Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Peer Reading
I just read "Gang Days In L.A." by my classmate Joseth.i think its a really good story because he went into very deep detail that many people cant do. He was able to make the details so vivid i could literally see the story happening in my head. The story,how i understood it, was about a young man who plotted to take revenge on a gang who killed someone he was very close to. In the end he got his revenge but when he grew up and had kids of his own, there was a drive by and he was killed trying to protect his kids. He died in his kids arms and they vowed to avenge their father. What i got by this ending was that gang violence is a never ending battle. There will always be a motive in each persons head when they commit these crimes and ruin lives. The only things Joseth could have fixed was his spelling or grammar. I would not have him change his story, it was unexpected and kept me reading. Joseth did very good on his story.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Beyond Beats & rhymes
We watched one scene of Beyond Beats & Rhymes today and it was talking all about being hard. The people who were interviewed and all said similar things, being hard gains you respect and power. Its not all just rappers though,its lawyers ,politicians,teens,body guards, and pretty much every man in the u.s.has to have some sort of masculinity. To be hard is to be masculine. Alot of men talk or get involved with violent acts to gain credibility like Tupoc and 50 cent. The rapper's have credibility because they were both shot multiple times but survived. They have this credibility because being shot is one of the most dangerous things to have to go through. They have credibility because they can say they went through this and survived and that's as hard as someone can get.
Friday, July 16, 2010
My first love
“Bye! I’ll call you as soon as I get home”, I yelled to Amanda as we walked away from each other, “we just GOTTA get this project done girl!” She laughed and we both waved and turned to go our separate ways. She walked down the street and I walked down a hall towards the elementary school next door to my middle school. “I’m so lucky to have such a helpful friend”, I thought to myself while walking down the hallway. It was raining outside and since I didn’t have my umbrella with me I decided to wait in the hall until the elementary school got out. I neared the hallway’s end and suddenly found out I wasn’t alone. I day dreamingly looked up and realized my life had been changed forever.
I just couldn’t take my eyes off of him! His long black hair, dark caramel colored skin. Dark brown eyes and one single earring gleaming on his left earlobe. He had a black v-necked tee on with dark blue jeans and black and white checkered VANS on, but the one thing my eyes just couldn’t turn away from was his hand intertwined with another. “GREAT!”, I said to myself, “he’s already taken”. I couldn’t help but look at them. As many people would do, I made my own assumptions about them while sitting and staring. I’m pretty sure they were doing the same to me. I thought about how long they’ve been together and how they met and where it all happened. I thought about how much they must like each other. “OMG! Did he just smile at me?” I guess I had a puzzled look on my face or something because he made contact with me and then smiled again. “Wait am I supposed to smile back?” Like an idiot I got this big ol’ grin on my face and smiled. When he looked away I got depressed because I thought I had done something wrong. “Ugh I wasn’t supposed to smile! Man why did I do that? Ugh I’m such a loser…”
That day all I could think about on my way home with my little brothers was “why did I smile…”
“Well it’s not like you said something stupid or trip and fall in front of him you know? All you did was smile. Don’t think bout it too much girl. Ok?
“NO! Its not ok!”, I yelled in frustration, “he probably thinks I’m an idiot now. I smiled at him when he wasn’t smiling at me! Ugh I haven’t been so embarrassed in my life...UGH!”
“Don’t worry”, Amanda said trying to comfort me,” for all you know your never going to see him again. Try not to think bout that guy to much. There are plenty of other guys out there to embarrass yourself in front of!” Amanda always knew how to make me laugh when I was in a bad mood.
It’s been a very rainy week and I haven’t had to walk my brother’s home. I liked it because it gives me time to think. By this time I was over the mystery man I smiled to and was just going on with my days. Friday came and it had been drizzling but no heavy rain so I still brought my umbrella with me. It was after school and I went to sit on a dry area by my schools hallway. I was bored so I opened and closed my umbrella. It was easy to do a lot of times at once because it had a button. I noticed someone sat next to me but I didn’t pay any attention.
“Hi”, said the voice next to me, “my name is Kyle”
I looked up and my heart stopped. “OMFG!”, I thought to myself, “its him! It’s actually him!!!! WHAT DO I DO WHAT DO I DOOO! Ahhh!” I was freaking out and string in shock…I guess he could tell something was wrong because he asked if I was ok.
“I..I…I…I’m fine”, I stuttered, “ummm…hi”. He smiled and I felt as if I would melt.
“So where have you been?” I said as calmly as I could.
“I’ve been…around ha-ha!”, his laugh sounded like an angels. Ok I know he’s just some random guy I go to school with, but I can’t help but feel these things when he talks to me.
“Cool umbrella”, he says, “can I see it?”
