Assignment #19: My Very Short Story

            “The names’ Handley, Ted Handley.” Handley is a gecko, a handsome gecko. He lives in a boxed habitat cage at Tracy’s Pet Barn. If you do not know who Handley is then just know that Handley is kind of like Justin Beiber. Imagine Justin Beiber setting foot on your school campus that is filled with millions of screaming fans wanting to touch or talk to him. Now, replace Justin Beiber with Handley the gecko.

 Today is Handley’s 23^rd birthday and he invited the whole pet shop to party tonight. Of course no one rejected Handley; after all, he is famous. As Handley’s animals friends arrived at his crib, Handley felt something strange about his tail. For some reason Handley’s tail kept twitching, but he did not care to check it out. He made his way toward the main room and danced for a couple of minutes until silence and stillness fell upon the room. He was the only one grooving to the music when he noticed the silence and all the eyes that was laid on him and his back.

Handley turned around saw this long figurine flapping and squirming on the floor.

“What the??? Handley’s tail fell off!” One of Handley’s rabbit friends yelled out in disgust. He picked up his tail and ran. As he ran to his room, he caught a glimpse of their facial expressions. Everyone looked down on him, now. He wasn’t beautiful anymore. No one liked him anymore. Never has Handley cried as much as he did that night. Everyone left. There was no music playing anymore, no laughs, no sound, not one sound but the huffing and puffing coming from Handley.

            As Handley started to calm down, he came out of his room. He saw that his whole house was trashed, and dirty comments were left all over his walls. He cried even more. He asked himself, “What do I do now?” He called up his maid that was off that day, and asked her if she could come and help clean up. As he waited for her to come, Handley sat against the wall next to the entrance of his bedroom. He thought his future out and reflected on the things he has done and realized how selfish he has become. He became furious and stormed to his bedroom. He packed his belongings and left. He had no idea who horrible he had become and how having the tail made him. He crawled through this crack that was located near the wall by the guinea pig food.

It was raining outside and he didn’t care. As rain drops fell on his head, he stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. He thought to himself “It does not matter how I look or how I was, but rather what I’m going to make of myself.” Handley’s heart grew and began to change. His smile was now created because he had forgiven and loves people. He realized that what’s in the inside counts more than physical appearance.

Assignment #18: My Poem

Broken Wings

The tear runs down your face

life overwhelms you

You can't seem to focus on the things

your love dimmed

You've been beaten and bruised

shattered heart

untamed spirit

depression hurts

you lose it all

Your life is hanging by a thread

you count the jars of tears you have shed through your life

not one, not even two

but a rooms filled with tears

Then, a butterfly flutters through the wind

with colors faded

The path it leaves

the traces you share

the memories it brings

good and bad

it still flies

even with broken wings

Assignment #16: The Journey

My eyes open, and I cannot believe it’s 4 in the morning. I lie in my bed face up and look to the left. My window, surrounded by perfectly sanded oak log walls, is cracked open. I can see the stars twinkling in the dark black sky. This long tiring yawn magically makes its way out of my mouth and I taste the bad breath that accumulated during my 7 hour slumber. I hate morning breath. I was not tired anymore, so I did not know what I should do, but find something to occupy myself with and get my teeth brushed. I got out of my sleep number bed and stepped onto the glossy, wooden floor, then onto my purple, fuzzy rug that matches my bed comforter, my pillows and my desk. I made my way to my sky blue bathroom and took a shower. The feeling of the hot, warm water hitting my back and running down my feet soothed my muscles and helped me relax.

After my half an hour shower, I went to the kitchen. My kitchen was bordered with cherry cabinets and had black granite countertops. My undercounter sink was located in the center of my kitchen. Everything was in place. I had just finished cleaning yesterday.  I took out the peanut butter and the jelly to make myself a quick sandwich and then off to watch a movie. The sun started to rise around 6 o’clock in the morning and you can now see the different shades of green in my living room with a touch of white from the couches.

I heard the birds singing outside. It was a beautiful day in the middle of spring. I slipped on my bright orange zebra - printed rain boots that I always have sitting by the entrance of my cabin and stepped outside onto my patio. The wind picked up and brushed my hair on my face. The forecast did say it was going to be windy today. I could hear my patio swing, swing back and forth, back and forth. The aroma of the outdoor fresh air smelled of fresh rain. I love the smell of rain. I wondered why it would smell like rain if it did not rain yesterday and it was a sunny day today.

 I open my eyes from soaking in the creations of Mother Nature just from stepping out of the cabin and I looked around to the open pasture. About 10 feet away from the front of my house there is a big pond filled with Chinese Koi fish. My two favorite trees, the Cherry Blossom Tree and the Weeping Willow Tree gracefully gave off shade on the right side of the pond. Little small rabbits jump around the meadow and shared the green pasture with my 3 beautiful dogs: my German shepherd, my black lab and my golden retriever. I watched them run and play throughout the front yard, chasing one another. Although everything seemed like a dream, one specific thing caught my attention. I never really paid attention to the mountain that stood behind my dark blue shed.

