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Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Graduation
Warning - This post is going to be highly dramatic.
It's that time of the year again. The time when all the stutdents finish as much work as they can and prepare for summer vacation. This year it's different, this year we are graduating. That means the people we've grown up with and have befriended are going to be seperated from us and we are going to meet new people. Who knows, maybe I won't see some people ever again.
I'm happy about graduation, I really am. I'm looking forward to moving on in my education, what I'm not looking forward to is the distant relationships. I probably shouldn't be thinking this negatively, but it's inevitable. I just hope I'll stay friends with the people I am friends with today.
To finish off the blog post - my last one to be exact - I want to wish all my classmates and my buddy, Dianna, good luck. I hope you guys decide to work hard in high school and preservere to achieve your life long dreams. I'll also pray that you guys aren't drowned in homework. Thank you for listening.
Goodbye,
Evelyn
Monday, May 22, 2017
Getting in Touch with My Community
We are surrounded by people every day but the people we ignore the most are the people who we live closest too, which is our commutity. This may not be true for some teenage individuals but for me it is. Once I reached a certain age I stopped talking to people in my neighborhood, I stopped trying to engage in any sort of conversation. I didn't have a reason too.
Recently I have been communicating with the people that live near me, all thanks to Zuko. These past few two weeks I've been walking him after school around a couple of blocks and have engaged in many conversations because of it. I actually realized I'm a very loquacious person. Anyway, since Zuko is such a cute puppy everyone wants to pet him and they always ask questions and it sort of leads to an entire 10 minute conversation. It makes me feel good because I like to think these people look at me and see how caring I am for my dog and how my talking skills are amazing (little bit of a long shot but you get what I mean). I also really like showing off my dog off.
This sort of leads me to my next point; walking Zuko has made me realize things. When I was walking Zuko on the block behind me I saw Mary's house. Mary is an elderly lady who I used to talk to and play with when I was a little kid. Seeing her house made me realize I hadn't seen her in a while and how much I miss her. So I went home and wrote her a letter and mailed it the next day. I haven't gotten a reply yet, but I learned recently Mary has Alzheimer's. She doesn't remember anything and she only remembers something for a minute and 30 seconds. This made me sad and it also made me come to the realization that maybe I should start getting involved in my commutity. And that is exactly what I'm going to start doing, with the help of Zuko of course.
Recently I have been communicating with the people that live near me, all thanks to Zuko. These past few two weeks I've been walking him after school around a couple of blocks and have engaged in many conversations because of it. I actually realized I'm a very loquacious person. Anyway, since Zuko is such a cute puppy everyone wants to pet him and they always ask questions and it sort of leads to an entire 10 minute conversation. It makes me feel good because I like to think these people look at me and see how caring I am for my dog and how my talking skills are amazing (little bit of a long shot but you get what I mean). I also really like showing off my dog off.
This sort of leads me to my next point; walking Zuko has made me realize things. When I was walking Zuko on the block behind me I saw Mary's house. Mary is an elderly lady who I used to talk to and play with when I was a little kid. Seeing her house made me realize I hadn't seen her in a while and how much I miss her. So I went home and wrote her a letter and mailed it the next day. I haven't gotten a reply yet, but I learned recently Mary has Alzheimer's. She doesn't remember anything and she only remembers something for a minute and 30 seconds. This made me sad and it also made me come to the realization that maybe I should start getting involved in my commutity. And that is exactly what I'm going to start doing, with the help of Zuko of course.
Friday, May 12, 2017
Everything Everything
Imagine never being able to step outside your house, never being able to breathe that fresh air that comes in through the windows, or just being stuck in one boring white room for your entire life. This is how Madaline Whittier lives. She is an 18 year old teenage girl who Is completely vulnerable to the world, she steps outside and she dies. This is because of her rare disease also known as 'bubble baby diease'. She followes the exact same schedule every day at the exact same place, until a boy next door comes creeping into her life.
I personally really enjoyed the story, Everything Everything. I actually went out and bought the copy for myself and finished it in only one day. The thing is, it's not one of my ultimate favorites. It didn't give me any angst and it didn't make me cry like Heartless did. Still, it captured my attention and managed to take up a majority of my day.
The book is structured in a way that makes it easy for the readers to understand. The entire book is told from Maddy's point of view and it even includes pictures and diagrams to help the readers. It is also a very fast read because the pages just fly by!
I would suggest this story to a person who likes to read teen fiction and is interested in romance. The book also covers adventure and self-conflicts. One reason I think it didn't satisfy me like my other books did is because I'm not used to reading stories with this genre. Books like Paper Towns, The Fault in Our Stars, and Thirteen Reasons Why dont have that affect of me. If you do like those stories though I strongly recommend this one.
I personally really enjoyed the story, Everything Everything. I actually went out and bought the copy for myself and finished it in only one day. The thing is, it's not one of my ultimate favorites. It didn't give me any angst and it didn't make me cry like Heartless did. Still, it captured my attention and managed to take up a majority of my day.
The book is structured in a way that makes it easy for the readers to understand. The entire book is told from Maddy's point of view and it even includes pictures and diagrams to help the readers. It is also a very fast read because the pages just fly by!
I would suggest this story to a person who likes to read teen fiction and is interested in romance. The book also covers adventure and self-conflicts. One reason I think it didn't satisfy me like my other books did is because I'm not used to reading stories with this genre. Books like Paper Towns, The Fault in Our Stars, and Thirteen Reasons Why dont have that affect of me. If you do like those stories though I strongly recommend this one.
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Thirteen Reasons Why - The Book
Less than a month ago I created the blog 'Let's Talk About Thirteen Reasons Why'. I reviewed the show and gave my personal opinions as well as some background information. However, when I wrote that I had not read the book, until now.
If you haven't read my past blog, Thirteen Reasons Why was originally a book and recently became a popular Netflix series. The book is about a girl named Hannah who decided to commit suicide and after her death leaves tapes that mailed to specific people's houses. These people, one way or another, play a part in her death. The story is written in Clay's perspective, who is a former friend of hers, while he learns the truth about why Hannah Baker really took her life.