“Um…sure?”, I hesitated but gave it to him anyway. Why did I hesitate you may ask, well that’s a good question. I have no idea? Next thing I know he climbs onto a curb jumps off and opens my umbrella yelling, “I’m Mary Poppins!” next thing I know I’m laughing so hard to where my eyes are watering.
He continued to do mini skits and I continued to laugh. Time went by so fast I didn’t even realize that my little brother’s school bell rang. We walked into the elementary school together. Our brother’s classes were in the opposite direction so we waved good bye to each other and went our separate ways.
“Who was that?”
When I looked down I realized it was my little brother Darion.
“Oh it was no one”, I said with a sigh. Two school days passed and you would always catch me with Kyle after school, this day was different though. It was drizzling out and me him a group of other kids were all huddled in one door way.
“It’s a little crowded”, he said to me
“Well why don’t you go and stand by the other door? No one is over there”.
“I don’t wana be by myself over there…”
“Ill go with you!”, I said trying to hide my excitement. As we walked together I told myself that this is my chance to tell him how much I like him! I took a breath when we got to the door way…. “I….”
“Lani will you go out with me?”
“WHAT? Did he really just ask me out?”, I thought to myself. I was in such a state of shock I didn’t even answer him! He out of nowhere said never mind.
“NEVER MIND?!”, I shouted, “ what do you mean never mind?!” I guess I was a little more upset than I should have been but can you blame me? He sat me down in front of the doorway next to him. He explained that his parents were old fashioned and didn’t want him to have a girlfriend so young. I was confused because he was holding hand with a girl the first time I saw him. He told me that she moved and that she wasn’t really his girl, she was a “friend”.
\ I got over the whole never mind thing and the whole lets be close friends thing and even was ok with the fact we might not ever be together. I was just happy with the fact that I was with him and he was with me how ever that was going to happen, it did. While in P.E. told Amanda everything. My thoughts, how Kyle said never mind and all that I found out about the girl he was holding hands with. What I didn’t know at the time was that a girl named Courtney was listening in on our conversation. My 5th period had ended and I was ecstatic to see Kyle again. As I walked through the hallway I saw Kyle in the doorway out side I rushed out and ran up to him and hugged him. Only this time he didn’t hug back? “What’s wrong?”, I asked concerned, “are you ok?” I sat him down and he started to ask me questions like if I was telling people that we were together and stuff like that.
“No I haven’t said we were together. I told my friend Amanda that I liked you and that you had asked me out but said never mind.”
“Well Courtney told me that you were telling hella people that we are together! And I don’t appreciate that” he stood up and walked away. As I watched him walk I couldn’t help but cry. The first good thing in my life was messed up by a girl who was just being to damn nosey! I vowed that the next day I would confront Courtney and find out what her problem was.
Well I did what I told myself I would do. I confronted Courtney but one thing lead to another and now my knuckles hurt and Courtney has a black eye. I silently laughed to myself because I couldn’t believe I had actually got into a fight and I didn’t even get caught! “That’s what she gets for opening her mouth”, Amanda said while walking with me to the front of the school. I can’t wait to go talk to Kyle today I thought as me and Amanda hugged and went our separate ways. I can finally get my Kyle back! As I skipped through the hall and saw him on the sitting on the curb I went behind him and hugged him.
“I’m moving back to Guam…”
With that my heart shattered. I realized I will never be with him or see him again. It was the last day of school and Kyle is going to be flying out to Guam tonight. We hugged and as I walked with him hand in hand down the hallway, my heart felt like it was leaking and the image of his face the last day we were together will forever be imprinted in my head.
I just couldn’t take my eyes off of him! His long black hair, dark caramel colored skin. Dark brown eyes and one single earring gleaming on his left earlobe. He had a black v-necked tee on with dark blue jeans and black and white checkered VANS on, but the one thing my eyes just couldn’t turn away from was his hand intertwined with another. “GREAT!”, I said to myself, “he’s already taken”. I couldn’t help but look at them. As many people would do, I made my own assumptions about them while sitting and staring. I’m pretty sure they were doing the same to me. I thought about how long they’ve been together and how they met and where it all happened. I thought about how much they must like each other. “OMG! Did he just smile at me?” I guess I had a puzzled look on my face or something because he made contact with me and then smiled again. “Wait am I supposed to smile back?” Like an idiot I got this big ol’ grin on my face and smiled. When he looked away I got depressed because I thought I had done something wrong. “Ugh I wasn’t supposed to smile! Man why did I do that? Ugh I’m such a loser…”
That day all I could think about on my way home with my little brothers was “why did I smile…”
“Well it’s not like you said something stupid or trip and fall in front of him you know? All you did was smile. Don’t think bout it too much girl. Ok?