The mountain caught my attention. I walked toward the mountain. It was strange and frightening at the same time because one big dark cloud hovered above that mountain and as I made my way to the mountain, I realized the smell of rain got stronger and thicker. It took about 10 minutes to get to the mountain when I noticed a dirt path making its way up to the peak of the mountain. Curiosity took a hold of me and before I knew it, I was starting a journey of excitement and a life changing adventure.

It got colder each time I increased in elevation and even creepier as I went higher and higher that even the bumpy, rocky, dirt path became narrower. I finally reached the top of that mountain and I stood in awe. I never seen so many butterflies gathered in one spot before in my life. They fluttered above a small river in the middle of the whole mountain that led to the base of the mountain. The mountain was surrounded by mounds of beautiful, lush, pure green grass that was topped with morning dew and the most beautiful periwinkles you will ever see. It started raining and I twirled and danced. I listened to the beat of rain drops hitting the surface of the river. It was beautiful; it made me smile from cheek to cheek. That was my music. It was weird, though, because as cold as it was I was not cold and as much as it rained my face got wet but my clothes and my hair stayed dried. The butterflies still flew around and you could see a clear bubble protecting them from the rain. It was amazing just watching the way of how nature works.

All of a sudden a series of many colors appeared over the mountain like a ribbon. The breeze from the colors hummed to me a melody I never heard. I always thought humming was nothing important until I heard this. It was nothing I ever heard before. The song the wind sang to me brought chills down my back and the power it had brought me to my knees. A bright glowing white dove flew on my shoulder as I was there kneeling in astonishment and amazement. This light grew in the middle of the sky, it was not the sun, but somehow it was brighter and more captivating and more soothing. I stared into the light and in an instant I blacked out…

Assignment #14: Persuasive Essay: Uniforms

 

          

            I honestly think that having uniforms is not as bad as we all think it might be. I mean the reason why it is not good idea to wear uniforms is mainly because, having the decision of wearing what we want helps us see the different cultures that surround us and make up the people who we love. Culture and religion makes up the diversity we have in our world. But the only place you will really find the mix of people is in America. Because of this, it makes people want to come to our country. We accept anyone and anything with arms wide open.

            However, lately, I have to question what is going on with America now, mainly, because of what happened on September 11, 2001, the mosque the Muslims wanted to build in Section Zero and the racism being brought forth again. Not to mention the bullying happening in the schools. Bullying is slowly making its way up to the charts as the number one problem in schools, I think. This brings me to my reason why we should wear uniforms in school. As much as I hate to be restricted with what I can wear and what I cannot wear, I rather sacrifice my choice of what clothes I want to wear for the safety of others. Yes, expressing yourself follows under the first amendment, but if you think about it there are other ways to express yourself. Everyone is smart enough to think of a combat to the things they want and agree with, so you can also be smart enough to think about other ways you can express yourself.

            You see if we all wear uniforms, we all wear the same thing. Wearing the same thing means it gives bullies less of a reason to bully them. They do not have to make fun of them for what they wear, the shoes they choose, if the clothes they wear is torn or bleached. Bullies tend to pick on the short people, the nerdy kids, the weird looking ones, the fat ones, and the one that smell weird, or just the one that looks poor. I hate it one people judge people just by what they bring into public physically. There’s more to people than what meets the eye, but I guess people do not see that. Just to make themselves feel better about themselves, they destroy others. They bring them down so much, they ignore the love and attention they get from others and come to the mindset that they are not worth a thing that people are better off without them and they are just another dead leaf on a tree. They allow suicidal thoughts enter their mind and think that that is the best thing to do.

            If you, literally, take time to think about how these children, these victims, feel we do not have to worry about what’s good for our schools: Uniforms or no uniforms. To prevent from cases like these, sure I would give up my privilege of wearing regular clothes for the sake of children being victimized by bullies. For the safety of the kids, also, think about during a lock down it is easier to spot the gunman from a crowd of students wearing the same clothing.

Bill Clinton once said, “People will learn to evaluate themselves by what they are on the inside to evaluate themselves by what they are on the inside, instead of what they’re wearing on the outside, then our public schools should be able to require students to wear school uniforms.” This summarizes all of my thoughts and feelings toward uniforms. I don’t think anyone could have summed it up better than Bill Clinton in this quote.

Another reason, to me, why uniforms are a good idea is because it saves us time. We can wake up later because we know what we have to wear. The more sleep, the better kids pay attention in class. It makes it easier for the school too. No dress code violations because we all have uniforms. We are all dressed alike so it gives a chance to actually get acquainted with the person rather than take a glance and “judge a book by its cover.” Uniforms help save parents money as well. They can forget about going school clothes shopping because all you need is uniforms. You don’t have to spend so much money on designer clothes and shoes when you can just go to Wal-Mart and enjoy a pair of khaki pants for about $25.00 and a polo shirt for about $8.00 to $10.00. This helps students concentrate on their education, focus on their studies and class assignments, rather than focus on each other’s physical apparel.

As much as people, think wearing no uniforms is better they are not thinking about the pros and cons of uniform wearing. Only selfish people would think about not wearing uniforms for their own benefit. Whether it is to impress boys or girls or to show off the amount of money their parents earn, the safety of the children comes first. Clothing are material things, if nothing else, people can learn that what’s in the inside of person matters more then what they bring forth physically to this world.

