Research project: OUR WORLD.

Our world has many characteristics. It is very old, and gracious. But it can be dangerous, disturbing, and
annoying. But it can also be kind, beautiful, and joyful. But life can be that way, too. And some people can't
take it anymore. Literally.
So I guess we can kiss the fire-fighters saving cats from trees goodbye, because they seem on the "sweet"
side of the world. And the sweet side, well, it's ignoring us. So, really all i'm trying to say is that everything is cold, around us, but ignoring it won't make it better.
I started using  an anxiety website to get information, and opened up a quiz to see what kind of questions these people were asked. The main questions were the first ten.
1) How old are you? a)7-12 yrs. b) 13-17 yrs. c) 18- 30 yrs. d) 31-54 yrs. e) 55 or older.
2) Have you consumed drugs? if yes, please specify below:
3) Have you had a visit to a hospital before for desperation?
4) have you had suicidal thoughts before?
5) do you have eating disorders?
6) what are you having trouble with? (ex. schoolwork, work, family, ect.)
7) What is depression to you? Based on your definition, do you believe your in a phase through it?
8) Does your family know you are here at this moment?
9) do you have any siblings?
10) what are you feeling right now?

And what is interesting is that this quiz that came directly from the website was created by kids my age, when they were going through this. And they all wrote entries which are listed and shown on the website.
But what else I found interesting is that when i read the questions, it gave me chills. Why? Because I read a book called "it's kind of a funny story" way before the movie came out. In fact, I haven't even seen the movie.
But this book is directly toward what I was researching. And it amazed me i could answer all those questions in the anxiety quiz with Craig's responses that I remembered.

But i would like to write about social issues such as depression, becuase i feel like I am very familiar with those terms, and it is something i would like to change... Something worth fighting for. Something that is big everywhere, something that we can actually change.

Dear Mr. President

Dear Mr. President
Come talk a walk with me
Let's pretend we're just two people and
you're not better than me
I'd like to ask you some questions and
we can speak honestly

What do you feel when you see
 all the homeless on the street?
who do pray for at night
before you go to sleep?
what do you feel when you
look in the mirror?
are you proud?

How do you sleep while
the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother
has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your
head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye?
and tell me why?

Dear Mr. President
Were you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
How can you say
no child is left behind
we're not dumb and we're not blind
they're all sitting in your cells
while you pave the road to hell

what kind of father would
take his own daughter's rights away
and what kind of father would
hate his own daughter if she we're gay?
I can only imagine
what the first lady has to say
you've come a long way
from whiskey and cocaine!

How do you sleep while
the rest of us cry?
how do you dream when a mother
has no chance to say goodbye?
how do you walk with your
head held high?
can you even look me in the eye?

Let me tell about hard work
minimum wage with the baby on the way
Let me tell about hard work
rebuilding your house after
the bombs took them away
Let me tell about hard work
building your bed out of a cardboard box

Let me tell about hard work
hard work hard work
you don't know nothing about hard work
hard work hard work
Oh

How do you sleep at night?
how do you walk with your head held high?

Dear Mr. President
you'd never take a walk with Me
Would you?

This is a song called Dear Mr. President (obviously) By the great artist and songwriter named Pink. This is a song that explains how The president is not doing a great job fixing the problems of the United states. The song itself, is very self-explanatory. The lyrics mean alot to all the issues that the members of this country are going through. Even though it doesn't say all the possible problems, it lists at least 10 of them.

 And when I picked this song I realized that the lines " How can you say/no child is left ebhind/ we're not dumb at we're not blind/ they're all sitting in your cells/ while you pave the road to hell"
while you pave the road to hell. This line had 2 meaning: and they both would be very symbolic. One of them is to pave the road to hell as in continue paving it and paving it, and paving it.... wasting money instead of giving it to many homeless organizations in need to money. And the other is to pave the road to hell, as in paving a road that will lead this country into chaos! but, still both meanings are very important to me, because I can make connections to them.

And, this song is exactly what you wouldn't want  to hear. Its bringing all the problems together. And the facts that the people from here are trying to ignore. But not only that, not everyone has the nerve to come straight up and tell them, because out of all, it's the hardest part. But while the light of the country now has low spark, we need to fix it. To fix you, America.So we keep reviewing the situation with this song, and it makes me wanna change things for the better. But with the world we live in things just get so crazy and living life gets hard to do, we have to fight to get through. And this is a really good song.