“NO! Its not ok!”, I yelled in frustration, “he probably thinks I’m an idiot now. I smiled at him when he wasn’t smiling at me! Ugh I haven’t been so embarrassed in my life...UGH!”
“Don’t worry”, Amanda said trying to comfort me,” for all you know your never going to see him again. Try not to think bout that guy to much. There are plenty of other guys out there to embarrass yourself in front of!” Amanda always knew how to make me laugh when I was in a bad mood.
It’s been a very rainy week and I haven’t had to walk my brother’s home. I liked it because it gives me time to think. By this time I was over the mystery man I smiled to and was just going on with my days. Friday came and it had been drizzling but no heavy rain so I still brought my umbrella with me. It was after school and I went to sit on a dry area by my schools hallway. I was bored so I opened and closed my umbrella. It was easy to do a lot of times at once because it had a button. I noticed someone sat next to me but I didn’t pay any attention.
“Hi”, said the voice next to me, “my name is Kyle”
I looked up and my heart stopped. “OMFG!”, I thought to myself, “its him! It’s actually him!!!! WHAT DO I DO WHAT DO I DOOO! Ahhh!” I was freaking out and string in shock…I guess he could tell something was wrong because he asked if I was ok.
“I..I…I…I’m fine”, I stuttered, “ummm…hi”. He smiled and I felt as if I would melt.
“So where have you been?” I said as calmly as I could.
“I’ve been…around ha-ha!”, his laugh sounded like an angels. Ok I know he’s just some random guy I go to school with, but I can’t help but feel these things when he talks to me.
“Cool umbrella”, he says, “can I see it?”
“Um…sure?”, I hesitated but gave it to him anyway. Why did I hesitate you may ask, well that’s a good question. I have no idea? Next thing I know he climbs onto a curb jumps off and opens my umbrella yelling, “I’m Mary Poppins!” next thing I know I’m laughing so hard to where my eyes are watering.
He continued to do mini skits and I continued to laugh. Time went by so fast I didn’t even realize that my little brother’s school bell rang. We walked into the elementary school together. Our brother’s classes were in the opposite direction so we waved good bye to each other and went our separate ways.
“Who was that?”
When I looked down I realized it was my little brother Darion.
“Oh it was no one”, I said with a sigh. Two school days passed and you would always catch me with Kyle after school, this day was different though. It was drizzling out and me him a group of other kids were all huddled in one door way.
“It’s a little crowded”, he said to me
“Well why don’t you go and stand by the other door? No one is over there”.
“I don’t wana be by myself over there…”
“Ill go with you!”, I said trying to hide my excitement. As we walked together I told myself that this is my chance to tell him how much I like him! I took a breath when we got to the door way…. “I….”
“Lani will you go out with me?”
“WHAT? Did he really just ask me out?”, I thought to myself. I was in such a state of shock I didn’t even answer him! He out of nowhere said never mind.
“NEVER MIND?!”, I shouted, “ what do you mean never mind?!” I guess I was a little more upset than I should have been but can you blame me? He sat me down in front of the doorway next to him. He explained that his parents were old fashioned and didn’t want him to have a girlfriend so young. I was confused because he was holding hand with a girl the first time I saw him. He told me that she moved and that she wasn’t really his girl, she was a “friend”.
\ I got over the whole never mind thing and the whole lets be close friends thing and even was ok with the fact we might not ever be together. I was just happy with the fact that I was with him and he was with me how ever that was going to happen, it did. While in P.E. told Amanda everything. My thoughts, how Kyle said never mind and all that I found out about the girl he was holding hands with. What I didn’t know at the time was that a girl named Courtney was listening in on our conversation. My 5th period had ended and I was ecstatic to see Kyle again. As I walked through the hallway I saw Kyle in the doorway out side I rushed out and ran up to him and hugged him. Only this time he didn’t hug back? “What’s wrong?”, I asked concerned, “are you ok?” I sat him down and he started to ask me questions like if I was telling people that we were together and stuff like that.
“No I haven’t said we were together. I told my friend Amanda that I liked you and that you had asked me out but said never mind.”
“Well Courtney told me that you were telling hella people that we are together! And I don’t appreciate that” he stood up and walked away. As I watched him walk I couldn’t help but cry. The first good thing in my life was messed up by a girl who was just being to damn nosey! I vowed that the next day I would confront Courtney and find out what her problem was.
Well I did what I told myself I would do. I confronted Courtney but one thing lead to another and now my knuckles hurt and Courtney has a black eye. I silently laughed to myself because I couldn’t believe I had actually got into a fight and I didn’t even get caught! “That’s what she gets for opening her mouth”, Amanda said while walking with me to the front of the school. I can’t wait to go talk to Kyle today I thought as me and Amanda hugged and went our separate ways. I can finally get my Kyle back! As I skipped through the hall and saw him on the sitting on the curb I went behind him and hugged him.