Assignment #15: Multiple Intelligence Essay (Ripples)

       Pick up a rock. Throw it in the water; what do you see? Ripples. They grow. From one small circle they spread and they get larger and larger. One person thrown into the middle of the crowd can make a ripple effect. From actions, ideas or even verbal usage, one ripple can make it a long way. An awakening

Assignment #12: The Black Cat

As I read the short story, The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe, I thought this story was a waste of my time until I reached the middle of the story. People who become intoxicated by alcohol do not realize the things that they could do until they do it. Then when they know what they did, they try to prevent it from happening again or go into denial making the situation even worse then what it already is just like the main character in the story.  

I am shocked of what happened in this story because I never knew the short story would have a twist to it. My eyes have been opened to the fact that alcoholics are as dangerous as serial killer with a knife. All the toxins in their body, dilutes their brains and their thinking. They lose the things the love the most. As I continue reading the story, it made it clear to me that the main character really didn’t care if he killed his wife, but rather he cared that he would not get caught for his crime. The Black Cat, I guess, to me was significant because the cat played a role as a test mark to see how much he really cared for his family. The 2^nd cat that came along was another test, but also played a role to make him feel guilty. I actually think that the 1^st cat was reborn into another cat to see if he would make the same decision or make him pay for what he did.   

Assignment #11: The Concrete Rose

Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature's law is wrong it learned to walk without having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams, it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else ever cared.

Why would a rose grow through a hard, sturdy, tough concrete? A beautiful rose: luxuries red, petals so smooth and untouched, smell so wonderful so attractive you almost thought it was just a picture. In the time of need everyone has something beautiful and amazing sprout out from the midst of their troubles, from the crack in the concrete. A red rose symbolizes love, respect, courage, passion and reveals unconscious beauty. I’m not a sidekick and I cannot read futures, but one thing is for sure, is that I can tell you never give up when you think everything is going wrong. Nothing is going to get you far enough in life if you quit. Always remember that your rose is going to grow through the concrete at your front door. Whether your rose is, the love of your life, a healing in the time of sickness, money for your financial needs, no homework for a whole week, or something that causes a turning point in your life, that rose is going to grow.

When Tupac said “it learned to walk without having feet,” I knew for a fact that, that line has more than one meaning. When someone is determined to do something that seems impossible to do, do not let that thing stop you. You can do anything if you set your mind to do. Every single one of us only uses one half of our brain, what happened to the other half? You know how many times I have thought about what humans are capable of doing if we actually did use our whole brain rather than one half? I think that if we use parts of our brains that we never used before, we are capable to walk through walls; do things we always dreamt of doing like flying or levitating objects or people. If you think you can do it, then you can do it.

“By keeping its dreams, it learned to breathe fresh air.” Dreams are one of the most powerful things in the world. Dreaming is like an entrance to a whole other dimension. It opens doors for a different world that you can create; a world that you live by and love to be in. A dream is a goal and goals are meant to be reached no matter how ridiculous it might seem. Love it and hold on to it because maybe that dream was the answer to why you are here standing in the middle of this world. If you think about it, dreams are also lessons in life. Dreams can teach you were you needed to be, why things occurred and happen the way they did. However, not all dreams are meant to explain to you the reason why things happen because life always has mystery and maybe you just weren’t qualified to know why. Learning, obviously, is something we do every day. Just because you don’t get it the first time doesn’t mean you can’t practice it and try to rethink different ways to learn it. Help yourself go through places your closest family thought you never could do. Prove them wrong and have them look at you with amazement, and disbelief because YOU did it. Take everything one step at a time and just learn to pass the obstacles, the tests, the trials, the tribulations, and the temptations. You’ll make it through. Become the next Bill Gates. J

Assignment #10: Bullying

I hate seeing people being bullied. I hate how things change in an instant when you switch schools or when you move to a different state. I hate it, also, when things do not change at all. Bullies may follow you to your next grade or the bullies stay behind, but you meet other ones that will tease you for the same thing. There is nothing you can do really when you are in the situation of being bullied. Your reactions just freeze you right in the spot, especially when your bullies threaten you. Trust me, I know this…

           

It started in 2^nd grade, Mary Burns Michael in Ms. Muller’s class. I loved making new friends and I was fooled and blinded by me wanting friends.  I was excited about school. I woke up every morning with my backpack on my back ready to learn, play and have some fun. All my life I have been used by people because of who I am and I guess that is what happened. I let them get to me, but at the same time I kept lying to myself.

“Edna? What kind of name is that? That name belongs to my grandma,” or they would say “hey grandma, need a cane?” or even “Edna Mode” from the Incredibles. I tolerated it. I thought they were my friends, so I figured it was okay. I never believed in the quote “stick and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” That was just a load of dirty laundry to me. I could not believe that everywhere I went those insults sticked to me like gum on the bottom of a shoe. It seemed to me that it would never end.

