Semester Final

6) In what way(s) have you surprised yourself this semester on your blog? Have you tried topics you didn't think you'd write about? Approached a familiar topic from an unfamiliar angle? Discovered more "depth" to a topic than you first thought was possible? Explain.

The way that surprised me is that when I write the things on my blog, it turns out to be good. But it's different when I write it during class with the time. Doing it at home is much better and easier because I can think for a long time what to write. If I concentrate on one thing, I would be able to make it a better essay by using difficult vocabularies in it. When I am writing my blog, I pick a topic that is unfamiliar because I want to try out if I can write an essay about it. Writing in class might be hard for me because sometimes I do not understand the questions. Not understanding the questions makes it harder for me to write and think.

Yes, I have tried topics that I did not think I would write about. It turns out to be okay because sometimes I can think of what I should write. If I tried the unfamiliar topics, then I will probably stopped for a long time and rethink of what should I write. I will have to think for a long time because if the topic is hard then I will tend to get stuck pretty fast. I tried it before and it did not work out pretty well. I think I will have to try it again to see if I can handle it or not. I can practice more on the unfamiliar topics because it can help me improve my way up on writing.

8) How do you like having a blog? How has blogging changed the way you write, the way you think, or the way you think about writing?

Blogging had changed the way I write because usually I don't write an essay that much. But, in English class, we always have to write a page or more in ten minutes without stopping. It changed because I write completely different then when I first started blogging. At first I was timid about what I wrote about, almost afraid of what other people might think but it doesn't matter anymore. When I write any topics, I was scared that people will say something different about it. For example, when I write about, "A Hero advocate the weaker and less courageous people ." I thought people might have some different responses to that because everyone has their opinions. At first, I was scared that people won't agree with me because I said, "A hero is someone who shows great courage and confidence. A person is looked upon as an advocate and voice of those who are too weak to speak up for themselves." But apparently it does not really matter if they have their own opinions to the answer because everyone is different. Everyone has their own choices to agree or disagree the facts.

I wouldn't say that blogs have changed the way I think, but they have allowed me to remember what I have thought, which I would usually forget. In that way, not forgetting what you have thought must make a person more reflective, as you can build on your thoughts and revisit them at a later time. For example, I wrote an essay about a topic "Realization of logic and reality helps motivate people to change." I remembered that most people can understand how to change their life. Also if people wants to change their belief and attitude, they control it themselves. It helps a lot of people if they really understand what the reality happened in the world. Everyone has their own problems to change because each of them have different views of the motivation.

Having a blog is awesome because people can tell you if your essay was good or not and also needs to change or not. Anyone can read and comment on people's blog.

7) What have you learned from your struggles with writer's block? Why do you tend to get stuck? How do you tend to get unstuck? Notice any patterns?

Writing blogs is not easy or difficult. It just depends on the subject. If the subject is something I like, then there will be more information that I can relate to on it. However, if the subject is vague and boring, then it is more likely that I will not have anything to write about. When writing “Writer’s Blog,” I tend to get stuck because I can not think of any points, ideas, and I will get distracted. I tend to get unstuck by sitting in a quiet place, having more ideas, and fascinating points. As soon as I think of good points I write them down quickly so I won’t forget.

Usually when I start out writing a blog, I am located somewhere where it’s loud and noisy which always distracts me. I try to think and think of ideas to start out my essay, but it usually doesn’t work. After a while when I can not think of ideas, I start to procrastinate. After a few hours, I start to worry about how I am going to finish my blog. So then I start to stay focus again, but nothing usually comes out of my mind; probably because I’m not thinking deep and hard enough. Then I will go to a quiet place and start over again. Distractions are usually what keeps me procrastinating and stuck on writing my blogs.

When I sit in a peaceful and quiet place, I start to rethink on the topic and find more interesting ideas where I can relate to the subject. When it is my time to work, I tend to focus more and start coming up with ideas to write. I organize my ideas by brainstorming because it can help me sort out the ideas. Writing on a piece of paper and sorting out can help me a lot because I can put everything together like an essay. Brainstorming is a good way to organize ideas. First, I need to write the introduction which have the thesis statement into it.

Then, I have to write details for the middle paragraphs so it can explain what happened to the essay. It will be more details and specific things. Lastly, it is the conclusion where I summarize what I wrote in the essay and stating the purpose in writing the blog.

Monthly Review

8) Pick a character that interested you and write about them in depth. You can also analyze a relationship between two different characters.
2) For what audience(s) is this book intended, and how can you tell? (In other words, for whom would you recommend this book?)

The title of the book I just read is called All-American Girl by Meg Cabot. It was a fiction book that is about high school drama. A girl saves the president from being shot. And she falls in love with the president’s son. Samantha Madison has two siblings. Samantha's older sister is an amazing beauty and popular girl in her school and her younger sister is a genius child in the family. Samantha do not have the beauty or the brains, but she becomes special in her own way.

The person that interested me is Samantha Madison because she was very different from many teenagers. Other teenager likes to put make-up on their face, dress up femininely, and look pretty but apparently Samantha Madison does not. She is different because she does not care about how she looks. She cares a lot about art. She loves art because she is interest in them.

Aren't you the girl who jumped on the back of a crazy man who was holding a gun?

She saved the president by stopping a crazy guy from killing him of the United States. The president invited Samantha’s family to have a dinner at the White House because he wanted to thank her for saving his life. Even though she has been to the White House a lot of times, she remembers where the rooms at are. The president decided to name Samantha the teen ambassador to the United Nations. When she arrives at school to the cafeteria, a worker named Mrs. Krebbetts gave her an extra slice of peanut butter pie. A lot of people were scared of Mrs. Krebbetts and she never gives out pie to people. I think Mrs. Krebbetts gave Samantha an extra slice of pie because Samantha saved the president.

Don't worry about it, Sam, I am the soul of discretion. I won't say a word to anyone. Do you think reporters will show up, though? I mean, at my party? Because if anyone wants to interview me, you know, that's all right. They can even take my picture. If you want me to sign a waiver, or whatever...

After that, there were reporters trying to ask Samantha all these questions like being in a press. Samantha did not answer any of the questions because she think it's annoying. She was supposed to draw an egg that does not show white. She could not see it unless she really tries harder to see what the color is. She kept complaining that she can not see other colors while everyone sees it. But finally, she saw that there were other colors such as pink, purple, and orange. There was not any white on the egg. The egg was colorful that everyone can draw it on a piece of white paper. When Samantha was drawing, she was into the emotional of drawing. It's like she can’t stop drawing and wanted to continue drawing. About the party that Kris Park was going to have, Samantha was planning not to go because Kris Park just wants to meet the president’s son. When they arrive to Kris Park’s Party, Samantha tries to not get into the conversation with Kris and David. She was busy trying to look for her crush which is her sister’s boyfriend named Jack. David was searching for Samantha so he looks in the kitchen and found her in there.

There was an award ceremony in front of the official White House. The president made a special speech for Samantha. The president said a lot of things about Samantha how she was able to saved the portrait or saved him. Also the president wanted to thank her for all those things. After that speech, she got her medal which was a pure solid gold hanging from a red velvet ribbon. Samantha and David fell in love with each other.