Personally I liked the book, maybe it was because I watched the show first but I found it very interesting. Throughout reading the story I imagined the scenes from the show as well as the characters. The show seemed to really capture the entire book, there was so many accurate scenes and lines. However, the tv series does include more than the book.
I liked the fact that the book was very realistic, the way the characters were described to talk and act is similar to how teens actually talk and act today. However, I do not like how the book only focuses on Clay's point of view, when in the show it gave a glimpse at everyone's lives.
Overall, I would recommend the book to anyone who likes the show version of it and anyone who is interested in teen-fiction and is looking for a fast yet meaningful read. If you haven't seen the show I strongly suggest doing so after reading the book. The book also contains many inspirational quotes as well advice. Although some parts of the book can be irritating I still think people should read it because it'll open your eyes more to the world around you.
My favorite quote:
“You don’t know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everything. . . affects everything.” ― Jay Asher, Thirteen Reasons Why
If you haven't read my past blog, Thirteen Reasons Why was originally a book and recently became a popular Netflix series. The book is about a girl named Hannah who decided to commit suicide and after her death leaves tapes that mailed to specific people's houses. These people, one way or another, play a part in her death. The story is written in Clay's perspective, who is a former friend of hers, while he learns the truth about why Hannah Baker really took her life.
Personally I liked the book, maybe it was because I watched the show first but I found it very interesting. Throughout reading the story I imagined the scenes from the show as well as the characters. The show seemed to really capture the entire book, there was so many accurate scenes and lines. However, the tv series does include more than the book.
I liked the fact that the book was very realistic, the way the characters were described to talk and act is similar to how teens actually talk and act today. However, I do not like how the book only focuses on Clay's point of view, when in the show it gave a glimpse at everyone's lives.
Overall, I would recommend the book to anyone who likes the show version of it and anyone who is interested in teen-fiction and is looking for a fast yet meaningful read. If you haven't seen the show I strongly suggest doing so after reading the book. The book also contains many inspirational quotes as well advice. Although some parts of the book can be irritating I still think people should read it because it'll open your eyes more to the world around you.
My favorite quote:
“You don’t know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everything. . . affects everything.” ― Jay Asher, Thirteen Reasons Why
The Lord of the Flies
The Lord of the Flies is a book written by William Golding and was first published in 1945. The book takes place during World War 2 when a group of British boys between the ages of 5-14 are stranded on a deserted island after their plane crashes. The group of boys are left to survive by themselves with no adult supervision. This brings out many problems between them because the boys soon become vulnerable to their surroundings, peers, and themselves.
At first The Lord of the Flies progresses very slowly, painfully slowly actually. It is written very descriptively and is in 3rd person point of view. In the beginning I didn't quite like it because it seemed very boring and too long but towards the middle and ending it became very interesting to the point where I couldn't put it down.
The book contains many details and symbolism in which the reader should follow because it makes everything way more intriguing. I personally liked the book because I was able to create theories and engage in an excellent conversation (which sometimes turned into a debate) and imagine myself in the situation. I also liked the fact that the story wasn't cliche or predictable.
Overall, I would recommand this book to anyone who likes fictional stories revolving around survival and character difficulties. I would also suggest a person who is patient to read this book because the pace can be slow at times. Anyone who is willing to try a book that challenges their reading level should definitely read this as well. This was a good book but may not work for others, my advice would be to not give up on it so soon!
The book contains many details and symbolism in which the reader should follow because it makes everything way more intriguing. I personally liked the book because I was able to create theories and engage in an excellent conversation (which sometimes turned into a debate) and imagine myself in the situation. I also liked the fact that the story wasn't cliche or predictable.
Overall, I would recommand this book to anyone who likes fictional stories revolving around survival and character difficulties. I would also suggest a person who is patient to read this book because the pace can be slow at times. Anyone who is willing to try a book that challenges their reading level should definitely read this as well. This was a good book but may not work for others, my advice would be to not give up on it so soon!
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Books, Books, Books
Books, some people like them and others don't. They come in all different sizes, genres, writing styles, each one is unique. Recently, I haven't been reading any books. I can't find any that catch my attention, or pull me in like they're supposed to. This sucks for two reasons; 1. I need to write two book blogs. 2. I really want to read something!
In the beginning and middle of the year I used to read so much, I was dropping book blogs all the time! Now, there's no blogs left to write. I do have around 6 books that I haven't written about but I just want to read something new, and it doesn't help the library is closing next week. I like to read science-fiction, books like The Maze Runner, Eye of Minds, The Testing, Cinder, but I cannot find anything else that calls to me. It seems as if I'm going to need to buy some books or check out a new library. The struggle is real!
I'm sure many people have felt this way, just sad and lonely without books. If you're one of those people who doesn't feel like that, what is wrong with you? I guess for now I'm going to have to continue my hunt and locate a book that calls to me. Wish me the best of luck! :(
Friday, April 28, 2017
Writer's Block Kills
Writer's block. Everyone's had it at one point in their life, even if you don't even write. It's the feeling of knowing you want to type something up but not having any clue what that something is. You're mind is clear of any thoughts and only an empty space fills it. It's frustrating and irritating.
I decided to write this blog quite ironically. It was after PARCC testing when we had around 30 minutes to spare when I grabbbed my keyboard, connected it to my IPad, and pulled up Blogger on a new window. I had been on a roll, 3 blogs in 2 days! I was excited to start a new one but when I opened up a fresh page and when nothing came to mind I panicked. How in the world had I forgot what to write about?! I had a system! I spent about hours trying to get rid of it, when suddenly I thought "How about write about how annoying writer's block is?!" Boom! I just broke the fourth wall.