Sadly, I was right. Actually, the insults never ended; it just wasn’t on the daily like it was in elementary and middle school. High School is a whole different story. I know who my friends are and who aren’t. I know when they are making fun of me and when they are just joking around not meaning it. No one has called me grandma in 4 years, but most of my good friends, the ones that I’ve known for more than 2 years call me Edna mode. It doesn’t pain me when I hear that, it just rubs off of me.

Another time I was bullied because of how my ears would stick out. My ears are kind of abnormal from others. I was teased left and right. My other nickname for my elementary school year was Dumbo. I hated that name, even though I loved that movie. I cried when I was alone in the restroom. I could not go through the hallway by myself for 2 minutes before someone would yell out for “DUMBO!”   That name slowly wore off as years passed.

I never bullied anyone in my life. I hated the way they treated me. I never had the guts to stand up for myself because I was so scared. When I realized that their words were lies and whatever they said about me was not true, their insults did not hurt me. I got the courage to help other children who were bullied too. I stood up for them and I was more like a therapist to them. I always try to make people feel like they are worth more than what other people treat them.

Right now, I’m trying my hardest to have all the patience in the world to help my eight year old cousin. He’s been bullied and beaten. This particular kid in his class named Josh, always kicks him and punches him. As I talk to him, I can feel the pain in his voice. His tears stream down his face, and I start tearing up. He tells me no one likes him, that no one tells him his cool, and loving. It hurts me even more when he told me he doesn’t think I love him. My heart shattered. I was stressing with my homework and I had no idea what I was doing, he smacked me on the side of my head and I got mad. I guess the expression on my face made him feel like all he did right was make mistakes. I recently found out he almost tried to commit suicide… a 3^rd grader… 8 years old…

What does that tell you about bullying?

Assignment #13: Halloween Haiku

Clowns come out to play. Monsters call out to their friends. Ghosts start to pass by.

Witches cast their spells. "Children do not be afraid!" That is what they say.

Dolls do attack you. Halloween night is the day. Scary Haunted House.

Assignment #9: Alien Contact

It’s happening again. My eyes are twitching in astonishment. I'm reliving my 5^th grade year. Geez, I thought I had out grown this. I’m standing in the middle of the hallway, in my house, staring at this deformed dog-like figure. I remember like it was yesterday, my best friend, my buddy. It’s been 6 years, but it can’t be. He wasn’t supposed to come back.

            I close my eyes and open them…no one is there. I must be losing my mind. I’m stressing too much. I have 4 more papers to do plus pre-cal homework and its only 8:22 PM. I yawn. That it explains it too, I’m tired and so sleepy. I can be hallucinating. Yeah that’s it, I’m hallucinating. I head to the kitchen table and start one of my papers. I stumble on the computer keyboard trying to figure out what to write about while my little cousin is doing his homework with my favorite crayons right beside me. I can’t concentrate. I keep thinking about my old friend.

            As the time passes by, my eyes slowly start to close. I’m still sitting on the table trying to figure out how I am going to extend this paper. I gave up and my head crashes onto the computer keyboard. I black out. In my dream, my old, blue friend kept walking back and forth in my head. His hands were behind his back like if he was waiting for me or something. Then the lights, in my dream, kept flickering. I had a flashback of when he and I went to go share a piece of cake. Wow, good times. All of a sudden, the scene flushed away like a toilet flush and I woke up.

            I was late to school that morning. I threw on some sweats and a sweatshirt and rushed my way to my first period, U.S history. I tried to stay awake knowing that we were going to have a test on the lecture my teacher was giving out. Sadly, I failed and woke up to the sound of the bell for dismissal. I walked outside the building and just my luck, it was pouring! I dropped my stuff, when the tardy bell rang. I looked up and no one was around. Everyone was inside and in class. As I walked to the front office, I passed someone, but I could not make out who it was. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed this creature following me. I started to run and he started to run after me. I tripped over my stupid shoelace face first. I turned over to lie on my back and this thing started to lick me. Geez, what’s going on???? I’m going insane. This is definitely not my week. I finally, push the sucker off of me and wipe my eyes to see what was on top of me.

            NO WAY!!!

            “Hi friend, I’m Stitch.” That little monster scared the living day lights out of me. I could not believe he came back.

            “Stitch! What are you doing here?” As scared as I was, I was still happy.

            “I missed you. They said I can stay.”

            “That’s great! So were you following all this time?”

            “Jess. I’m sorry if I scared you. I didn’t know how else to approach you.” Stitch’s head was down like he was ashamed. I grabbed him and hugged him and took him to Starbucks. We shared a marble cake plus a vanilla bean Frappucino. We talked about what we have been up to for the past 6 years. Obviously, things have changed, but I got reunited with my blue, small, dog-like creature alien friend.  

Extra Credit

Swiftly, her feet move across the polished floor
A dress so big and beautiful.
Round and outstanding, her fellow man stares into her eyes.
Smiles, like the moon in a dark sky,
light up the ball room.
Quickly, the beat and the rhythm of the music makes them fly.
They twirl, spin and glide
Slowly as the sweet music comes to a stop,
a kiss is layed onto the fair lady's lips
and he departs off into the night.
Her Prince Charming, where has he gone off too?