The audience for this book is for teenagers and young adult. This book is mostly for teenage girls because the book is basically talking about Samantha that has lots of troubles in her life. I think guys would not be interested in reading this book because it talks about Samantha and the president’s son named David. Some teenage girls and young adult would want to read this book because it’s kind of about high school drama. But some does not like to read that much of a feminine book. For guys, they are not into reading romantic book or either into reading about high school drama. I think teenage girls would be interested into the book because after each chapter, there are ten reasons that Samantha had thought in her minds. She listed them out to let people read what she has been thinking.

There is reason that you would probably read this book. It's not easy having a crush on someone especially when you have one on the president 's son. If you really have a crush on the president's son then your life is going to be harder and harder. Although the president's son is smart, cute, and artistic. Samantha and David are the type of persons that are interested in drawing. Samantha and David have the same art class. Samantha would not think that she would like the president's son because she has a crush on her sister's boyfriend. Samantha and David have not met long but they still be liking each other.

Some teenagers will probably have some kind of similar situation like Samantha. Guys would not really care if a girl have a crush on another guy because they do not really care about it. It's not going to be their business so why would guys be interested in it.

So overall Samantha really loves art so much that she does not care about her looks. Even though she has an older sister that is a beauty. The president made Samantha popular by saying that he saved him and the portrait. Everyone called her a hero for saving the president's live. The president's son, David, likes Samantha because she is attractive to him. Samantha and David were happy because they are together.

Lit Circle 3

Don't worry about it, Sam, I am the soul of discretion. I won't say a word to anyone. Do you think reporters will show up, though? I mean, at my party? Because if anyone wants to interview me, you know, that's all right. They can even take my picture. If you want me to sign a waiver, or whatever...

Samantha does not believe her sisters because she is afraid that they would say her secrets out to everyone. Kris Parks asked Samantha to an invitation party handing her a piece of folded paper to her. Kris Parks is trying to suck up to Samantha because Samantha knows the president's son. Kris had been really mean to Samantha in her whole life. Samantha did not know what to do so she put it in her backpack to think about whether to go or not. Kris think she's all that but she's not. I think the reporters aren't taking pictures of Kris instead of Samantha.

Sam, we were, like, the only people in the audience who weren't actually related to someone who was in the play. I just really want, for once in my life, to see what it feels like. To be, you know, part of the In Crowd. Haven't you ever wondered?

It is not fair that Samantha and Catherine do not get to act out the play. Catherine wanted to try at least once in her life because she wants to see how it is like. I was wondering that maybe Samantha wants to try how it's feel like being in the play and acting it out. They must be curious of how to be in the play.

Hands off the bad! That's Louis Vuitton, in case you didn't notice!

Theresa was so mad about someone having touched her purse and she could not say anything except Spanish swear words for a whole minute. There is this Secret Service agent that tried to calm her down by saying that he had called for police backup. Also an officer was going to escort her back to her car. The reporters would held back by barricades when they came out. I was wondering wow, she would say a swear word in front of the agent. I did not believe that people would say that in front of the agent or officer.

Aren't you the girl who jumped on the back of a crazy man who was holding a gun?

Samantha was the girl who saved the president by stopping the person that was holding a gun. She said it is not scary to do that but I think it would be because it is a real gun. So she thinks that she had to do whatever she needs to do. If it is for me, I would not go near the crazy man because anything can happens. There is no way I can do that like Samantha because it is really scary trying to stop the person that has a gun in their hand.

There is always pressure to change to be better. Many people seek external influences to help them become the person they want to be. However, for most people to become truly changed they have to have the will and power in themselves to remain change. Understanding and self-realization are some of the motivations for many individuals to change.

Many people change their views and goals when they come to realization and understanding of reality. For example, in the book Catcher of the Rye Holden, a teenage boy, who leaves his family, and spends much of his time traveling alone trying to save the innocence in children. He got expelled for academic failure from a school called Pencey Prep. Even though he is really smart and sensitive, he narrates in a jaded voice. He is uncomfortable with his own weaknesses. He seems hesitant to develop any real ambitions or goals. He refuses to associate himself with mature ways of living, and isolates himself from anyone his own age or older. He stands poised on the cliff separating childhood from adulthood. He sees this particular period of his life as his own personal paradise. In the end, Holden realizes that he can not be the catcher in the Rye forever. He can not save children from losing their innocence. This is when Holden changes his views of the world. His realization helps brings him back to the life of reality and logic.

Furthermore, many people fighting anorexia and bulimic are usually successful when they come to realize their own self-worth and beauty. Many rehabilitation centers focus of helping their patients find their soul and self-worth. It depends on the people if they really want to change their beliefs and attitudes because they control it themselves. If they really want to change their beliefs then they will have to fight really hard for it to be. In realizing their self-worth, many bulimics and and anorexic people are able to defeat the illness. They are able to defeat their own illness by thinking and picking the right way to go. They understood that they do not have to be thin to be beautiful in realizing that beauty comes from within. People do not have to be thin in order to be good looking. These people are able to change their view of the world. Most becoming less materialistic and more.

Realization of reality and logic helps motivate people to change. It motivate people to change because they are able to go back to their senses. They come to their senses that what they initially believed was not reasonable and negative to their own self. In individuals are motivated to change their beliefs. Also, it changes their attitudes and beliefs for the better. Another thing is that self realization helps retain the new views permanent. It helps a lot of people if they really understand what the reality happened in the world. Everyone has their own problems to change because each of them have different views of the motivation.

The rules of love

The relationship today between young men and women are kind of complicated. If people are being in a relationship, they should respect and trust each other. They should be fair to each other because if a guy always buy lunch for a girl, then a girl should also buy lunch for the guy too. It is okay for a guy to buy lunch for a girl sometimes but not always. It is not fair to the guy. Also there can't be cheating while a girl and a guy are going out because then one of them will not forgive them. It's really hard for them to forgive the other person. If they break up, they still can be friends. But some people just can't be friends because that person hurt the ones really bad. Most of the people will become friends even though they broke up.

A girl could ask a guy out but it is a little weird. It's a little weird because usually it's a guy who is asking a girl out. Nice girl don't get mad at a guy during in a bad situation because it's not their fault. A guy should understand whether a girl is mad or not during that time period. Also if one see your girl or guy fooling around with someone else not just a friend thing like getting intimite. Then that the person will get jealous and confront to the other person. Nice girls and guys don't make other people look bad to look better themselves. And also they are not controlling.

If rules are crossed then trust is lost. The behavior is that if one treats other good but nothing in return, the one will start to stop caring to impress the girl, so it should be mutual treating each other. Everyone has their own rules to love. Not everyone that has the same rules to love.

A hero is someone who shows great courage and confidence. A person is looked upon as an advocate and voice of those who are too weak to speak up for themselves. The events and people of the American Revolution, the novel Disgrace, and San Francisco Gavin Newsom define heroes "as people" who speak. And also represent those less courageous than them.