The social awareness Project! pt. 2

      An emerging issue at the moment is the teenage suicide. These are just kids trying to fit in; Trying to find themselves. But all the other teenangers out there, are just judging. And yet, they don't have a clue either.
If you hurt someone, eaither emotionally, mentally, or physically, you don't feel their pain right away. And sometimes you don't even feel it.  They do. And things now, spread easily with the new technology. So, as they say, what goes around, comes around.
Now, really, this is just one of the writing assignments for social awareness. But it made me, truly, more aware. So this is #6. write a poem or song responding to a specific social problem.

So based on all that i've seen on trhe news. This is my poem responding to teenage suicide(especially for the gender cases that there has been lately):

"No.
 No, I can't live like this.
 I can't look like this anymore.
 I need to cry because I feel like crap.
I guess that it had been a good idea to plan my death,
 after all,
to have everything set up
for when i'm ready. 
I never meant to hurt anyone.
 and I did that.
And I really hurt myself...in many ways.
I feel completely broke inside.
Their shadow....
Just their eyes-
 I can feel them stinging.
 Their body looming over me-
numbing my mind.
aching.
Just their sight.
Nothings worth it anymore.
 Shut me down"

The social Awareness Project!

In Ms. Galang's class, we are intrepreting the social issues going on around us. We are doing topics on social pressure (bullying, suicide, ect.), social conciousness ( Am I doing what I can do to help society? Am I giving my all? ect.) Acceptance Vs. Intolerance ( do I who is accepted and who isn't? ect.)

I think This a very important topic of study, becuase as what we call it, awereness, it helps us keep aware of what need to be done to make us a better person. So was supposed to keep a five day diary and writea reflection at the end about the social issues that are on the news all DONE.

UNIVISION DAY # 1
Today, I researched the 6pm news. Theree were many6 important issues. One of the most important ones were the new pollution announce down.  One of the states mostly affected is florida, becuase of it's constant tourism. And even though New York is artificial, Florida is catching up; and that's not a good thing. I can't exactly imagine having people paying a little more attention to their surroundings.  People should be capable of understanding that we are all not healthy becuase of the fumes polluting the air. Even though cases have been more severve around 2005, in 5 years, we haven't made much process. We should all be able to take part in this. Advances have been made; all we need to do is apply them. Maybe if we walked or took the bus, the train, cars wouldn't be used as much,and their fumes would be less. There are people who haven't been on the train since they've gotten their cars. And those are days, weeks, months, and even a few years.  The U.S. shouldn't have to be in these conditions. I am sure we can all make a difference. We can all do one little thing to make it better. Even if it's just ONCE. It makes a difference. If things continue upright, making porgress with our oppurtunities, we'll all be safe. But if we keep our spoiled ways, who knows, maybe the world will end in 2012.....

TELEMUNDO DAY # 2
Today, I experimented watching another channel news. I wondered if the time the reports we're given in affected the imformation expressed on the television. I guess it does, though. Anyways, but I keep on hearing about police officers bullying, killing people just to descriminate people's race. We are all equal. Even  if we are all different skin colors, and different voices, different opinions... we are all the same. we're all humans, and we all make mistakes. And I keep that as one of my life themes, it really sticks out to me. But I still don't get why this is causing karma; and yet, it does. But it's kinda hard, becuase this is one of the first problems that emerged and evolved, and still it continues. And at a point, ti divided the nation. This is a case where we have to conscious of the things that we are doing in life, to get through others. Since we'll survive.

TELEFUTURA DAY # 3
Based on the issue that I saw yesterday, which was racism, descrimination.  Tommorow, i'm planning on checking fox news and in other languages to find some differences. But the topic that had me glied to the tv today was the immigration statuses. Just becuase people weren't born here, doesn't mean that they shouldn't fit in. Just because they don't speak the same language, doesn't mean they don't fit in. It reminded me of a book that I read last year for spanish. It helped me recognize that even books are transmitting messages of laws that should be chnaged. Descrimination can also be felt all over. And it's pretty sad that some of the people that can be recognized as the smartest of group, may not be able to study, or go to school, just becuase they are not legal. It may not be that they have commited crimes, but they are considered evil, and i don't think that it would construct the pure principles of life. Making life harder for others. landing stress on points that are sensitive. Now, things may be going from bad to worse.

