryce and Bryce always running away all the time. Conflicts occurred between the two people. Bryce did things that made Juli angry, so she finally decided to give up. At first she avoided Bryce and became really cold towards him, but later she greeted him like he was a normal person. Soon enough, Bryce realized that he like Juli, so he tries his best to get Juli to forgive him. At the end of the book, Bryce did an act that made Juli happy, so she decided to forgive him and get to know him more.
• The mental test between the two was that Bryce had to overcome his fear of getting along with Jul and really becoming friends with her. At the end of the story, both were glad that they made up and can get to know each other.

Proving One's Self

Why do young people feel, at one time or another, the need to prove their strength, endurance, or maturity? Have you ever felt this way? If so, describe the situation. What were you trying to prove? To whom? Have you witnessed this happen with someone else, either in real life or in a fictional account? Describe the situation and try to determine the young person’s motivation.

• Young people feel, at one time or another, the need to prove their strength, endurance, or maturity because of several reasons. For example, maybe there had been an event that shows them their own weaknesses, and that they are not strong or mature enough. Another reason may be parental pressure. To keep up with their parent's expectations, children and teenagers often push themselves in order to be rewarded. However, parental pressure is also a reason why some young people turn to gangs and ended up walking the path towards evil. The last, and most common example, is peer pressure. Young teenagers can be often seen within a group or a click. When they are together, all of them want to be able to fit into the group and be accepted. So, to be accepted, they push themselves in order to prove to others that they are strong and mature. 
• I had, like all people, felt this way before. However, I do not feel like I have the need to push myself anymore. I am quite content with the way I am now. My motivation for proving myself was peer pressure - wanting to keep up with my classmates - and because I was trying to prove to my parents that I am mature and old enough to do things on my own. Another good example of this idea of proving oneself is my brother. He is trying really hard to keep up and improve his math because he wants more time so he can go out.

Symbols

In your own words, define what a symbol is and how it functions. Think of one or more symbols and describe them, then describe what they symbolize. Why do you think those things have acquired a culturally agreed upon meaning? How does something like this happen? Can symbols be created at will, or do they occur “naturally”? Can you give an example of one or the other (or both)?

• A symbol is something that is used to represent an object or an idea. Some example's of symbols include language, the heart shape, and the smiley face. Language includes both oral, with sounds and pronunciation, and written, with characters. The heart shape represents the idea of love, which the smiley face represents the feeling of happiness. 
• These symbols have acquired a culturally agreed upon meaning because language is something people agreed on in order to communicate with each other, and they agree with the idea that heart shapes represent our heart, and we love people from "the bottom of our hearts", so we use heart shapes to represent love. This occurs as people from the whole world slowly agree to the ideas. Language is slowly created to help with communication, with each character as an idea or sound. For smiley faces, this is human instinct. No matter where you come from, even if you have not have contact with modern society, when you feel happy, your face automatically have the :).
• Symbols can be created at will or naturally. A "natural" example is the smiley face. People create symbols at will between friends and family. For example, if they want to make a special symbol that only the two people know. They may use a word to represent an event, etc.

Choices

"It is our choices that show what we truly are, for more than our abilities"
                                                                                           - J.K. Rowling
What do our choices reveal about who we really are? Think about an important choice that you have made. What would others learn about you if they knew how you chose? Do you agree with the quotation above? Are there times when we have to make choices that don't reflect how we truly feel or think about things? Could this be culturally influenced?

• Our choices do reveal who we really are. For example, through the different choices we make, we can understand a person's personality (and their behavior), and also a person's beliefs about different subjects and topics. 
• To me, I do not believe that I have met a decision that is extremely important to me yet. However, one simple example may be between my family and friends. If I were to choose between them, I would definitely choose my friends. This shows that to me, friendship is more important. 
• I believe that the quotation is half right and half wrong. Yes, people's true self do show through their choices, but sometimes people make choices for the better good instead of according to what they really feel. We have to know the person's thoughts and reasons when they made the decision (what they looked at [the disadvantages and advantages of the choices]) in order to know about who they really are.
• Sometimes, more specifically, most of the time, people make choices for the better good. For example, when you have a job, you go with the boss's choices and decisions. Another example is that you sometimes have to go with the choices your family tells you to go with. 
• Choices and thoughts may be culturally influenced.

Welcome Back!

Write about your holiday.

• During the first week, I was mainly doing two things - cleaning and trying to finish my homework. Since New Year is coming, and since there isn't a lot of time to clean except for this winter break, my mother took the opportunity to clean the house. We spend more than half of the first week cleaning our rooms, the bathrooms, the study room, the dining area, the kitchen, and the living room. It was really tiring. Finishing homework... you can't really say a lot about homework. The only thing I want to say is that, it's really hard to concentrate, because breaks make you feel too relaxed, and you feel like you don't have to work really hard because there is still a lot of time for writing homework. Anyways, on Tuesday, I went to UMC to work out for basketball training. After practice, I went back to Ching-Da for dinner with Jean, and the two of us talked about some extremely funny things. I can't believe Jean got scared by Sean!!! HAHAHAHAHA! My stomach hurts so much after I went home. The next day, I went shopping with my friend Angela, who went to America last year. Before I met her, I saw Mr. Rick, Ms. Monica, and Mr. Josh and his wife at Starbucks when I was waiting for Angela. After we met, we talked for a while in Starbucks, then started walking around to help her buy some Christmas gifts. I bought a pretty cool hat and a new purse. On Saturday, I celebrated my Aunt and my Dad's birthday at La Pizzo. Tiring week.
• The second week was mainly used for studying. I have a history midterm and a biology chapter 11-13 test, and they are both on Wednesday. On Wednesday (during the week of the holiday) I went to basketball training again, which was fun. Ariel taught me some skills, and the two of us enjoyed playing against each other. The last interesting thing during the second week was that 2011 has come!