During the American Revolution, the New World was split between two groups. Those who wished to part from the British government. The minority were the "separatist" who believed that the British government were not treating the colonies with justice and representation. The "separatist" fought the American Revolution to pursue their dreams of a better government, though most of the people disagreed with them. The victory of an independent government proved the "separatist" to be heroes because they represented the minority.

Furthermore, Coetzee's novel Disgrace depicts that sometimes heroes have to go through hard times to recognize their potential to impact others. David Lurie, the main character, loses his job and respect from the college. In which he taught at because of his illegal relationship with a student. However, after living in the rural with his daughter and experiencing a violent attack. In which his daughter was raped, did Lurie see his selfishness and immaturity. He became more passionate to the innocent things in life and a hero to the community by changing his perspectives. He showed the community that life is precious and should not be ended in rain. Lurie shows that heroism speaks from courage.

Finally, a long time hero is from San Francisco's mayor Gavin Newsom. He is the youngest mayor in San Francisco. Newsom ignored the critics and traditional beliefs of many Americans when he legalized same-sex marriage. Though his legalization was later annuled, Gavin Newsom displayed great leadership and confidence through his actions. He has impact the lives of many and gave hope to gays around the country.

Heroes advocate the weaker and less courageous people. They give many people a voice in which they can express themselves. The separatist give those longing a better government satisfaction. David Lurie in Disgrace advocated the innocent animals who lives were taken away ruthlessly. Gavin Newsom spoke for the liberals and gays when he gave them equality. Without heroes, the world would not understand each other as well.

Lit Circle 2

Samantha went to the White House many times. She basically went to all the rooms such as the Vermeil Room, the Library, the China Room, the Map Room, the East Room, the Green Room, the Blue Room, and the Red Room. Since Samantha's family are special guests, the policemen have to check their license plate and his dad's ID. There were cops all over the place in the White House. There were reporters in front of the yard.

There she is! It's her! Get the shot! Get the shot!

The reporters were not only trying to take pictures of Samantha's family but were trying to take photo shots to Joan and Melissa Rivers. Joan and Melissa Rivers were nowhere to be seen. I wonder why do they have to take pictures about Joan and Melissa Rivers. Also they took pictures of Samantha's family because they were special guests to the president. The reporters look like they really want to take photo shots to Joan and Melissa Rivers. I wonder what did they do to make the reporters attention. I am really curious of what happen. I was wondering who was Joan and Melissa Rivers because they did not really say anything about them. The reporters just said they need to take photo shots to them.

She saved a portrait of George Washington form being burned up with the rest of the White House when the British attacked it during the War of 1812.

Wow, she actually saved a portrait that belongs to the president. It is cool that she was brave enough to rescue a piece of fine art from a fire. I was wondering how would she save a portrait when there are fire and smoke. I was thinking that a girl can actually save a piece of fine art by herself. No wonder people called her a named that she save the world. I did not expect that a girl can save the world or the president. I think the president was surprised that a girl save him and the portrait.

Giving up something

If I have to give up something, I would give up my computer. Giving up on my computer is where I listens to my music and watch my dramas. I can give up for a week but no longer than that. Music can make me relax and entertain me. It can help me get the stress out of me. That is a good thing for me. Watching dramas can make me thing of what they are talking about and make me concentrate on what movies I watch. If I have to give up my computer, I will have to find something else to do. I will have to listens to the radio and watch dramas on TV. I don't like to listens to the radio because it is not as clear as the websites on the computer. I would rather watch dramas on the computer because you can stop whenever you want and won't be able to miss any parts of the movie. That's why if I have to give up on my computer, I would not be able to do all those things.

I can not give up on my cell phone because I use it everyday. And without it, it is impossible for me because i text a lot. I put a lot of things on my cell phone that are important to me such as homework, special events, and free times. I put things in my calendar phone because it is more useful than using a big calendar at home. My phone calendar is what I use to organize my things such as who I am eating lunch with and other things. I text most of the time because a lot of people have a cell phone that can contact someone. I usually text because it is easier and faster.

I can give up watching TV because I do not watch it that much. But now, I do not watch it that much because the movies are over and over again. I do not like it when that happens everyday. I wish it was a different movie everyday instead of watching the same movies. Giving up on TV is nothing because I do not watch anything on it no more. It is kind of boring to watch TV because there is nothing special on it. On TV, I usually watch Chinese movies because I can understand the language and also it is interesting to watch. I used to watch a lot of Chinese movies but I do not watch it that much. I do not watch it that much because my parents say it is bad for you to watch TV everyday. They said it can make you have a worse eyesight. So I decided to listen to my parents and stop watching TV. I can give up for a month because it is always the same stuff over again. A month is enough for me because I have to see if there are new movies coming out.

Lit Circle 1

The title of the book is called All-American Girl by Meg Cabot. It is about this girl Samantha trying to stop a presidential assassination attempt and catches the eye of the first son of the president.

Samantha is having trouble concentrating in German class.

She is having troubles because she is suffering from not having enough energy to think of creative things. If she concentrate in her German class, she will improve really fast.

Samantha wish she were Gwen Stefani, lead singer of the best ska band of all time.

Gwen can do whatever she wants. She can dye her hair whatever color she wants. She gets to write songs about her ex-boyfriends and sing them in front of everyone. She can get free CDs. If she is dropping out of German then she should continue writing songs everyday. The people that were mean to Gwen in high school felt kind of sorry about everything from the past. Also she can get any boy she likes or wants. Another thing that Samantha wish that if she was Gwen Stefani, she will not take art lessons with Susan Bone.

Dogs are smart. Birds are kind of stupid.

Well, I don't think the birds are stupid. They have small brains but they know what they doing. Dogs have big brain so of course they are smarter than the birds.

Lucy is bossy. Kid most likely to be CEO of a major corporation, dictator of a small country and a supermodel. Rebecca is a baby. Kid most likely to end up discovering a cure for cancer and hosting a show talk. Always gets what they wants. But Samantha never gets what she wants. Kid most likely to end up a teen runaway.

Wow. Lucy and Rebecca live in a happy and good life while Samantha is not living a wonderful life. It seems like Samantha don't put effort in doing whatever she wants. Lucy and Rebecca seems to be smart in something unlike Samantha.

Monthly Review

The book I have read is called A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer. It is a sad book because there are lots of punishment where David get hits or beaten up by his mom. His mom is really nice to the other sons than to David because he is the oldest son in the family. David has to clean dishes and follows his mom directions. If he does not follow what his mother say, then he would get punish by his mom. It is really bad of how his mom hits her own son by using her own hands. Well, sometimes she would use something to hit David anywhere. Even though if David cry, his mom would not care about it. When his mom get mad, he always put anger on David. I think it is not fair for David to take all the blame for his mom. His mom should accept the facts that she does wrong. She always make David starve like for a few days without any food at all. It is so terrible to see David like that.