FOX DAY # 4
Today, I saw that issues are been fought for. But, I am not sure that things ase gonna continue for the better. It's confusing, because everything kinda changes for the topics, and all topics realte to one anither so it's not easy. But today I am focusing on the economy. The jobs are being restored by 22% atleast, and we are still suffering from economic depression. This is a social problem because it is affecting all people. all classes.  The richest are on bankruptcy.  President Obama is doing many things to change our surroundings and our problems. We should all care and take in account the actually currency that we have. Atleast things that we actually know that can be changed, drastically over the years. it's been a year in terrible conditions, but for other it is atleast sustainable now.

ABC DAY # 5
Nothing new today on the news.... I think i've covered all the issues that mean alot to me, that somehow i see going on, and I can relate to, in such ways, but yet my opinion didn't cover bullying, assault, terrorism, ect. Things that are happening simply out of no where. but atleast our staff of duty knows what to do and knows we can chnage thinks so while people are getting ran over, the police already knows who did it. All we have to do is be responsible for our actions, other than that I think that we're good.... As long ans nothing bad happens from us, we're fine. But as long as they are not natural disaster we'll all be good.

I think this has been a great expirience toward the main goials of helping us learn about being socially aware. Hopefully, this is helful information that we can all learn from :)

Interpretation On Famous Langston Hughes Poem (Entry # 8)

         A few days ago, in class, we talked about a famous poem by Langston Hughes called Mother to son. The reason I think that it is famous, is because it is easy to relate to.  I find it very interesting that we can do this, because it has a theme, that i've mentioned alot in the Past. I've mentioned this in entry # 7, maybe # 6 and I did on my appreciation. This is what I think if it.

"Well, son, I'll tell you:
life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
and splinters,
and boards torn up,
and places with no carpet on the floor--
 Bare.
 But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
and reachin' landin's,
and turnin' coeners,
and sometimes going in the dark
where there ain't been no light.
So boy, don't you turn back. Don't you set down on the steps
'cause you finds its kinder hard.
don't you fall now--
For i'se still goin', honey,
i'se still climbin',
and life for me ain't been no crystal stair."
No one should have to jusdghe you... no matter what, becuase one will never be perfect. Life is God's test, and it's not about passing, it's just about not falling. Tjhese are things that keep steady, that will not change, or are chaning. Never give up becuase bad times, can definitely make you stronger. Pull yourself through, and don't back down.  Life's a rollercoater, has its ups and downs. This can all be a concept of depression, stress, worries, preoccupations, lifelessness. There were barriers.
*Cryastals are clear, perfect, a diamond to fit right in. Life is sadly the opposite. But you can't go back to what is done. You cannot reverse time to make things look better, you can't take things back.

That was my interpretation of it. i feel like there are many emotions stressed out largely, falling deep, feeling alone, not knowing what you did wrong...

But this poem is not only to explain all, but to let us remmeber what we're here foor, becuase things aren't doomsday, and it's not the end of the world. Things are going to get better...
Just hope so.

My final Appreciation

           I look outside my window, and I always see the younger children playing around, always full of excitement. Nothing to trouble their thoughts. Somehwat a perfect life., is what i would call it at that age. Nothing to worry about, all you can really do to fulfill your childhood.it's a quick give & take situation. But Katherine Paterson sparked up new ideas in my head about what i was truly believing. As I started rereading bridge to Terabithia, I realized i was wrong.
         Bridge to Terabithia is an honest book, very sincere. Relatively, it implies we all need a friend to help us get throuhg the toughest days in our lives, which in Jesse Aaron's life, is Leslie Burke. In the book, they grow a very strong freindship, in which they they fight and defeat barriers creating an imaginary world, where rope would lead lead you to freedom, no stress, no worries- even if it was just a tree away from their homes-which are very different settings, which makes them even more different. The mood of their homes are very different. All homes are a diffrent atnosphere, as well as eacdh head is it's own world, but we're all alike, we're all human and we all make mistakes... And this book helped me remember that and get realistic about the world we really live in. some people live differently becuase of their religion and other becuase of this age. But in this book, nothing like that really happens, nothing with racial interpretation. It's more about confession, listening, and opening up your minds to new ideas. And this book does really mean alot to me, becuase it signifies being strong and struggling for your goals which is part of life.
         Jess is a really delicate character. And I couldn't dream of not being part of his life, going through his long days with his sisters who aren't really the ones who appreciate him, his mother who is too busy giving him jobs to do, than seeing what's right for him. And his father, who all the hatred builds up towards. This only happens becuase his father won't think about jess being an artist twice, which is causing Jess to feel like his life is a waste. So he deals with mixed emotions, trying to think about school, the music teacher, Julia Edmunds, that he loves, and his new friend. But with her, they make true their dreams, atleast for the while he lives life just as he would always want it to be. Neither of them wanted it to end that way. Never. But their secret world, did have some  things missing, and some things too much, that made it hard for them to sustain Terabithia a whole. Both Leslie was nice, she had a great personality. She was a true friend, becuase she wasn't selfish to not care for her only friend, but she opened her heart and let him in, and he found a place to hide from all the terror sorrounding them. Leslie was simply amazing. But with all the pleasure, came the problems. Becuase ther's no such thing...as perfect.
         To Me, the main idea of the book is hardship, and the way Jess bottled up his emotions wasn't doing him any good, but thankfully he had leslie to confide in, where he can express himslef freely. To me, my Leslie, Would be my grandmother. I call her Mama Nina. We'll just talk and rtalk for hours, and it'll seem like minutes to us. And during those important momets, she'll keep quiet becuase he knows what I tell her means alot to me. That way, she can give me the best advice, or share the best story to fit my shoes. And up till today, she hasn't failed me yet. I really do not know where i would stand with out. She is one of the most important people in my life. And our motto is learning from our mistakes, becuase it's never too late.
         We do learn something new everyday. And alot of that means that I learn to value the most extreme remix to the simplest song. But nevertheless, the one in between.
         In this case, I learned to appreciate the smallest but richest details and emotions throughout the book. Little by little it earns your heart. And that is quite what puts a tear in my eye. So don't waste time, go read it, and start to take off in a long but pleasant train of though that when it ends, you will want it back. I learned to appreciate life skills with friends, and family, but most importantly at this moment, remebered them with Bridge To Terabithia By Katherine Paterson.