Hush An Irish Princess' Tale

       Donna Jo Napoli did a great job in writing this novel. An Irish Princess, Melkorka, was taken abroad in a slave ship by Vikings. She lives a life as a slave without saying one word. 

       I gained the moral of this story on the first couple of chapters. Melkorka looked at slaves different. She really didn't have no respect for them. Then, as she was escaping her arranged marriage, daddy's orders, a viking ship happened to sail by and return, surprisingly and captured her as a slave. However, them still not knowing she was a princess. As they say "what goes around, comes around." Karma hit Melkorka in this novel pretty hard, I mean yeah karma is everywhere, but I felt kind of bad knowing that at the end of the novel she still hasn't seen her family and remained a slave.

       As I read, I kept thinking: Melkorka really hasn't hard and karma isn't backing up yet.

       Then again, after months passed people do get used to their surroundings and things end better than they were when you were first held captive. I, literally, have no idea what it feels like to be captured, beaten, forced to do things I can never imagine, but mentally I have. 

       Things come and go and most of the time we all focus on the bad things that happen to us. I was going through an event in my life that I will never forget. I was held captive by depression against my own will. I remember it like it was just yesterday. Not only was I going through this but so was  my mother and my brother. As a family, its harder to see that when one person falls short, the head, then everyone else, as the body, collapses. It was like we had a storm coming in our lifes for months. Yes, there were times we went out and had our laughs, but it was for a few hours a week. It was like our body was immune to happiness and our flesh penetrated everything that would put a smile on our face.

       Months passed and we became used to the fact that changes happen everyday and just try to make the best of what we have. Maybe sooner or later things can go back, but as of right now, we just have to ride the wind and sail through the waves. Being in captive is not much more as a barrier than life. We just have to hope for the best and figure out the best solution to be rescued.

Assignment #7: Self-Value

Jealousy is simply and clearly the fear that you do not have value. Jealousy scans for evidence to prove the point - that others will be preferred and rewarded more than you. There is only one alternative - self-value. If you cannot love yourself, you will not believe that you are loved. You will always think it's a mistake or luck. Take your eyes off others and turn the scanner within. Find the seeds of your jealousy, clear the old voices and experiences. Put all the energy into building your personal and emotional security. Then you will be the one others envy, and you can remember the pain and reach out to them. (Jennifer James)

    

     The last person that will always love you is yourself. Without yourself you are nobody. Jennifer James summarizes the whole main idea. Value yourself and look inside your heart. Understand that there is no one else in this world that dresses like you, acts the way you do, shares the same thoughts as you do, finds interest in things that no one else does. You will find things humorous that no one else will think its funny. Jealousy is never the answer. You will never know what that person is going through. Yes, that girl may look skinny or have beautiful hair, but what if her mom is taking drugs or her father is an alcoholic and/or in jail. Would you be jealous then? Do not look for the things you do not have in others, but rather the things that person doesn't have that you do have. I think that is what Jennifer is trying to say when she says "Take your eyes off others and turn the scanner within."

I know there are a lot of people who become jealous real easily mainly because the person him or her may like does not like them but rather their best friend. People become envious and resent ever knowing them. I feel bad, but that is when you really start realizing who that person really is the cause of low self-esteem and self-value. When you value yourself, it gives way for more opportunities in life. Loving yourself opens doors to things you never actually dreamed of doing. There are going to be barriers coming across your path, step over them and continue on your way. How can one love someone, when you cannot love yourself?  

I was one of those jealous-type of girls. I did not understand why I was the way I was and the 6^th grade girl sitting next to me in class looked older, more beautiful, and happier than I did. I could not concentrate because my guy classmates would always pull up a chair and talk to her. I sat there and I felt like crying because I never got that attention not even from the nerds in the class. I felt outlawed and unwanted. I slowly began to not give a flip about life and just try to face the fact that we are two different people and I will never come close to becoming her. With that on my mind, I started to forget why I was mad, why I was envious and blinded by this girl. I started to realize that yes, I will never become close to becoming like her because I’m much more valuable and beautiful to be jealous over someone who used people. I started loving myself more when I realized I don’t have to be her to get attention. As a matter a fact, my eyes were opened when I found out that I don’t need attention to feel wonderful.

 Days passed and felt confident about myself. Then one day, the guy that every girl fell for, came up to me and gave me a note. This is what is said:

“Hey…um…I don’t know if you ever noticed me, but I want you to know I always keep an eye on you. I think you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my life. Please give me a call.  J” 

Assignment #8 The Necklace

The Necklace is a short story by Guy de Maupassant’s short story, it includes three literary elements that are mainly dominant. Although the author uses all of the elements, he focuses on three of them. I like that he really focuses on using irony in his short story, there are so many examples of it. He actually uses irony in the first paragraph, he says “With no dowry, no prospects, no way of any kind of being met, understood, loved, and married by a man both prosperous and famous, she was finally married to a minor clerk in the Ministry of Education.” I know that when the author uses the words prosperous and famous, the reader would expect the husband to be much more then just a minor clerk.