Well, this book is for teenagers and young adults because of the story. I think the book is for teenagers because it tells you how the kid have to do so much chores at home while the other kids don't have to. I can tell by the book because the words in it are really harsh. So I would recommend the book for mature people. Little kids can't handle all of the things that David did in the book. But teenagers and young adults can handle it because of the punishment. Teenagers would think that the book is sad because of how his mother torture him for mot finishing all the chores in time. Also teenagers will probably agree that David's mom is so aggressive to his own son by making him do the chores. And if he does not finished up the chores, his mom will not let him eat anything but let him starve. Some people will get emotional of this book because of the kid. I would get emotional because in the middle of the book is horrible for David. If the kids read the book, I think it would scare them because of how harsh his mother is. Also I don't think the book is for little kids to read it. If they read it, then they would think that they have to do those chores at home too. Little kids can not handle things like David. David is the person that can really stand his mom for doing all those things to him.

I would describe the author's writing by saying that everything flow. The author's writing is like he's writing about his own life and experience. I think he was the child in the book before. If it is, i will feel so bad that it had happened to him. In the beginning, it was okay because it was just about the introduction. Later on, it was about David and his mom. Also the writing flows because everything sound clearly and straightforward. The writing was simple and easy to read. It is an interesting and sad book because David get beaten up by his mom. And also his family does not really care if David is being torture by his mom. His family just sit and watch what David's punishments are and also his brothers get to play in the garage but he can not. He is a poor little kid because he had to do all the work by himself and also I don't like his mom being mean to her own son. When I first read this book, it sounded pretty sad because they were talking about how David had to do all the chores in the house. David is a little boy that needs to survive from his mom. He has to survive by eating and have a full stomach fills with food.

The character I'm going to write is about David because he's the person that can do lots of chores. There are a lot of things that happened to David. When David's parents were having a good time, the relationship was normal and did not have any arguments around the house. When David's parents are having arguments, David's mom always beat him because she blames everything on him. His mom does not let David eat breakfast or hang out with his own siblings because his mom makes him do chores. If he does not do the chores that he was asked to do, his mom will spank him or hurt him. His mom does not care about David. Another thing that happened to David is when his shoulder got popped out, his mom did not want to get the blame for it. So she asked David to sleep on the top bunk bed for a reason. Her reason was that David fell down and broke his shoulder. Until when David go to school, his teachers asked what happened to his arm. So he said, he fell down and broke his shoulder.

In order to survive, David has to do everything what his mom asked him to do. His mom is going to hit or beat him against the wall. Whenever David get in troubles at school, the principal or teacher would called his mom what happened to him. When David gets home, his mom will tell him to go to his mom's bedroom and start yelling at him. There was one time that his mom did not let him eat anything for breakfast or dinner. His mom made him starve. When he gets starve, he would steal people's lunchbox or go to the supermarket and steal it. At school, he got caught by the principal and teachers. But at the supermarket, he did not get caught at all. David got caught by his mom's friend when he was begging for food. His mom yelled and beats him.

Lit Circle 3

It's really sad that John's dad passed away because of his illness. He has a collection of coins and hid it in the backyard. He told John to find it in the backyard and he did. He found the 1926 D buffalo nickel and there was lots of different coins. He always talked about coins because he had lots of different story about each of them. John was surprised by finding all his father's collection. It will probably worth a lot of money. John was upset because his dad left him. He had a simple funeral and then went to his own house.

John came back from the trip and visit Savannah. Savannah was married to Tim. I felt bad for John to see that Savannah had a ring on her finger. When John came back, Tim was having an illness on the back of his body. Tim has a brother named Alan. I felt sorry for Alan and Savannah because they are scared that Tim is not going to make it. It is really depressing that Alan and Savannah has to face it to Tim. I felt bad for Tim too because he was a nice man. I didn't even know he would have an illness too like John's dad. I felt terrible for Tim to have such an illness.

John sold his dad's collection of coins to the people because he wanted to help Tim by paying the treatments. John felt happy that he wanted to see Savannah and Tim are being happy through the life. Also for Alan too. I didn't even know John would do that for them. John understand what is true love. He does not want to be a third person and ruining the marriage just for him. I think it is great for John to understand what is true love.

Spring Break

During spring break, I had lots of fun because I spent time with my family and friends. On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday; I stayed at home all day because I did not feel like going out. When I stayed at home, I watched Hong Kong movies and did some of my homework. I spent mostly on the computer because there's a lot of things to do on it.

The most fun day was Wednesday because I hungout with a group of people at San Francisco. First, we met at Alameda because we ate lunch at subway. Then we took the bus to San Francisco. Also on the bus, the Asian were sitting on the back seats. We took pictures on the bus because there was nothing to do instead of talking and looking around. My sister threw a penny at Kim because she was bored. Kim revenged back to her by throwing a penny to her. It took us about 45 minutes to get there. We had to walk for ten minutes to get to Westfield. We went in the mall and split up because some people are going to different places. And mostly guys did not buy anything because they did not need to but the girls does. The girls takes forever and we spent it wisely. We got four hours to shop for clothes because we still have places to go after that. Also we ate snacks before going to a place. We went to karaoke and spent two hours for it. The guys sang a lot of songs but the girls did not. Like four people were crazy because someone kept hitting each others everywhere such as pinching on the arm and hitting on the leg. Later on, we got kicked out of that place. We went to a restaurant and ate for like a hour. It was the most fun and crazy day. We spent eleven hours on that day. I think we should have more fun like that some days.

On Friday, I went to the library to finished up my math homework because there was lots of papers that are due. And also we got a test on it. My friend helped me on the math problems that I don't get. After a few hours passed, we went to quickly to relaxed and played cards with people in there. I can get tired of playing cards because we can only play a few card games. We played duces, speed, and slap jack with cards.

On Sunday, I hung out because I was so bored staying at home. I went to watch a movie in Alameda theater with a friend. We watched something called Hot Tub Time Machine. It was pretty funny and interesting to watch. I haven't watch a movie for a long time. I rather hang out than staying at home doing nothing. Sometimes staying at home is bored because you can't find anything new to do. When I stay at home, I usually go on computer or do homework.

lit circle 1

Dear Reading Buddies,

Part 1 of the book was okay because it was not really sad. Chapter 1 and 2 was good because it was talking about the good times David's family had. When David's parents were having a good time, the relationship was normal and did not have any arguments around the house. When David's parents are having arguments, David's mom always beat him because she blames everything on him. His mom does not let David eat breakfast or hang out with his own siblings because his mom makes him do chores. If he does not do the chores that he was asked to do, his mom will spank him or hurt him. His mom does not care about David. I was wondering why does she likes to beat Dave? Also why does the oldest son has to do all the work instead of the younger sons?

When David's shoulder got popped out, his mom did not want to get the blame for it. So she asked David to sleep on the top bunk bed for a reason. Her reason was that David fell down and broke his shoulder. Until when David go to school, his teachers asked what happened to his arm. So he said, he fell down and broke his shoulder. Another question I want to say, why doesn't his mom get all the blames? Whenever his mom is not in a good mood, she will always asked David to do something such as cleaning the bathroom and dishes.

In order to survive, David has to do everything what his mom asked him to do. His mom is going to hit or beat him against the wall. Whenever David get in troubles at school, the principal or teacher would called his mom what happened to him. When David gets home, his mom would tell him to go his mom's bedroom and start yelling at him. There was one time that his mom did not let him eat anything for breakfast or dinner. His mom made him starve. When he gets starve, he would steal people's lunchbox or go to the supermarket and steal it. At school, he got caught by the principal and teachers. But at the supermarket, he did not get caught at all. David got caught by his mom's friend when he was begging for food. His mom yelled and beat at him.