An appreciation draft

I look outside my window, and I always see the younger children playing around, always full of excitement. Nothing to trouble their thoughts. Somewhat a perfect life, is what we call it at that age. Nothing to worry about, all you can do to fulfill your childhood. But I started rereading bridge to Terabithia, I realized I was completely wrong. Jess, The main character of a fantasy book of an imaginary world, goes through a lot of daily labor. I thought this was just amazing, in such a way, that it gave me a whole new idea of the book. Though there are 3 years of difference in age, his problems never would compare to mine.

       Jess was such a delicate character, and I thought it’d be hard to relate counting the odds. As in gender, living conditions, tastes. But I am Jess. In many ways. I remember complaining about making coffee, being different. Jess has reasons in wide variety to complain since he lives so far from skyscrapers. He is basically living as a farm boy, milking cows, and cutting grass, with overalls, something I’ve only dreamed of. Something I’ve thought about as a fantasy; something unreal to me. But that doesn’t make any change in how I am similar to him.

       A lot of times, he can’t find his way out… and I know how that feels. And he refers to Leslie Burke, as his confidence. She twists to fit the mold that he’s in, why I can absolutely relate with. My grandmother, Is my spirit, if it weren’t for her, I’d probably bottle up all of my emotions, just as jess did before Leslie came along, and helped him defeat some of his fears, some he barely knew he had. I am Jess.

My Sincere Opinion

Over the past few years, I've always been excellent in participation in ELA. I'd never thought that I, would love reading and writing as I do. I really look foward to blogging every week. I love how I can learn from every writer, becauase every writer is unique in their own way. I think this will also help me grow as a writer because no piece is ever perfect. Every blog, a mile further that I climb to reach my goals. With the reading and writing skills i've been , am and will be taught, I will exceed  limits and barriers.
               Growing up, I wanted to be a writer, or a neologist. I website designer, engineering. Very different options, eh? Well, as I have to go with what I love (engineering), I will always have a passion for all the other things I enjoy and follow my dreams with understanding- well actually believable ones. Though last year we had independent wiritng periods, and pieces to present every six weeks, I built character, and got to know myself more, every step of the way. And when I can't find how to explain it, I just pour it all out hoping not to forget anything- because that would be very frustrating- and hope it makes sense! And then of course, go through the writer's cycle. That is definitely not my biggest strength; It's just the ideas exploding out of my brain trying to ease their way out. I would never(as in not my choice right now) Change the way I am. And it isn't because I absolutely love who I am and I can't be fixed, but it would also change the way I interpret so many things, in my world, my strategies. Though I might not have the sharpest memory, there are many things I want to KEEP a memory, or/and continue living. And really, I just hope THIS blog becomes one of those things.