A main character is Mathilde, from reading this story with my class I've learned that the author intends Mathilde to be cruel and demanding. The girl Mathilde was one of those pretty and charming young girls who sometimes are born, as if by a slip of fate, into a family of clerks. When they all receive the invitation to the dance, Mathilde wants everything to look wonderful even though they do not have the money. She even uses the money her husband has been saving for a long time to go hunting with his friends.

I'm not going to re-tell the story or give away what happens but I will continue to mention my favorite parts.
I personally really liked the way the author elaborated on the literary elements. I think that in this short story there was a little bit of karma as well and i know not too many people noticed it. He used irony in the perfect way to surprise the reader at just the right time and i know we brought that up in class.

The author also makes the reader think about their own life and if they are similar to Mathilde. That is why I enjoyed reading The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant so much and I wouldn't mind reading another short story from our books in class. This author is an older author and I like how he can make young people like us think and use or heads to figure out what he has written that is hidden.

Book report: Kiss by: Ted Dekker and Erin Healy

      

After Shauna McAllister, the senator's daughter, Landon, who is trying to make his way to the white house, was in a bizarre car accident, with her brother in the passenger's seat, she wakes up in coma.   There her father's best friend, whom she calls uncle, her stepmother, and her forgotten boyfriend stood in her presence waiting for her awakens. Six months after Shauna’s car accident she becomes aware that she suffers from memory loss.  She can not remember anything from those past 6 months, or remember anything that happened the day of the accident or even one month prior to the accident. Her stepmother blames Shauna for the accident, for her brother, who she found out he was severely brain damaged and for the bad reputation she is putting on her father. Her brother was her best friend and Landon’s prized possession.

Shauna returns to her childhood home, but stays at the guest house because her father, especially her stepmother, does not want Shauna near her brother. Her stepmother is a abusive toward Shauna and everytime Shauna tries to work things out with her father, the stepmother makes it worse. During all of this commotion between her family and herself, her forgotten, but loving boyfriend, Wayne Spade, stays by her side. Shauna tries to gain her memory back and figure out what happened the day of the accident. Little did she know that if she finds out, she would die.

Little by little, as Shauna starts investigating her accident, she also, tries to remember her boyfriend. When they spent one evening at a lake, Wayde and Shauna kissed. By just one kiss, Shauna blacked out and lived a memory of Wayne's. She, however, did not know she was stealing memories to replace hers and that the one person who she thought she could trust becomes her worst enemy. Shauna goes through a suspensful mission to find out what happened at the night of her accident and who is trying to kill her. A life and death threatening situations for the the memory she lost.

I just got to say that this has been by far my most favorite book that I read this year. I like mystery books, but I love it even more when the author becomes more descriptive with the action scenes of the book. There where so many different turning points that made you keep guessing what was going to happen next. I was proven wrong several times, but it really got me into the book. I felt like I was watching an HD movie right before my eyes. I recommend this book to anyone who likes action, romantic, and messed-up endings. This is more like a "solve-a-puzzle" kind of deal. Great book.  

Essay: Cultural Underpinnings of Literature

     

            Since I came to New Mexico, I recently started thinking about what was the foundation of this world. I have thought about a lot of other stuff and how it affects me, but never have I, literally, spent hours thinking about everything we have talked during English class. There’s so much to learn about the history of the earth, discover the undiscovered, explore the unexplored, uncover the truth of the of the questionable aspects of life; but do people open their eyes and see how amazing it will be to be the first to find something about the world that no one else seemed to care about? Obviously, we are lacking those curiosity minds that can make the human mind more intellectual.

            I, however, always thought about why things happened, but because of my lazy self, I don’t get up or stop what I’m doing to research about it. I’m glad that this English class talks about the things I want to learn about. Having these questions, these assignments as homework, actually gives me time to read about and research the topics.

            Now, what is the foundation of the earth? Never in my right mind did I suspect it to be religion. The start of it all in the western civilization was Judeo-Christianity. Jewish and Christianity is the mix of this religion, obviously, but it is, also, the start of the separation of beliefs. People started to realize and questioning themselves if that is what they believe too. It was the start of denominations, like Pentecostal, Jehovah-witnesses, Baptists, etc. People chose what they believed, so given these denominations, so were people divided. Whether people are African American, Caucasian, Mexicans or Natives, they are all divided into each religion.

            People, however, are discriminate towards people. Because people chose a different religion, a religion that they do not practice, they think their religion is wrong. They start hating and pushing them aside, even if their God tells them to love their neighbors. They become selfish and forget about the real reason of being a part of their religion. People have become blinded from their own judgment and by the way they think other people should live their life.

 Like for example, the KKK. Since the Civil War ended and the South lost, the black slaves were set free. The South were angered because, the black people, to them were like dogs or like pots and pans or tools; they were used to fix things and when they weren’t needed anymore they were sold or thrown away. Now that the white people have to see black people having the same rights as they do, they became vexed and that provoked them to start a clan; a religion that was propagated from governmental decisions, the Klu Klux Klan. Supposedly, this new religion is a Christian religion. The KKK’s main reason for creating this clan was to terrorize free black people for no reason, because they did not want to treat them as anything other than “white property.” When the slaves became free after the Civil war, it became “open season” for this clan. The KKK would lynch black people every weekend for their entertainment. They would call this a picnic. As crazy as it seems we think that picnics are just a family gathering held up for food and fun, but in reality, picnic means “pic a nigga.” They blame African Americans and illegal non-white immigrants for threatening white Americans.