Part 2 of the book was getting sad because there is a lot of things happened to David. When David does not finish on times, then his mom is going to kill him. That's so dangerous of killing a son. David thought that his mom won't do anything except saying it. Russell was holding his mom's leg and she told him to let go of her leg. His mom stabbed him on the stomach but still, his mom helped him put some bandages where he was stabbed. When David went to his dad to tell him that he was stabbed but his dad seems like he does not care about it. When David felt weak, his mother helped him put on a t-shirt. And David thought his mom's going to yelled at him but she didn't. Suddenly his mom is being nice to David because he's was hurt. So she let him spend time with his brothers. After the incident, he was back to where he was at the beginning doing chores and eat less food. I thought his mom is going to be nice to David because of what she did to him. And also David felt like a family with them because of the incident.


Your buddy,
Vicky

Goals for Last Quarter

For the last quarter, there are some things that I would like to improve in my writing which is to have more topics to write about. Also have stronger vocabulary. More topics is better than having no topics because you will have to think of what you are going to write. I rather have more topics to choose from instead of thinking one which takes forever. It rakes a long time because I will have to think of what I will write. Having stronger vocabulary really helps me to write a better essay. Also I want to improve is grammar because sometimes when I used present tense in an essay, I would use past tense in it too. I want to improve by writing an essay that everything is all in present or past tense. Lastly, I hope I can comment more on other people’s blog more. I think I have not commented anyone’s blog yet. I think if I read people’s blog, I would get more ideas or topics to write about. I get distracted easily because if something’s interesting is happening; I will not continue to write. I will stop for a while and think of what’s happening. I will not think about what I’m writing about. I think it is bad to get distracted because I will have to think over what to write again. I will improve by ignoring the things are happening around me. I will concentrate more on the writing because I want to have a good essay.

My blog purpose is to let people read my essays. I just want to blog about things are happening in life. I want the readers to learn something or find something is interesting in the essay. Another thing is to let people comments on my blog. I like how people comments things on others blog because you will find what you need to improve or what they say about your essays.

My goals for next year are to keep improving my writing skills and vocabularies. Ever since when we have quick write, I would kind of stop at the middle paragraph because I run out of ideas quickly. So I would have to think of more to write about instead of thinking and stopping. I still remembered how the teacher said if you get stuck, just keep writing I’m stuck, I’m stuck, I’m stuck. And then when you have a idea, just continue writing where you left off. When I get stuck, I would do that but not most of the time because I don’t want to stop.

Next year, I think I can handle my schedule because I like to challenge myself in harder class. I think I will be stress out in the middle of the school year because I will be taking AP classes. Also I will be taking seven classes next year because I want an extra elective for something else. Next year will be the hardest year because college look at junior year the most.

Letter 3

Dear Reading Groups,

It's really sad that John's dad passed away because of his illness. He has a collection of coins and hid it in the backyard. He told John to find it in the backyard and he did. He found the 1926 D buffalo nickel and there was lots of different coins. He always talked about coins because he had lots of different story about each of them. John was surprised by finding all his father's collection. It will probably worth a lot of money. John was upset because his dad left him. He had a simple funeral and then went to his own house.

John came back from the trip and visit Savannah. Savannah was married to Tim. I felt bad for John to see that Savannah had a ring on her finger. When John came back, Tim was having an illness on the back of his body. Tim has a brother named Alan. I felt sorry for Alan and Savannah because they are scared that Tim is not going to make it. It is really depressing that Alan and Savannah has to face it to Tim. I felt bad for Tim too because he was a nice man. I didn't even know he would have an illness too like John's dad. I felt terrible for Tim to have such an illness.

John sold his dad's collection of coins to the people because he wanted to help Tim by paying the treatments. John felt happy that he wanted to see Savannah and Tim are being happy through the life. Also for Alan too. I didn't even know John would do that for them. John understand what is true love. He does not want to be a third person and ruining the marriage just for him. I think it is great for John to understand what is true love.

Your friend,
Vicky

Definition of Happiness

The standard definition of happiness is that it is a condition of supreme well-being and good spirits. There can be many definitions of the word happiness. It can be applied to many examples. Many people are often in search of happiness.

One meaning can be explained when someone tells a joke. If one finds the joke funny, they laugh. This condition of happiness is the most temporary one, for it only lasts a moment. No one will be affected deeply into their emotions by a joke. It is more like a comical relief.

Another way of happiness is when something good happens to someone. Maybe getting a good grade on a test or getting a raise at work. This kind of happiness usually comes from personal accomplishment. One will be happy if they know they did something good. They do not necessarily have to be rewarded to
feel happy. For example, some people find happiness in just living a good life, a life of piety.

Often, people may find happiness in the simplest of things. Maybe being alone in nature or playing with a puppy will provide happiness. One may or may not show their feeling of happiness. Sometimes their happiness is just a feeling of contentment, while other times they may actually be smiling. Lifelong happiness is something many people strive to achieve.

As happiness arrives at a personnel level therefore there is no precise definition of happiness. It is basically a personnel feeling and it can be triggered at different situations. Some of these situations are like; happiness is where there is no fear in your heart. Happiness is where you are on top of the world. Happiness could be where confidence flows. Happiness is peace of mind. Happiness is opposite to you; therefore it is a temporary stage of not being yourself.

Everyone defines happiness according to their personal perspectives. Each individual describes their inner feelings in a way that you can't compare with another. Happiness originally and logically means the inner state of well being or a pleasurable or satisfying experience. It enables you to profit from your highest: thoughts, wisdom, intelligence, common sense, emotions, health, and spiritual values in your life. What makes you happy and what makes me happy are different things. Whatever it is that gives you warm fuzzes is determined by you, and only you. This difference is what makes the world interesting.

Most of the happiness that we experience comes from the feeling of love. So many people look to their love relationships, especially marriage to give them the happiness that they cannot find on their own. Love is not enough to provide happiness, then there must be many frustrated lovers in the world. The belief that love guaranteed happiness is left over from the ideology of romantic love that tells us we will live happily ever after if we can only find the right person with whom to spend our life with. If we realize that love by itself will not bring happiness, then hopefully we will be more tolerant of the imperfections of those we love. If our relationships have their problems and if those we love do not always meet our expectations, it doesn't mean that we have lost our chance for happiness. When we do not expect love to give us the happiness we seen, there will be more room for forgiveness of the imperfections and problems that always accompany love.

Letter 2

Dear Reading Groups,

I enjoyed the book because it's a love story between John and Savannah. I agree with Rebeckah saying that Savannah fell in love with another men instead of John. Anyways, John knew it was coming and their relationship was becoming distant. A lot of my friends said that John and Savannah are not going to be together for a long time because they don't have the feelings for each other. I thought John and Savannah are going to last forever but I was wrong about it. I was wondering, if John and Savannah were close distant, would they still be together or not break up?