So here I am, writing this blog. Now to make this piece of writing actually purposeful I'm going to give five tips on how to get rid of writer's block, all made up by me. 1. Listen to meaningful music, something that has a storyline to it and use it as inspiration. 2. Ask around for opinions on different topics, write about what other people think and if you agree or disagree and why. 3. Google some artwork, look at them and try to draw out the purpose of why they were created. 4. Evaluate everything, you'll find something you usually wouldn't. 5. Think about your memories, good or bad and write about them.
Overall I hoped this helped. If you have any more ideas please comment them in the comment section.
I decided to write this blog quite ironically. It was after PARCC testing when we had around 30 minutes to spare when I grabbbed my keyboard, connected it to my IPad, and pulled up Blogger on a new window. I had been on a roll, 3 blogs in 2 days! I was excited to start a new one but when I opened up a fresh page and when nothing came to mind I panicked. How in the world had I forgot what to write about?! I had a system! I spent about hours trying to get rid of it, when suddenly I thought "How about write about how annoying writer's block is?!" Boom! I just broke the fourth wall.
So here I am, writing this blog. Now to make this piece of writing actually purposeful I'm going to give five tips on how to get rid of writer's block, all made up by me. 1. Listen to meaningful music, something that has a storyline to it and use it as inspiration. 2. Ask around for opinions on different topics, write about what other people think and if you agree or disagree and why. 3. Google some artwork, look at them and try to draw out the purpose of why they were created. 4. Evaluate everything, you'll find something you usually wouldn't. 5. Think about your memories, good or bad and write about them.
Overall I hoped this helped. If you have any more ideas please comment them in the comment section.
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
My New Puppy!
The day has finally arrived. Yesterday, April 24th, my family brought home a new member of the family. It was a spontaneous thing, we really weren't anticipating to get him so soon. Let me introduce him; His name is Zuko, named after the character in Avatar: The Last Airbender. He is a red nose pitbull and has big floppy ears and a bit of loose skin. He is 2 months and 3 days old.
That day I actually messaged another person who had red nose pitbull puppies (age:1 week) and we were going to wait for that puppy, however I ended up checking the website again and saw a new ad was posted 2 hours ago. It was about 2 red nose pitbull puppies (age: 2 months) that were for sale. So we called and the owner told us both dogs were already pending to be adopted, especially the brown one (mine). But we were persistent, we offered to pay more for the dog and take him home that same day. Finally, the owner agreed and called off the other guy. So we went to pick him up. When we saw him he had two scars on the top of his head and he looked a bit malnourished. In the car ride he threw up four times (5 in total) and each time I had to capture it with a puppy pad.
When we finally arrived home we showed him the backyard and the inside of the house. We also used a pillow for a bed and I think he believes it's his 'safe-spot'. Our family thinks he was abused because of the scars, past diet, and because he's very shy and scared of men. As of right now he hasn't barked, or played. He's just been sleeping and staying on his pillow.
The night was the worst. I slept on the couch to make sure he'd be fine and in the middle of the night he started crying. So I woke up, gave him a warm blanket and waited until he feel back to sleep. But right after I left he kept crying so I brought his pillow near the couch and home e slept peacefully. As of right now I am only running on a maximum of 3 hours of sleep.
Out of the entire family, my father and I have the closest bond with him. I can tell his life is going to be phenomenal with us.
Out of the entire family, my father and I have the closest bond with him. I can tell his life is going to be phenomenal with us.
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
My Good Deed for the Day
Today I did something great. No I didn't donate $200 to any foundation, no I didn't solve world hunger, and no I did not find the cure to cancer (unfortunatly). I did something way more simpler but it made me feel good and like a better person.
Yesterday, my team and I did a competition called Battle of the Books. Although we didn't win I still wanted to do something nice for my team. So I decided to bake yellow cupcakes with buttercream frosting. I piped the frosting with a star tip and everything. Anyway, this morning I decided to bring them to at least celebrate our hard work. So as I was walking to school with my blue tupper-ware in hand I saw the crossing guard. I always walk on the same route so I've seen her almost every morning and afternoon. Before even getting to the street I began contemplating whether or not I should offer her one, I wanted to give her one because she was such a nice lady but I also didn't want to seem weird. While thinking I crossed the street and thanked her before I stopped, backtracked, and said "Hey, I was wondering if you'd like a cupcake? I made them and have extra and I don't know what to do with them." And continued on rambling. Surprising she didn't find me weird and took up on the offer with a smile on her face.
This made me happy, I felt like such a benevolent person. After, I continued the walk to school with a smile on my face because I felt proud of myself. Yes I only offered her a cupcake but maybe that made her day. It doesn't seem so exciting now but hey! I'm still smiling!
Yesterday, my team and I did a competition called Battle of the Books. Although we didn't win I still wanted to do something nice for my team. So I decided to bake yellow cupcakes with buttercream frosting. I piped the frosting with a star tip and everything. Anyway, this morning I decided to bring them to at least celebrate our hard work. So as I was walking to school with my blue tupper-ware in hand I saw the crossing guard. I always walk on the same route so I've seen her almost every morning and afternoon. Before even getting to the street I began contemplating whether or not I should offer her one, I wanted to give her one because she was such a nice lady but I also didn't want to seem weird. While thinking I crossed the street and thanked her before I stopped, backtracked, and said "Hey, I was wondering if you'd like a cupcake? I made them and have extra and I don't know what to do with them." And continued on rambling. Surprising she didn't find me weird and took up on the offer with a smile on her face.
This made me happy, I felt like such a benevolent person. After, I continued the walk to school with a smile on my face because I felt proud of myself. Yes I only offered her a cupcake but maybe that made her day. It doesn't seem so exciting now but hey! I'm still smiling!
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Let's Talk About Thirteen Reasons Why
Disclaimer - Contains Little to No Spoilers
I personally started watching the show the very same day it was released, almost right after school. Now just to be clear - I haven't read the book, nor do I plan too. I did enjoy the show overall but there were just some things that bothered me, mostly revolving around the characters. One of the biggest things that bothered me was the overall ideas of the tapes. I hated how Hannah Baker consistently blamed people for her death, yes some of the characters were out of line at times but some of them didn't even do anything extreme. So the fact that they had to carry the burden of practically 'killing' someone wasn't fair. There is definitely a lot more I have to complain about but I wouldn't want to spoil anything for anyone.