“I’m moving back to Guam…”
With that my heart shattered. I realized I will never be with him or see him again. It was the last day of school and Kyle is going to be flying out to Guam tonight. We hugged and as I walked with him hand in hand down the hallway, my heart felt like it was leaking and the image of his face the last day we were together will forever be imprinted in my head.
Friday, July 9, 2010
"one holy night" reflection
A couple of days ago we read a short story in class called" One Holy Night". It was about this girl who had met some random guy on the street who claimed that he was a son of the Mayan kings. She met him while selling fruit on a push cart. His visits to her cart became more and more frequent until one day she believed she was in love and decided to go with him to his house when she was done selling her fruit. Stupidly she falls for his lies and tricks to where she even loses her virginity to him!!!! The messed up thing was that when the girl askd the guy(baby boy) how old he was he clamed that the past and the present is the same so he doesnt knoe...but he LIED! He is accually 32!! and guess how old the girl was? 13!!!! She was only in the 8th grade! Can u say Sagitory rape? ugh i was so pissed off when i found that out.Well i cant blame her for believing something she knew wasnt true. She wantd to make him seem better than he was and by believing that he was a so called "Myan Son" she fullfilled that. I want to go back and think bout freshmen year...I had liked this one guy soooooo much that i would daydream and think about him constantly. I told my friends about my secret crush and they just stared at me. I had asked them what was wrong and my friend Tashi pulled me to the side and told me that i shouldn't like my crush. She told me his background with girls wasnt so ...well clean. I just kept telling them that not evrybody has a super clean slate. But then i was a witness to his bad side. He broke up wit his girl friend and he said such mean things that were so hurtfull i almost didnt wana like him. Now realize i said almost. i wanted to believe my crush wasnt all these bad things. That made it easier for me to like him. in a way i did just what the girl in this story did... i believed something about a guy that was not true because i just didnt wana face the truth, the truth hurts.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
"Super Size Me"-reflection
This week in summer school were talking about the effects of advertising and consumerism in our society today. We began to discus on what the company's methods are for reeling in their consumers. We focused on one specific company...McDonalds. As a class we agreed that McDonalds is specifically targeting young kids, why you may ask? Well this is simply because when young kids see commercials that show there favorite t.v. show or "cool" looking movie toys being sold there, they want to go. With times the way they are today, McDonalds seems to be a solution for a cheep meal that both satisfy parents and their kids. The next day our English teacher brought in a movie...Super Size Me! We started watching it on Tuesday and finished watching the rest of it today. Basically this movie is a document on a guy named Morgan Spurlock. He makes a vow to eat McDonalds for a whole month,( lunch,dinner,and breakfast), and at the end find out the effects of this fast-food once and for all. During this experiment he gets himself sick and and causes serious damage on his body. Over the month he was able to cause his heart, liver and male parts problems...and it was only for a month! Imagine the effects on a person who does that ALL the time. This movie really made me think twice about what i eat and how frequently i eat it...no more fast-food for me!
Friday, June 25, 2010
my carbon footprint
Today i went on a website called www.zerofootprintkids.com/kids_home.aspx. Basically this website shows you what your carbon footprint on the world is by asking you questions about your everyday life choices. I found out that based on my answers i would need about 2.2 earths to support my daily life style. This is below average for a regular everyday American. An average American spends money on products that are both expensive and terrible for the enviornment. I dont buy to many name brand things because there is always a cheeper brand that doesnt use as many chemicals as the brandname one (sometimes). I see comercials everyday advertiseing shoes and food and different types of cloathing, but unlike every other american, comercials dont usualy pursuade me. They may be entertaining but they hardly ever make me think," OH! i need to buy that!". Even though i am a smart shopper i do have some faults. I Could buy things only when i need them rather than want them, but for now ill jus keep being the consumer i am today. =)
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
my earliest writing experience
I love reading fantasy's and books that have things that are out of the ordinary. I believe the main reason why is because when i was little i read Dr.Seuss's books. His books were so out of the ordinary that they kept me intrigued me time and time again. The one book which i loved was Dr.Seuss's One Fish,Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Not only did it help my counting and colors and vocabulary, it also helped me become a creative individual an interested in different kinda of books. These experiences were happy and enjoyable ones. When ever i was upset, One fish Two Fish, gave me an imaginary land with fascinating creatures to escape with. Now, because of Dr.Seuss original and creative books, my interpretation of texts, poems, and novels have a deep and creative view many others do not. I love fantasy books and i would have to than Dr.Seuss for that.
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