The relationship with John and his father are getting along and being talkative to one another. They seem happy because they usually don't talk that often. I am proud that John and his father are having a great time chatting. When Savannah came to John's house to meet his dad, Savannah knew that his father got aspergers. So Savannah gave a book to John because she wants John to understand his father's situation. I knew why John was mad because he didn't think his father would have an illness. I didn't even think his father has a type of illness. After John cool down, he finally understood what's the situation about and started to read the book. That's how things get along with him and his father.

My prediction for the last part is that something bad is going to happen. My friends said the end of the book is kind of sad and it won't be a happy endings. They also said it will be a sad endings. Anyways, I hope I can finished the book because I really wants to know what's going to happen next.

Hope you guys have a fun time reading the book!

Sincerely,
Vicky

Definition of Friendship

Friendship is not simply a "relationship", knowing someone, conversing with that person, or dealing with that person in business, school, or in casual acquaintance. True friendship is not just a "relationship", but self-sacrificing love. A friend is also one who supports, sympathizes, and is a person in whom you can confide. There are unique qualities that a person must have to be considered a friend. When I think about what makes someone a good friend, I think about all the characteristics of my own friends. My personal definition of a friend, is someone who is always looking out for me, and will help me if I’m in trouble. A friend has to be someone I trust and who trusts me in return. Another important characteristic in a friend is someone who I can talk to, and makes me laugh.

To have friendship is to have comfort. In times of crisis and depression, a friend is there to calm us and to help lift up our spirits. There are many illustrations that show why a friend can be a great comforter. For example, if a student is going through a hard time at school, a friend can offer guidance, encouragement and support. A true friend is also someone who loves and respects us.

An acquaintance is not automatically considered a friend. Just because you know someone does not mean there is an instant friendship.This does not mean that an acquaintance cannot change into a valued friendship. There are qualities that a friend must have, but time is also a factor. A friendship can develop in as short as a day, or it could take as long as a few years for full development. In the end, if time is taken for full development, then a real friendship will develop. The main way that trust is built up is with time. When you and a friend have trust, there will usually be a strong friendship. If you can’t trust each other then it is impossible to establish a strong relationship.

When I was very young, I was told not to talk to strangers. Even though I understood the potential for danger, I couldn’t help thinking I might miss out on getting to know someone important if I didn’t extend my friendship. In church, I would peek my head over the pews and smile at one or two people. Most people would smile back at me, and there was not a better feeling in the world! As a child, my definition of friendship included the relationships I had with anyone who smiled back at me.

In junior high school, it became more difficult to acquire and maintain friends. At the time, I felt I was the only one experiencing constant friendship changes. In retrospect, all young people are subjected to the ever-changing nature of children who define and redefine friendship, experiment with identity, and frequently imagine themselves as a different people. We defined ourselves by our dress and speech and by our “cliques.” People were often accessories to their moods. Hearts were broken, but hearts usually healed quickly.

Thus, few people maintain strong friendships with childhood buddies. The children we played sports with or copied our homework from became unique individuals, developing and pursuing diverse relationships. Our paths crossed early on, we grew, and moved on. Every friendship should offer that invaluable opportunity to grow, emotionally connect to another person, and to discern when that connection can carry one through a brief period of life or throughout our entire life.

Letter

Dear Reading Group,

The novel of the book I read is called “Dear John” by Nicholas Sparks. The first part I had read was good because it was about life and relationship. There was a guy named John Tyree and a girl named Savannah Lynn Curtis. They met at the beach because Savannah lost her purse in the ocean, and John helped her picked it up. That is how they met each other. In my opinion, I think John Tyree is in love with Savannah Lynn Curtis. Also, I think that John Tyree will have a better relationship with his father.

My favorite part was when John and Savannah first met. Savannah invites John to volunteer to help the poor. They went and Savannah introduces John to her friends. After for a while, they both tell each other about themselves. When John told Savannah about his dad, she wanted to meet his dad. So John brought her to see his dad because Savannah was so curious about the story of his dad’s coins collection. Savannah told John about her parents and childhood. Savannah has two parents that are educated. It looks like John really likes Savannah.

The part I think it was sad is when John and his father doesn’t talk much every single day. They are silence during dinner and the day. They wouldn’t have deeper conversation. It sounds like they are friends when they say hi to each other. They talked about coins because that’s the only thing his dad says more. I wish they could talk more by asking each other their business so they can understand what's going on.

I am really interested in this book because it's about teen's and father's relationship. I wonder what will happen next. I predict that John and Savannah are going out and having a fun time together. Also I predict that John and his father will have more things to talk about.

Sincerely,

Vicky

Definition of Pride

Any great accomplishment can make someone feel proud about their work. It makes one feel good; it raises a person’s spirits. There are also the bad points of pride one must consider, before being proud. Pride can deceive a person into being ambitious, and make them strive for something that is not rightfully theirs. Pride can also cause a bad relationship with the people one loves most. Pride can lead to much worse things; it can put a person in a position to be their ultimate cause of their death. A real pride is also allegiance.

Pride is not a bad attribute to have, it is actually very important. One definition for pride is: A sense of one's own proper dignity or value; self-respect. Self respect is a very good quality to have, however, there's such thing as too much of a good thing. This is especially the case if you are a hero in a Greek play that has too much pride. Pride is the most central flaw in Greek tragedy, even in heroes. In the plays, "The Odyssey", Odysseus' pride causes them unnecessary problems that could have been easily avoided if they had just kept their pride in check.

In "The Odyssey", Odysseus is the hero with excessive pride. Excessive pride was such a common theme in tales about heroes it got its own name, hubris. These heroes are very concerned with making sure others will hear of their fantastic deeds and this is exactly what gets Odysseus into trouble. He disregards the safety of his crew because his pride blinds him from thinking of the consequences. This causes many hardships during his voyage home which could have been easily avoided, but he let his pride get him and his crew into trouble when he shouts at the Cyclopes. "Cyclopes, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes' son, whose home's on Ithaca!". It seems as if Odysseus must brag after doing anything notable. If Odysseus would have kept his mouth shut, he may have escaped Poseidon and all of men wouldn't have been killed. This action set off a chain of events that could have been avoided. He would have made it home much earlier cutting of years of travel time. He would have saved the lives of his men sailing with him. Also making it home earlier would have stopped the suitors taking too much advantage of his wife's and son's hospitality and home.

A real pride is allegiance to people, places, feelings, beliefs, points of view, ideals, principles. This is about allegiance to honesty, dignity and inner strength. It is all about staying the person you are under any circumstances, which implies knowing who you are and what qualities you possess. If a person is faithful to her own loved ones and friends, if her opinion about them does not change under the influence of any factors, if her beliefs are profound and her deed are in a harmony with her words, then the person can be proud of himself. Allegiance has honesty and devotion as its integral part. So, a person that is devoted to her opinions till the very is worth of being proud of. This is why pride is allegiance.

But its major aspect is that the subject of pride has to bring positive changes to the life of the person and to the world around her. Whether it is a family, a job or allegiance, it is always about staying on top of things: living in harmony with the family, achieving self-realization through having a job or being honest and devoted to people and feelings. Each of these is pride and pride is all these things at the same time.