On the topic of spoilers, I have to say the Internet is exploding every single social media site with them (trust me I would know). It's gotten to the point where it becomes very irritating, and I watched the show completely before I even saw them so nothing really got spoiled for me. Big accounts on Twitter, Instgram, and Facebook are consistently writing and sharing posts that deal with the characters, plot twists, endings, and more about the show. I honestly feel for the people who have wanted to watch it but saw the spoilers first because it's really the suspense of "what's going to happen" that makes the show really good. People just need to respect the fact that posting spoilers isn't okay because it can ruin somebody's whole day (literally if they're watching the show that day). I also saw a few posts stating, "Thirteen Reasons Why taught me to be nice to everyone." Like seriously? The fact that people needed to see it first-hand before realizing the truth effects about bullying is sad.
Overall, Thirteen Reasons Why is a good show that I think people should watch. I would still recommend it to people that may find it 'triggering' because it has a very inspirational message. There are so many morals that Hannah conveys through the tapes, it's just up for the reader/watcher to distinguish Them. Who knows, maybe this show will save other people's lives.
Monday, April 17, 2017
The Long Wait for My Puppy
Three years ago on February 17th, 2015 we put my dog Jake down. Jake was a pure-bred red nose pit bull, had hazel greenish eyes, and lived up to the age of 14. He was my bestfriend, my older brother especially. While he was being put down my dad grabbed his paw and promised to find a family member of his and give him a good life, like he did to Jake. So we agreed to live up to that promise, but after a year because the family still needed to mourn.
One year didn't work. We did end up finding the place where he came from but unfortunately there were no puppies. Before we did this we did look at shelters and other places where a red nose pitbull puppy might need a home. We also considered a chocolate Labrador but that idea quickly faded once we recalled the promise. At around that time we did go to a few pet stores to look for a chocolate Labrador because they didn't have pit bulls but I convinced my family not to buy from a pet store because some aren't reliable and may supports puppy mills.
It has been over two years now and we are still waiting to get a puppy. The entire family has dog withdrawals, we are in dire need of one! We have still been looking at other places, at puppies that are not related at all to Jake but they don't seem to be calling to us. So we have decided to wait until there is a litter of puppies ready. These dogs are really special because they come from 28th generation of pure-bred pit bulls and they have their own papers. Although the\y are very expensive this dog will mean so much to our family to the point where it will be worth it. I honestly cannot wait any longer to be able to hold and care for another dog. In the meantime while I'll wait, I will continue to study more about dogs and watch tutorials on DIY's for dog items. I promise I will spoil this puppy!
One year didn't work. We did end up finding the place where he came from but unfortunately there were no puppies. Before we did this we did look at shelters and other places where a red nose pitbull puppy might need a home. We also considered a chocolate Labrador but that idea quickly faded once we recalled the promise. At around that time we did go to a few pet stores to look for a chocolate Labrador because they didn't have pit bulls but I convinced my family not to buy from a pet store because some aren't reliable and may supports puppy mills.
It has been over two years now and we are still waiting to get a puppy. The entire family has dog withdrawals, we are in dire need of one! We have still been looking at other places, at puppies that are not related at all to Jake but they don't seem to be calling to us. So we have decided to wait until there is a litter of puppies ready. These dogs are really special because they come from 28th generation of pure-bred pit bulls and they have their own papers. Although the\y are very expensive this dog will mean so much to our family to the point where it will be worth it. I honestly cannot wait any longer to be able to hold and care for another dog. In the meantime while I'll wait, I will continue to study more about dogs and watch tutorials on DIY's for dog items. I promise I will spoil this puppy!
The Dysfunctional People I Call My Family
Everyone has that one family member who is a bit on the nuttier side, for me it seems as if my entire family is on that side. And no - I am not excluding myself because I am fully aware of how crazy I actually am, but that's the only time you'll catch me admitting that. It's only until I tell funny stories about my family to other people that I realize how weird we actually are. I have to say, it's pretty mortifying .
Not only are they strange but they are also very, very, and I mean VERY irritating. I, the middle child, either get ignored when I want their attention or get their attention when I want to be ignored.
Example A (not getting attention):
Me: Mom, guess what?
Mom: Hhhm?
Me: *proceeds to tell a story*
Mom: What'd you say? I totally blocked you out, *starts laughing*
Example B (getting their attention when I don't want it)
Sister: Hey, I'm going to summarize five episodes of Once Upon A Time to you.
Me: I'm busy doing homework, maybe another time.
Sister: *proceeds to summarize all the episodes*
The examples I displayed above are only the mild situations, they get much worse. On top of this, my sister acts like she's some perfect, beautiful, singer. I can guarantee the first two statements aren't true. She also randomly has urges to hit either my brother and I, resulting into major fights and many bruises. She straight up man-handles us! Don't get me wrong, we get along in some occasions but other times she's just plain crazy. When she's home all chaos breaks loose! I'm getting irritated just writing about her.
Now for my younger brother. He is the youngest of the three and happens to have the biggest age gap. I mostly despise him because if it weren't for him I wouldn't be the middle child and I'd still have my spotlight (it sounds selfish but I promise is you were a middle child you'd understand). He also has a very short temper and copies everything I say, which drives me nuts! The only time we get along is when my sister and parents aren't around.
I would get into details about my parents but they are just a whole other crazy. For crying out loud everything even stated in this post are just mild descriptions of reality. Moral of the story - Please pray for Evelyn, for she has to live with a bunch of psychopaths.
Example B (getting their attention when I don't want it)
Sister: Hey, I'm going to summarize five episodes of Once Upon A Time to you.
Me: I'm busy doing homework, maybe another time.