            The United States of America has been described as the most religiously diverse country in the world because of “freedom of religion,” the first amendment. This is one of the reasons why everyone around the world comes to the United States, to express their religion, free from government interruptions.

            Another example is, since 9/11, the terrorist attack, white evangelical Christians and political conservatives hold more negative thoughts and views against Islamic people. The Muslim people, who hijacked the planes, believed that by obeying their God and killing the American citizens would be a way to get to heaven. This belief really shook the country. Now, an increasing number of Americans have come to a conclusion that Islam, as a religion, encourages violence.  

A lot of times it amazes me when something disastrous happens, everyone, including the government and religions, come together in order to help comfort people and find solutions to solve the situation; this is why people think that churches should express their political views in politics. Many people are not inadequate that presidents can summon their faith and rely on their religious belief to make political decisions. Like our fore fathers and other government officials based their decisions on biblical principles and prayers. Using religious beliefs the U.S constitution was born and it impacted and shaped politics of America.

The Enlightenment from the 17^th and 18^th century was a big turnaround for a lot of cultures. It brought the “new thinking about once unquestioned truths” and, eventually, new actions arose from the people. This movement is marked by the awakening of the human reasons, keen interest in science, religious tolerance, and the desire to construct governments that are free from tyrants. The Age of Enlightenment was also known as the age of reason, the turning point of the human curiosity mind. People started to establish the ways of living, how the planet works which is science. They wanted to develop a system of ethics, government and most importantly, religion. Because of the curiosity for the study of science, that brought a decline in the church. They questioned their religion. The Enlightenment had huge consequences waiting for the economy. The movement declined the church, increased the growth of secular humanism and political and economic deregulation.

Religion shapes our world. Religion is the base of this earth. The diversity of people in America makes this country a special place to be in. Appreciate how different everyone is because we can learn a lot about others and still see how much we have in common.

Race in America

“'Society' in America means all the honest, kindly-mannered, pleasant- voiced women, and all the good, brave, unassuming men, between the Atlantic and the Pacific. Each of these has a free pass in every city and village, 'good for this generation only,' and it depends on each to make use of this pass or not as it may happen to suit his or her fancy.”              

  -Henry Brooks Adams (1838–1918), U.S. historian

            Henry Brooks Adams is a very wise man. He defined the meaning of America, figuratively, but clearly. America is a country with arms wide open to anyone who feels ostracized from their people.

America has the Statue of Liberty to symbolize what America stands for; to enlighten mankind the idea of freedom and equality that belongs to every single one of us. America’s promise “is the entrance into liberty and freedom from oppression.”

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

            This message is imprinted on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. This was presented to us by the people of France in honor of their friendship. Our country is a country of freedom. We give freedom to those who bore chains and were held captive against their own will or they were in confinement. Freedom is having political or national liberty, having the freedom to express yourself, your religion, and your opinions without government interference. This is made possible by the 1^st Amendment of the US Constitution.

            Now, think about it, what category does the Islamic faith fall into? Religion. We all have freedom, including the people who were not born here. They came here to express themselves, they came to practice their religion, and they came here to be free, to become an American. Shouldn’t we be honored to have people that want to live in a country that had the privilege to become the first free country? We are being looked-up to.

            There is no reason to be outraged against ALL Islamic people just for the faulty of a group of Islamic humans. They are not all the same. Understand that all people are different whether they come from the same religion or not. I am completely different from another Mexican girl or another Christian person. I absolutely hate bell peppers; does that mean the people who love them are going to hate me? No. What has our world come to?  Ask yourself, are you contributing? For one thing, it is right and wrong that the Islamic people decide to build a mosque at the site of Ground Zero.

            I made my point in saying that everyone has the right to express their religion in America, yet we put a barrier to those who hurt us. If, let’s say, a Christian church decides to build their building at Ground Zero, do you think that debates, protests, fiery comments, hate crimes, and all this controversy, given toward the Muslim’s decision, would be the same? I don’t. The foundation of America’s faith was built upon Christianity, so, because Christianity is a part of America, there is nothing wrong with having a church at OUR territory.

            Most Muslim people are from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and all those other Middle Eastern countries; we often assume that everyone who comes from the East are Muslim. That is not true, there are people from the Middle Eastern who maybe Christians, Buddhists or Jews, but they are, also, African Americans, Caucasians, Mexicans and Asians that practice the Islamic faith. However, no one thinks about that, until the black man becomes President, right?  So what if Obama is Muslim, he had nothing to do with the crashing of the plane in 9/11. He was just an AMERICAN CITIZEN living his life with his family in Chicago, Illinois just like the rest of us. He is our President. We need to respect those in higher authority, those who have our country at the palm of their hands; show respect to those who deserve it, show it to those who don’t and to those who are willing to sacrifice. That’s the best advice my mom has ever given me.   