Private School Vs Public School

Private and public education is different in many ways such as their performance, enrollment, and the overall education taught but yet they have somewhat similar teachers. Students' performance in public and private schools differ a lot. Private schools often have better grades and test scores.

Parents often wonder how to start off their children’s education. Depending on ones religion or beliefs, a private or public school is a choice most parents face. Of course, each school offers it’s own pros and con’s, the choice is simple. Public schools offer the best well rounding of a student.

While being enrolled in a public school, students are faced with real outside world problems and different challenges that differ in comparison to a private school student. They are with a different blend of students each year and also introduced to the latest technology faster. While, a public school, the money is offered to them by the state easier then having donations like a private school. Whereas, mandy private schools are small in population, public schools usually have a larger number of students resulting in a great diversity. Ones child will most likely be with the same students throughout their educational years. Classes aren’t as big and varied like classes at public schools.

While in a public school, children view the wide spread cultures and human beings that make up today’s American society. Public schools have a wider variety of classes, which give students an opportunity to choose the classes the want. These classes allow students to pursue a career from the knowledge they have obtained. For example, one might take a business class, which could lead to a career in the business industry. On the other hand, in private schools they only provide the necessary classes required by the state.

But how do parents decide which private school is the best for their child? Parents consider many factors when choosing the right private school. They look at many factors such as the type of private school, class settings, academic curriculum, administration, accreditation and vouchers. With a private school education, the amount you have to pay is usually well worth it. Public schools offer diversity. Here students can find people who are just like them and can associate better. Wherever you live, you have to send your child to the closest school. There’s no choice on what public school you can send your child to, whereas for private schools you can pick to send your child there. It’s not an easy choice for parents to decide, but many factors point toward a guarantee that a good education would be achieved, which is most important.

In general, private schools are more focused and dedicated to the education of children. Teachers in private schools often earn more and can be more dedicated when working with parents who are as equally dedicated to their children. Your school is an investment in your child’s future and not a decision to be made lightly. In public schools, students are inclined to misbehave because they feel that teachers don’t care about them. Anyways, they go in thinking that they can do whatever they want to.

The importance of a good education has increased in value, and parents are searching for the best possible school for their child in preparation for college. Many believe the most opportune way for their child to succeed in studies is by attending a private school. On the other hand, another group of parents thinks that public schools are the better route. Nevertheless, public schools have been proven to be more successful in the education of a maturing child.

Difficult Decision

A situation that I had to overcome by choosing a difficult decision was when I had to try out for the tennis team at Alameda High School. My friend and I had to try out for the last spot which was playing for singles number four. Knowing that I had to go against my friend made me really nervous because I wasn’t prepared nor thought that I had to play against my friend when there was many others that were trying out for the same spot as well. At that moment, I had to think fast on what to do because I only had five minutes of break then I had to start the match with her. Deciding my next move was a very tough decision but I go with an answer as soon as possible. I was left with two options to choose from; I either could lose to her so she can get the spot and we could still maintain our friendship, or I could win her but our friendship would probably end right there. Thinking about it got me even more nervous, which will make me play bad.

On the last minute, I came up with my decision. I decided that I would give it my best during the match and win the spot with my own ability. I chose this decision because I wanted the spot as much as her and I thought that we both should play our best especially since we’re friends. I know that if I just purposely lose to her so she can get the spot, she probably wouldn’t feel happy about it. My conscience guided me through this decision and I trusted it. So the game started and I kept my mind off of thinking about that and just gave it all my best.

The game started by Love all. I served first because my friend chose one side of the court. I won the first game because she missed my hit. So the scored was 15/Love. I kept serving until I missed her hit. The scored was 30/Love. I still need one more point to switch sides because the scored is an odd number. After that I got that point, we switch sides and it's her turn to serve it to me. We played it until whoever wins the game. I kept winning her so the scored was 4:0. After that, I served and she returned all the balls back to me. I missed some of them and she wins the game. The scored was 4:1. After for a while, I won the first set and we have to play a second set. On the second set, it was kind of interesting because we were trying our best. She got higher games than me. There are 6 games in one set and you have to win by two games. Then I told myself that I have to win in order to get that spot. So I tried really hard and catch up with her. We almost got tied but the scored was 6:4.

We both had great sportsmanship because in between breaks, we would tell each other to do our best and good luck. Our comments towards each other gave us both comfort and no worries about the results. After we finished our game, we shook hands. The result was that I beat her and I got the spot and she went up to me and congratulated me with a smile.

After the tryouts, my friend and I went to go get a bite and while we were walking, I told her that before the match began I got really nervous. She responded saying that I shouldn’t have got nervous because this world is all about competition. Without competition, people wouldn’t strive for the best. Also, without pressure, the best skills that a person has will not come out of themselves. I felt much relieved after what she had said to me. I also felt really happy that my conscience led me to pick the right decision. I told my friend that if the same situation happens between us again, we should promise each other we both will try our best and no matter what happens, nothing will affect our friendship. If we do go against each other and one of us won, then we shall congratulate them and face the fact that they deserved the spot with their own ability.

Is success in life earned or do people succeed because they are lucky?

I think success in life is earned because you have so much opportunity. However, some people doesn't make it before they succeed in whatever they aim for and some lack motivation, this probably have to do with luck as well. Success in life is earned because you can get a good reputation and someone will write you a good reference letter. Knowledge is power and leads to success. Also obtained through constant work.

There are some basic reasons why some people succeed later in life. First of all, they have a strong desire to succeed and a plan. A successful person outlines and plans their time; every year, month, week, day, and hour. They know where they are going. Second, they have a belief in themselves. Belief is so powerful that it can overcome almost any obstacle. Third, they are teachable and are willing to continually learn. Herbert Hoover said, "The wise man learns from experience. The super wise man learns from the experience of others." Top people read books, listen to tapes and CDs on achievement, attend seminars, and talk with the successful people to obtain ideas that will help them to be better. Fourth, they show enthusiasm and find ways to stay motivated. Fifth, they work hard and smart. They also have fun doing it because they have desire, belief, and enthusiasm.

People are not born successful, they are born with the potential to become successful. Success is possible for anyone who is willing to achieve it. There are many people who want success, but there is a huge difference between wanting-to and willing-to. People earned it by climbing the mountain and utilize the same process others have used to achieve. Success happens not by chance, but because you were given a chance and took advantage of it.

I'm going to talk about this week because I can't think of anything right now and also it's been great til now. On Monday, I had a chemistry quiz and it was easy and confusing. On Tuesday, the whole entire day I was really busy because in the morning, I had to take this AMC test for math. I have to take that test because I want to take an experience and try to solve the word problems out. When I took that test, it was extremely difficult because it was confusing and hard. The test only have 25 questions to answers but when I went to the cafeteria, I saw a lot of intelligence people taking it too. I bet they are going to get a really high scores on it. It took like the first block period. After that, I just walk around with my friends because we still have 5 minutes until the bell rings. So we decided to walk around and it finally rang. So we have to go to second period for math.