Sister: *proceeds to summarize all the episodes*
The examples I displayed above are only the mild situations, they get much worse. On top of this, my sister acts like she's some perfect, beautiful, singer. I can guarantee the first two statements aren't true. She also randomly has urges to hit either my brother and I, resulting into major fights and many bruises. She straight up man-handles us! Don't get me wrong, we get along in some occasions but other times she's just plain crazy. When she's home all chaos breaks loose! I'm getting irritated just writing about her.
Now for my younger brother. He is the youngest of the three and happens to have the biggest age gap. I mostly despise him because if it weren't for him I wouldn't be the middle child and I'd still have my spotlight (it sounds selfish but I promise is you were a middle child you'd understand). He also has a very short temper and copies everything I say, which drives me nuts! The only time we get along is when my sister and parents aren't around.
I would get into details about my parents but they are just a whole other crazy. For crying out loud everything even stated in this post are just mild descriptions of reality. Moral of the story - Please pray for Evelyn, for she has to live with a bunch of psychopaths.
Monday, April 10, 2017
Life is Beautiful
While learning about the Holocaust in our new unit, going to the museum, and watching the movie Life is Beautiful, I have learned a lot about the tragedies the Jewish community (and others) have suffered from. In the movie, it covers part of the Holocaust such as life in a concentration camp and actions that lead to them in the first place. The main character, Guido, is a Jewish Italian who falls in love with Dora, who is a rich Christian woman. Together they have a child and live a happy life, until the Natzi's take them away to a concentration camp.
The movie is similar to the actual Holocaust because they both portray which community is under attack which is the Jewish community. The movie also hints at some actions made towards the Jews to mortify them or dehumanized them which actually did happen, this is shown when the uncle's horse is vandalized. The movie also had references to the gas chambers and the people who were victims of it. Lastly, the movie portrays the sacrifice people went through to save people and stay with their loved ones. This is shown when the mom, Dora, decides to accompany her family on the concentration camp and the dad, Guido, does everything to save his child.
In the movie, to make it different, it adds hints of humor. Humor is shown when the dad creates a 'game' in the concentration camp to follow, jokes around about people who are 'excited' in line, and jokes around about 'burning' people. The father also has freedom to get away with certain things, like talking to the kids and playing music, which I don't think ever happened under the strict rules of the Natzi's.
Life is shown as beautiful throughout the film almost the entire time. An example would be how two people of different religions fall in love, despite being judged, create a happy family together. Another example would be of how dedicated and selfless the parents are to assure they are with their family and do everything in their power to keep eachother safe. Life is beautiful especially for the little boy because it's his parents love and commitment that keep him alive.
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Thursday, March 2, 2017
My Biggest Regret
Mistakes are made every single day, every single minute, and every single second. However, some fall into different catagories. We have the small mistakes, the unnecesary mistakes, the average mistakes, and the 'we-don't-talk-about-this-one-mistakes". The one mistake that I regret falls into the 'we-don't-talk-about-this-one-mistake.'
This mistake happened on February, 2015. There were only two people/animals involved at first, my dog and I, and then it progressed to about 5 other people involved. Here's the story. It was a cold February night, there was snow outside, and I decided I wanted to binge-watch this show called Eye Candy. Before I started the episodes though I took my dog out to use the bathroom. However, I forgot to bring him in. At this point I was starting episode two when my sister came downstairs and asked,"Where's Jake?". My heart instantly dropped as I ran outside and called his name, except he never showed up. Immediately tears started streaming down my face and I grabbed my coat and boots to go looking for him.
I called my parents while looking and they told me to, well, keep looking. Then I face timed my best friend because I was having a panic attack and she walked over to my house to help me look for him. My neighbors also came out to help, as well as my siblings and parents (when they got home). By this point I was completely and utterly vulnerable. It wasn't until an hour or so later when my mom suggested we call the shelters and when we did one of the dogs matched my dog's description. So we went and luckily he was there.
That was one of the worst days of my life. I felt like such a bad person and a horrible dog-owner. Not to mention in two weeks, he'd be put down. If I were given the opportunity to redo that day I'd start by not watching that show that day and to stay outside with my dog until he was done doing his bussiness. Then I'd just chill with him inside and appreciate his presence, because at the end of the day that's all I wish for. To be with him again.
This mistake happened on February, 2015. There were only two people/animals involved at first, my dog and I, and then it progressed to about 5 other people involved. Here's the story. It was a cold February night, there was snow outside, and I decided I wanted to binge-watch this show called Eye Candy. Before I started the episodes though I took my dog out to use the bathroom. However, I forgot to bring him in. At this point I was starting episode two when my sister came downstairs and asked,"Where's Jake?". My heart instantly dropped as I ran outside and called his name, except he never showed up. Immediately tears started streaming down my face and I grabbed my coat and boots to go looking for him.
I called my parents while looking and they told me to, well, keep looking. Then I face timed my best friend because I was having a panic attack and she walked over to my house to help me look for him. My neighbors also came out to help, as well as my siblings and parents (when they got home). By this point I was completely and utterly vulnerable. It wasn't until an hour or so later when my mom suggested we call the shelters and when we did one of the dogs matched my dog's description. So we went and luckily he was there.
That was one of the worst days of my life. I felt like such a bad person and a horrible dog-owner. Not to mention in two weeks, he'd be put down. If I were given the opportunity to redo that day I'd start by not watching that show that day and to stay outside with my dog until he was done doing his bussiness. Then I'd just chill with him inside and appreciate his presence, because at the end of the day that's all I wish for. To be with him again.
Friday, February 24, 2017
Natzi Propoganda Towards Children
The propaganda piece I have chosen to analyze today is one that displays Hitler being happy and compassionate towards three young German kids. The caption reads, "Children, What Do You Know of the Fuhrer (Father)". The point of the message is to make Hitler look more friendly and as a better leader that can be looked up to by the German children. It is intended for the entire nation to see, especially the kids because it encourages them to look at him as a role-model and it also encourages the parents to put their kid's lives in his hands.