            For example, Terry Jones, a Florida Christian pastor who decides that burning the Quran is the right thing to do the day of 9/11. Obviously, this pastor is moving by his own judgment, but who am I to judge? I just know that he should not claim that, that is what God will do; even those who are not all religious know that God would not do that. I do, however, respect his opinion. I respect him. Although, I do not agree what he believes is right, I, still, will listen to what he has to say. I will allow myself to be open-minded to those who believe in something different than I do. I will allow them the chance to change my mind, if I believe it is worth changing.  

            Like the topic of immigration. I strongly agree with the fact that, immigrants should be allowed to stay in America because they have more opportunities here and they want to better themselves for the good of their family. They made a decision that they want to change their lives around and take the jobs no one else will take just to keep their family and life together. However, I know I need to be open-minded and take in consideration the opinions that oppose the idea of immigration which are interesting rebuttals to my point of view. Immigrants’ coming to the United States means more opportunities for terrorists, drug dealers and other criminals to enter the country. We are trying to be a well-disciplined country. A country that knows how to behave and know what is right from wrong. Having more crimes present in America will not help our goal.

                                   Just know racism is not the answer.

http://www.lightomega.org/worldwatch/StatueofLiberty.html

Essay: I Dream A World



My fantasy world, just like Langston Hughes, is a world with no sorrow, no pain, no violence or fear. I fantasize of a planet that every single strain of grass is green; the birds are always flying and singing, people are laughing and playing and the world turns calmly and peacefully. I dream of a world were nothing matters to anyone, but the uniqueness of a person and how just them being here can change the world. Unique: existing as the only one; the embodiment of unique characters or the only specimen of a given kind; meaning no one is exactly alike. My fantasy world has no duplicates; everyone is themselves, no one tries to become someone else and "will share the bounties of the earth." The sun will shine and everyone has extravagant smiles on their faces "and joy, like a pearl,
attends the needs of all mankind."

Everyone participates in creating a world worth living...

As of right here, right now, I can't go through a day without stress, anger or any other emotion rather than happiness. This world is corrupt and outrageous. The human beings walking along the dirt paths and streets, makes the world become what it is today...wretched and ridiculous. Just by one bad decision one person makes, everyone else has to suffer and pay the same consequences. What is the most common fault I see in society? The most common fault is that there are people who have the nerve to judge others. Who are they that God has given them the permission to judge over all humans? He who has not sinned can cast the first stone. NO ONE IS PERFECT, so who will be the first to cast that first stone? Not you and definitely not me. Everyone has made mistakes more than 10 times. Everyone has sinned. So with that in mind, who is foolish enough to judge a human that he himself is guilty of the same act? It's never fair...

Everything that I knew was once wrong, it is now being known as the right thing, the okay thing today. I can't watch TV without hearing about a dirty, psychotic man raping a 4 year child that is innocent and has no say whether she has a choice or not or a 16 year old teenager died in a drive-by because he just happens to be there, even though he had nothing to do with it whatsoever. He had his whole life ahead of him. He was a straight "A" student and got a scholarship for his athletic ability. All of this chaos seems like it has become a daily routine. It's unacceptable. America is not a free country as she claims to be. It seems as if everyone has forgotten the true meaning of what it means to be an American.

Do you want to know an interesting fact that I learned awhile back? Another name for humans is Homo sapiens. Looking at this title for mankind, makes me laugh. It’s such a funny word, but it sounds ugly at the same time. I mean how would I like to be called a homo sapien? As I took Latin classes my freshman and sophomore year, I learned the true meaning of what Homo sapiens means. The word homo comes from the Latin language meaning man and the word sapiens, also, comes from the Latin language word meaning wise. In other words, Homo sapiens mean wise men. To me, that’s an honor. I mean, to be given a title of being wise is more than I could ask for. Now think about it, does all humankind deserve to be called wise men? Are you contributing in the faults of this world by your actions?

Haiku :)

LIVE FOR SOMEONE ELSE

YOURSELF

Learn to love yourself, at the end,

no one will love you more than yourself

Be who you are, wonderful & amazing

you'll never be alone

Do what you love; sing, dance, play

it will create a life worth living for

Show & Tell

MUSIC

     Music is not just a tune or a melody to me. Music is like a way of transportation to a different world that I call my home. It takes me away to places I have always dreamt about going. Music is an art of sound that allows people to express ideas and emotions in meaningful ways through harmony, rhythm, melody, and color.
     Music sets me free and helps me to block out negative thoughts and energy that'll hurt me, put me down or distract me from my dreams and goals in my life. Music does not have to be singing or rapping or instrumental, it can be nature or anything around you that carries a sound. Like the leaves rustling in the trees as the breeze flows by, the waves crashing onto the shore, birds chirping in the morning by the window sill, anything that can make you close your eyes and smile. Anything that can paint you a picture in your mind. The shades of white in the clouds or the beautiful blue in the sky.
     I've been playing the violin for 7 years, now. Each and everyday I get captured by the sound of music, especially classical and nature. I'm lost in thought when I listen to musical compositions put together so sweet, so pleasing, so harminous, so vibrant, I never experience the same feeling twice. There's no words that can express how one arrangement, that can be entirely different from the millions of songs out there, can make me feel so happy.
     What I am bringing to Show & Tell is Music. It's my life.