In math, we really didn't go that much things because yesterday I finished the classwork that was supposed to be collected. So in that class, I just sit and talk to people that are finished with everything. Sitting there and talking was an interesting conversation because we talked a lot about different topics. Somehow, they just talked about swimming. They said swimming was fun and relaxing. After that period, we have a 10 minutes break to hang out or talk to other people when you walk pass by people. In fifth period, it's also a free period because we're going to the lab today and also we can do whatever we want. Some people works on their blogs or rough drafts for the questions that are due on Thursday. Well for me, I just read people's blog and just think of what I'm going to write about.

In sixth period, we have a vocabulary quiz on Spanish and the day after today, we have a test on the entire thing. I think it's going to be easy because the vocabularies are pretty easy, you just need to know what the Spanish means. After school, there's a tryout for badminton, I am going to tryout because badminton is fun. I hope we can make it in but I think it's not going to be easy. It's not easy because everyone has to tryout including the varsity people. So basically, we had to play all of them. It's going to be fun and you can watch people playing against themselves. After the badminton tryout, I have to get my scores for Mock SAT and I think I did not do that well. It's going to be really late because you only can get the scores at 6:30pm-7:30pm.

Is happiness something over which people have no control, or can people choose to be happy?

Happiness is something that means different things to different people. Overall it seems that happiness is influenced by the way we choose to think about ourselves, our place in the world, and the world around us and how we act in the world. That differentiates the happy people from the less happy people. For example, for one person it may mean being in a relationship whereas for someone else it may mean feeling you have the ability to handle whatever life throws at you.

Also, happiness is something that needs to be worked for and only you know what makes you happy. You can choose to control how and when you achieve happiness or you can wait and never gain it. We can choose to be happy by accepting our daily life as it comes, as it is. We just have to learn how to deal with it by adding a little bit of "hope and faith" that better days will come.

To reach happiness is to know first what it is. Depends on you, if you are stuck in a really bad situation or messed up, you can always try to look for happiness in the moment. Remember, happy moments long a very short time. Enjoy them and don't take advantage of it.

You can see that you have some control over your happiness. Even though a certain proportion of your happiness is beyond out of your hands, is determined by genetics and by circumstances. You can increase your happiness level by focusing on those areas in your life that you can control.

You might choose to control your attitude, the way you choose to interpret situations, and the way you think about yourself. If you think about this, and the fact that it could be accountable for around 40% of your happiness, this could take a big difference in your life.

Sleep Deprivation

Sleep is one of the most important things a person does each day. It allows the body to rest and to replenish itself so that it is better able to serve its function of living. Yet, many people who don't have enough hours in the day to do everything have to cut out sleep before any other activity. This is especially true for teenagers, who are frantically trying to grasp onto the edge of their childhood, while at the same time reaching for adulthood. Many things that lead to teenage sleep loss; the effects of this loss are devastating.

Sleep is one of the things that most students can say they do not get enough of. It is a time for us to rest and for a few blissful hours hopefully forget about the stress and worries of school and life. Unfortunately, due to too much work or too much studying to do, often enough, we do not get the amount we need each night to be fully rested the next day. But we have learned to cope with the sleep deprivation by drinking coffee in the morning to wake us up.

School is one of the most important aspects of a young person's life, whether or not the teenager is willing to admit it. The teenager spends most of their time either in school or doing homework to further their education. The pressures of school are enormous. Stress is brought on with every project, experiment, and essay assigned to the student.They are forced to muddle through loads of work, continuously trying to catch up to where they must be, all in order to receive good grades. On many occasions, these students will be up late studying, typing, reading, basically doing everything but sleeping. Sleep is put off so that more schoolwork can be fit into the day.

Quickwrite: Writing Groups

There are some things I would like to get out of writing more collaboratively with peers is writer's block. I would like to get help from writer's block because sometimes I get stuck. Also I want to continue writing the what's the topic is about. I would like to talk through the ideas before writing an essay about it. It is just like brainstorming what you are going to write. I would like to work on some SAT prompts so we can get more information on how to write a good essay. If the subject that I really like, I would write about it and not get stuck. But if I don't like the subject, it's going to be hard for me to write and understand what it is about. When I get what the question is asking for, I will write as much as I can. But if I can't, then I will get stuck quickly.
There are some things I would be willing to contribute to a writing group are editing and proofread papers. Also I can help people read their rough drafts to see what's needed or what's needs work. I could comment on people's blog.
It's important for me to work with friends and the people who are working with the same. It depends because there are some topics that I prefer to work with my friends because we are closer. But the people who are working with the same topic, we can share information on what we wrote. We can have different ideas about it.
There are some rules I would like to see in a writing group is that keeping things in privacy. Also to make sure everyone is on track by working.

Winter Break

During the winter break, it was good because I had a fun time with my family and relatives. I haven't seen my cousins for a long time that's why i had a fun time with them. On the first week, I was busy because everyday I had to go somewhere and it always has to be far. On the last week of winter break, it was boring but I still had fun. So I decided to hang out with my friends and walk around on Park Street.

On the first week, I went to the GGBC (Golden Gate Bridge Badminton) to play badminton because it's a practice with the team and also for fun. I went there with my sister because we wants to join the badminton team. We went there and played against some friends. And also played with others that are in the team. We played for like three hours and we got so tired of it because we were sore.

On Wednesday, I went to the Alameda library to do some math homework with my friend. My friend helped me on the math problems because on the day we go back to school, we have a math word problem test. We did the easy one then the hard one but we didn't go through the whole thing because we got distracted so we just went to Quickly to buy something to drink. It was almost lunch so we bought something to eat too.

On Thursday, I went to Red Cross because there was an event that day. Red Cross is a way to get community services and can learn new things by helping the senior people. I joined Red Cross for four years including this year because I enjoyed helping people. It was an event that day and also it was a holiday too. Whenever there's a holiday, we passed out handmade cards to the senior people. Also when we were finished with the events, we get to go home. I was busy that day because I had lots of thing to do. I have a relative dinner at my house so some of my relatives came. It was at night. There were lots of good food on the big table so we get to eat whatever we want. We all were bloated and also we talked for a while and it was fun. If there's no fun at all, it would be boring.

On Saturday, my family and my parent's friends went to a restaurant in Chinatown Oakland. We ate dim sum and when we were done. My family went to my cousin's house because they moved into a new house in Hayward. It was a nice and pretty house. We ate there and had a fun time. All the cousins were talking and it was the longest chat ever because my youngest cousin doesn't like talking. We talked for the whole day and didn't notice the time was 1:00 am. I swear that it was the longest time that we talked. My youngest cousin were saying that he really wanted to go home but he stayed here with us and talked to us. He never ever talks to us but only today.

On Sunday, My family went shopping at Great Mall. We bought some clothes and shoes but not that much thought. But anyways we still bought something. After a long walk, we ate dinner at home because it was very late. We walked like almost the whole day and we were all tired and sored.

The last week of winter break, I just stayed at home or hang out with friends. When I hang out with friends I either go to Quickly to eat and talk. When I stayed at home, I studied some vocabulary that are in the SAT book. Sometimes I read books or watch Hong Kong and Taiwanese dramas.