The propaganda works to effect people's perspectives because it changes their view on Hitler. It emphasizes on the image of him being a good, reliable leader and a happy person who's best interest is out to the children. It doesn't allow them to see the bad side of him. The image itself effectively changed people's perspectives because it led to people portraying him as a 'god like figure' or messianic.
In my opinion, this exact image is being recreated with our presidents, leaders, etc. To be good with kids is a very important trait when running something big because people then view them as kid-friendly and an excellent candidate. Hitler knew that and used it to his advantage. If someone were to stumble upon this picture today, having no previous knowledge of Hitler or the Holocaust they too would most likely believe of him to be a good and trusting leader. There is always a different side to a person that is never shown publicly.
A Day Out with Calum
Imagine getting to spend a day with one of your favorite famous people. Being able to actually talk and hang out with them for 24 hours! It's a dream only few people get to live. Personally, there's too many celebrities I'd want to hang out with. Too many fandoms I'm involved in, but there is one person that I'd absolutely love to spend my time with. And that person is Calum Hood.
Calum Hood is a member of the band 5 Seconds of Summer. He plays the bass and is also a singer. I've been in love with the band since 5th grade so just being able to picture this day in my head is too much for my heart to handle. Since Calum and I have one big thing in common I think we should do something along those lines. We both love puppies!
This leads us to our activities I have organized. First we will grab some brunch together, not breakfast because I'm too lazy to wake up early, but lunch and breakfast combined. He can eat whatever he wants and I'd eat a delicious belgium waffle. Next, we will go look at puppies at the shelters and adopt two, one for each of us. With these little fur balls we will go to PetCo and buy them supplies and then take them to the dog park and play with them. After, we will grab ice cream while walking our pups. Towards the night we can go to the beach and watch the sunset or something cliche (doesn't really matter to me, I mean at least I get to hang out with Calum!). Lastly, we can watch some funny band moments of 5SOS on YouTube and just have a laugh before he has to leave.
This is what a day with Calum in my mind looks like. Food, puppies, and laughs. *sigh* If only this were to become reality.
Calum Hood is a member of the band 5 Seconds of Summer. He plays the bass and is also a singer. I've been in love with the band since 5th grade so just being able to picture this day in my head is too much for my heart to handle. Since Calum and I have one big thing in common I think we should do something along those lines. We both love puppies!
This leads us to our activities I have organized. First we will grab some brunch together, not breakfast because I'm too lazy to wake up early, but lunch and breakfast combined. He can eat whatever he wants and I'd eat a delicious belgium waffle. Next, we will go look at puppies at the shelters and adopt two, one for each of us. With these little fur balls we will go to PetCo and buy them supplies and then take them to the dog park and play with them. After, we will grab ice cream while walking our pups. Towards the night we can go to the beach and watch the sunset or something cliche (doesn't really matter to me, I mean at least I get to hang out with Calum!). Lastly, we can watch some funny band moments of 5SOS on YouTube and just have a laugh before he has to leave.
This is what a day with Calum in my mind looks like. Food, puppies, and laughs. *sigh* If only this were to become reality.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
The Land Down Under
Book: Cultures of the World - Australia
Author: Vijeya Rajendra
Page #: 1-140 (finished)
~~~~
Australia is one of the world's 7 continents, and it's own country. It's climates come in variety such as; tropical, humid, dry, and cool. Their goverment is also very close to the United States, as well as a similarity in diversity they have. Like the rest of the world they suffer from global warming but they are trying to use more energy efficient sources. Many indegious people also live there and still speak their native languages. Howevever, Australia has different types of foods, sports, and animals. Overall, Australia is an interesting country/continent to learn about and it's very similar to the United States.
This book was a very interesting book because I've always loved Australia and it always drew my attention. I never really realized the differences between Australia and the United States, nor the similarities. One similar thing they have in common is their goverment, they have a legislative assembly (House of Representatives) and a council of review (Senate). However, there voting system is a little different, "...voting in Australia is compulsory for all adults 18 years and above." This means everyone must vote and if they don't they are fined!
I also pictured Australia to be just desert but it actually contains a lot of urban cities, and it gets really cold in the winter and snows! The climate comes in a large variety. In the book it states, "The continents desert interior gives way to tropical regions...where most of Australia's population lives, is cooler and drier..in the south of the country, temperatures drop considerably in the winter and frosts are common..." This shows the climate in some parts of Australia, we also have many of these different areas and temperatures.
Overall, the book Australia is very interesting and factual. I'd recommand this to any person that loves to travel or is fascinated with different parts of the world. I strongly suggest to learn about other countries and become familiar with our world.
Author: Vijeya Rajendra
Page #: 1-140 (finished)
~~~~
Australia is one of the world's 7 continents, and it's own country. It's climates come in variety such as; tropical, humid, dry, and cool. Their goverment is also very close to the United States, as well as a similarity in diversity they have. Like the rest of the world they suffer from global warming but they are trying to use more energy efficient sources. Many indegious people also live there and still speak their native languages. Howevever, Australia has different types of foods, sports, and animals. Overall, Australia is an interesting country/continent to learn about and it's very similar to the United States.
This book was a very interesting book because I've always loved Australia and it always drew my attention. I never really realized the differences between Australia and the United States, nor the similarities. One similar thing they have in common is their goverment, they have a legislative assembly (House of Representatives) and a council of review (Senate). However, there voting system is a little different, "...voting in Australia is compulsory for all adults 18 years and above." This means everyone must vote and if they don't they are fined!
I also pictured Australia to be just desert but it actually contains a lot of urban cities, and it gets really cold in the winter and snows! The climate comes in a large variety. In the book it states, "The continents desert interior gives way to tropical regions...where most of Australia's population lives, is cooler and drier..in the south of the country, temperatures drop considerably in the winter and frosts are common..." This shows the climate in some parts of Australia, we also have many of these different areas and temperatures.
Overall, the book Australia is very interesting and factual. I'd recommand this to any person that loves to travel or is fascinated with different parts of the world. I strongly suggest to learn about other countries and become familiar with our world.
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Happiness Is...
Happiness is an emotion of love, joy, and satisfaction. People experience happiness everyday, every minute, every second. It would look like a ray of sunshine beating down on the bright colors of a rainbow that leads to a pot of gold, at least to me it would. I can recall many moments where I have experienced this emotion. So, what is happiness to me? Well, happiness to me is:
* The feeling I got when I used to walk my dog around the block and get to bond with him.
* The taste of the cupcakes I worked so hard to bake and frost.
* The privledge to greet my parents when they get home.
* The funny inside jokes I get to share with my siblings.
* The warmth my grandparents bring to me when I visit them.
* The touch of a puppy's tongue licking my face.
* The smell of freshly baked cookies my dad made.
* The loud dinners I get to share with my family everyday.
* The hot, thick taste of a champurrado on a cold winter morning.
* The cool sweet taste of a raspado on a hot summer day.
* The phenomenal view of the trees and sunset from the top of the sand dunes.
* The cold refreshing water meeting your lips the moment you get home from a long walk.
* The heat an extra blanket brings on a cold night.
* The salty taste of popcorn during a good movie.
* The familiarity of childhood memories when my cousins come over.
* The option to actually go to school and learn.
* The love my bestfriends have gave to me.
* The blessing to experience new memories with my family.
* The feeling I got when I used to walk my dog around the block and get to bond with him.
* The taste of the cupcakes I worked so hard to bake and frost.
* The privledge to greet my parents when they get home.
* The funny inside jokes I get to share with my siblings.
* The warmth my grandparents bring to me when I visit them.
* The touch of a puppy's tongue licking my face.
* The smell of freshly baked cookies my dad made.
* The loud dinners I get to share with my family everyday.
* The hot, thick taste of a champurrado on a cold winter morning.
* The cool sweet taste of a raspado on a hot summer day.
* The phenomenal view of the trees and sunset from the top of the sand dunes.
* The cold refreshing water meeting your lips the moment you get home from a long walk.
* The heat an extra blanket brings on a cold night.
* The salty taste of popcorn during a good movie.
* The familiarity of childhood memories when my cousins come over.
* The option to actually go to school and learn.
* The love my bestfriends have gave to me.
* The blessing to experience new memories with my family.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Perseverance
Perseverance, to me, means to continue doing something even when things get hard to implement a goal. To keep going and push no matter what obstacles are in the way.
The last time I preserved was about a week ago when I couldn't figure out the answer to my math homework so I just continued to work on it, watched youtube tutorials, and finally got the answer 2 hours later. I worked on it for so long because I wanted a good grade because good grades lead to a good education and a good education leads to a good life! One of the qualities that helped me do this was my stubbornness because it didn't allow me to give up and encouraged me even more to finish what I started on my paper.
In order to persevere there are certain qualities a person should have. Thsee qualities are integrity, courage, kindness, self-respect, etc. In the video we watched Nick had self-respect because he accepted the way he was born and also made sure people respected that too. He is also very kind because he accepts other people and compliments them to make them feel better about themselves. Lastly, another characteristic he had was courage because he was able to get up in front of a crowd and tell them a part of his story and how he once felt.
Nick, compared to me, has done way more. However, we both preserved to get something done. We didn't give up and encouraged ourselves to do good. Everyone can do this, anyone can preserve to do good.
The last time I preserved was about a week ago when I couldn't figure out the answer to my math homework so I just continued to work on it, watched youtube tutorials, and finally got the answer 2 hours later. I worked on it for so long because I wanted a good grade because good grades lead to a good education and a good education leads to a good life! One of the qualities that helped me do this was my stubbornness because it didn't allow me to give up and encouraged me even more to finish what I started on my paper.
In order to persevere there are certain qualities a person should have. Thsee qualities are integrity, courage, kindness, self-respect, etc. In the video we watched Nick had self-respect because he accepted the way he was born and also made sure people respected that too. He is also very kind because he accepts other people and compliments them to make them feel better about themselves. Lastly, another characteristic he had was courage because he was able to get up in front of a crowd and tell them a part of his story and how he once felt.
Nick, compared to me, has done way more. However, we both preserved to get something done. We didn't give up and encouraged ourselves to do good. Everyone can do this, anyone can preserve to do good.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
A Controversial, yet Meaningful Super Bowl Commerial
The commercial I have chose to be one of the best and meaningful commercial shown during the Super Bowl is 84 Lumbers. This commercial features a mother and a daughter, who are in what I assume to be in Mexico, go on a journey to the United States. Throughout the video it shows their daily struggles and the little girl picking up sovenirs where they stop. Later, when they finally reach the border there is a wall keeping them out. The little girl and mother look at each other sadly before finding a door inside. They both smile, push the door and go in to start a new life.
This commercial is on the controversial side because it involves politics such as Immigrants and Donald Trump's idea for a wall. While playing the commercial on TV it actually got cut off and rejected midway. This may be because of backlash people would give the TV community. And although this commercial portrays the company to being 'pro-immigrants' the owner claims to be pro-wall and pro-Trump. The reason I believe they made this commercial is because it was a way to get attention and more customers, even when it went against their own beliefs. Lastly, they claim this video to be non-political when it clearly is because it referencences to our new president.
Although their claims say this, there is a message conveyed, whether they deny it or not. The message they are trying to send is to reject the idea of building the wall and unite together as a diverse and accepting country. This is important because many people have been doing this and encouraging others to as well which is crucial. I suggest that everyone should try to learn from the commercial and help to support being a diverse country, even if that wasn't the message the company tried to put out. That is why this commercial is important.
Friday, February 3, 2017
The Best Advice I've Ever Gotten
The best advice I've ever received was from my mom, and she still constantly tells me this. Her advice to me is to never let anyone bring me down and to always persevere to make my dreams dreams come true no matter what struggles I have to face. In a much bigger statement she has told me that I'm going to face struggles and I'm going to meet people who are going to try to stop me in life but the best thing to do is to continue to strive and ignore them. She tells my sister and I this because she wants us to never lose sight of what we want and to make sure we actually make something of our life.
I strongly encourage everyone to take this advice as well because it can really shape who you are as a person and can guide you on the clear path. Many people get lost in between and get involved with the wrong things and become vulnerable which really just prolongs their happiness and achievements. Overall this is the best advice I've gotten from anyone, and it's something that I'm going to be sharing with other people for a very long time.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
One of My Worst Arguments
Everyone has an argument with someone at one point in their life, and if they haven't then they're probably lying. I've personally had multiple, most for the stupidest reasons. The experience I'm going to be talking about today is when my two (ex)bestfriends said they were not going to come to my birthday party for a selfish reason.
I had been planning my party for weeks and talking to my best friend, we'll call him Spoon, about it. We were both excited for it. However, a week before my actual party my other best friend, we'll call her Knife, got into a relationship with Spoon. At that time I invited them both and they asked me who else I was inviting. So I told them, and one of my close friends who Spoon happened to date before was on that list because she was my close friend too. Upon hearing this they both said they weren't going to come. Mind you I was actually face timing Knife while she told me this and messaging Spoon at the same time. So she told me she wasn't going and I simply said "Fine." and hung up. I also stopped replying to Spoon.
So Knife continued to spam my phone, she constantly kept calling me to the point where I had to block her because my phone wasn't able to function. Finally I unblocked her and we got into an argument where she said it wasn't going to be fair to his ex and I kept saying they were beyond selfish. This also happened with Spoon. But Spoon apologized first and said he would come while Knife was still trying to fight it. The most ironic thing is that I talked to his ex (my friend) and she said she would come because I'm still her best friend and she will always be there for me no matter what.
After, I basically started crying, pathetic now that I think about it. They apologized and said they would still come (which they did). I actually learned a lot from this experience, this argument should've been my first red flag that they were bad friends but that's a story for another time. I learned that Spoon and Knife never were my true friends, they always put themselves first. I also learned that I shouldn't dwell on other people, especially when they obviously won't think about me. Lastly, I learned that it's okay to let go of people because it shapes you into a stronger person and the obstacles you face in your life are just a test to see how strong you really are.
I had been planning my party for weeks and talking to my best friend, we'll call him Spoon, about it. We were both excited for it. However, a week before my actual party my other best friend, we'll call her Knife, got into a relationship with Spoon. At that time I invited them both and they asked me who else I was inviting. So I told them, and one of my close friends who Spoon happened to date before was on that list because she was my close friend too. Upon hearing this they both said they weren't going to come. Mind you I was actually face timing Knife while she told me this and messaging Spoon at the same time. So she told me she wasn't going and I simply said "Fine." and hung up. I also stopped replying to Spoon.
So Knife continued to spam my phone, she constantly kept calling me to the point where I had to block her because my phone wasn't able to function. Finally I unblocked her and we got into an argument where she said it wasn't going to be fair to his ex and I kept saying they were beyond selfish. This also happened with Spoon. But Spoon apologized first and said he would come while Knife was still trying to fight it. The most ironic thing is that I talked to his ex (my friend) and she said she would come because I'm still her best friend and she will always be there for me no matter what.
After, I basically started crying, pathetic now that I think about it. They apologized and said they would still come (which they did). I actually learned a lot from this experience, this argument should've been my first red flag that they were bad friends but that's a story for another time. I learned that Spoon and Knife never were my true friends, they always put themselves first. I also learned that I shouldn't dwell on other people, especially when they obviously won't think about me. Lastly, I learned that it's okay to let go of people because it shapes you into a stronger person and the obstacles you face in your life are just a test to see how strong you really are.
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Fake It Until You Make It
The concept "Fake It Until You Make It" means you do something, anything, even if you don't think you're doing good and you do it so much you slowly master the skill.
The question being asked is what aspects in my life am I most confident in. For me, it's schoolwork, talking, and writing, When I do schoolwork I work really hard to make it the best I can, same goes with writing. When it comes to talking, I just do it so often I've practically mastered it.
What I do need more confidence in is baking cookies. I've tried countless times to perfect mine but they always come out to bready, if that's even a word. I've always persevered yet they never come out right! This is why I have to fake it until I make it. After reading the book Heartless I found the main chacater inspiring because she was a baker and the details she paid attention to was just amazing. After finishing the book I decided to bake and almost mimic her and in result that was my only batch of cookies that came out normally. Therefore, you can make it until you fake it. That is what I hope to do when baking cookies.
Thursday, January 19, 2017
A Remake of Cinderella...But She's a Robot?!
Book: Cinder (The Lunar Chronciles)
Page: 1-390 (finish)
Prompt: Write a letter to one of the characters in the story as if you were the main character.
~~~~
Dear Emperor Kai,
I am extremely sorry for not telling you earlier that I am half cyborg, as someone who is extremely self-conscious and always wishes to be normal I had to keep it my secret. As for being half Lunar, I wasn't aware until Queen Levena arrived. It was all a scary and catoic experience for me. So many things were happening, my sister died, my step-mon and other step-sister treated me horribly, I was continuously being tested as a subject to find the cure, my best friend was taken away, and not to mention your persistent offers on the ball. I was not intending for all this to happen at once, or at all to be frank.
After being locked up in a small jail until Queen Levena's departure back to our home planet I spoke to the Dr. He has confirmed my identity. I have been the one you've been searching endlessly for the past couple days, weeks, months even. I am Princess Selene. I should be dead, I shouldn't be here on Earth, I now realize that. I am sorry for the position I have put you and the entire Earth.
Queen Levena will kill me, no doubt about it. She will see me as a threat to overthrow her spot as Queen. I cannot think of a way to save myself or the citizens of both my and your planet. I'm deeply sorry, I wish I couldn't just go back to being half-human and half-cyborg. By the time you are reading this I don't know where I'll be. I just hope you take care and forgive me.
Yours truly,
Princess Selene/Cinder
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