Entry # 7 Research on Bridge to Terabithia

When I chose to reread bridge to Terabithia, I really didn’t believe my annotations would lead me to further research. But as I thought of the Main Ideas of the book, I wondered if anybody else thought of my idea…as a main idea. So I started researching in class, and I found a very interesting and unusual piece. It seemed to be a study guide for the book, by the author of the book, Katherine Paterson.

http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary/pdf/bridge_to_terebithia.pdf

I thought about her inspiration toward the book, then to my experience towards the book. Not that I thought they would be the same, but I knew I could reflect on my understanding based on what I was really  rereading about. Growing into deeper understanding with this guide, I found out that the main idea of the book was to create a similar plot to another well known fantasyland, one that we all call NARNIA. And I haven’t ACTUALLY read the series, so I found this a bit interesting. As it brought back memories of the movie, I thought that it made perfect sense. It was exactly what I thought had been missing. A huge comparison that I can make a text to self/text to world/ and text to text connection about. Since 1) the text to self connection would be herself thinking about the book, and how bridge to Terabithia was being similar. The 2) would be a text to world connection, a fantasy land that everyone knows about, a very open popular choice, and 3) the text to text connection that I can make, which is this guide, that provoked many thoughts ahead of my expectations for this. In this study guide, not only does it just give “just a little” info on the book, but it gives a few questions on reflection. I answered them mentally, in not a very involved way. But I do think if I would’ve had it in my hands before, I probably would’ve counted it, probably as part of my annotations!

http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Bridge-Terabithia/13090

This is an essay written by somebody in 2005, about the main ideas of the book. I enjoy how they include a lot of information based on their focus. As he/she says “Jesse’s family is quite poor and high strung.”. This, in a way, stood out to me because that is exactly how I thought about jess and his family at first, always being like that.

 But then I did some more research on the Katherine, and it calmed one of my many frustrations. Which was why in the world, she said, the word LORD a lot! There was no pg. In the book written without the word. It because one of my pet peeves without a doubt! But thinking deeper into her writing I found out that it is exactly what makes her craft unique. So I actually think it helps me think that writing is expressed in different ways including uniqueness, similarities, vocabulary, and connections. So research was a good way to help me continue my journey throughout this week, and recognize  some type of appreciation toward a new side of the book. Not just a fun filled book, but an intentional deep connection book where people can realate easily, and enjoy. Just as I did.

Entry #6 Expanding On An Interesting Note

           Hello Everyone! My entry #6 is an  expanding note on an interesting note from the childhood book we reread. I choose Bridge to Terabithia. I was in a group with Emma Rougerie and Hannah Da Silva. And i expand on a note from the beginning of the book. my note reads:

"Never had I read about such hardship for such a young kid."

A simple note. But as I kept on reading, I  realized this note was very meaningful in many ways.

Some of them are 1) The way his father misinterprets Jess. 2) They way it seems all the work is for him

3) The way his siblings didn't spend time with him.

Jess's father misinterprets him alot becuase Jess has a passion for being an artist, and he has a great imagination, but his father doesn't realize it as well as his music teacher, Ms. Julia Edmunds who knows about Jesse's unique talent. Jess is very fond of Ms. Edmunds, he REALLY loves her. No one really wants to be with him, especially his two sisters Ellie and Brenda; since he started growing up and he wouldn't let them dress him up as a girl anymore.

Wilbur Vs. Charlotte

         As I breezed through some pages in the book Charlotte's Web, there were other pages that I just couldn't do that with. And this was because there seemed to be some magical meaning  that stood out to me . And it was usually when I realized how very different Charlotte and Wilburare, and then how they have things in common. I would listen to them speak, in my mind and visualize, and then I would realize how much I also loved the book and Appreciated it. Since I believe that they are very different, I decided to compare and contrast them.

         Wilbur. He is a very Sensitive and humorous character in the book. He stays put in his own little world of skim milk, doughnut pieces, potato skins, shredded wheats, meat gravy, carrot scrappings, meat scraps, marmalade drippings, between many other things, if i've not mentioned all.  He knows the fierce truth about his life, how he wasn't worth anything, how he was worth alot after, and how he'll end...killed for ham and bacon.

        I Love Charlotte. I admire hers ways, always being incredibly wise, and pretty. I like how she'll base her diet on flies and grasshoppers.How she knows how to face reality, and knows how to live, and feel free. How she's quiet in a good way. She's a true friend, and I would certainly not trade her for anything.
    
        But while they live their lives, Charlotte is very motherly toward Wilbur. And Wilbur seems to like that. Since Fern used to do it too, it's something he's used to. Charlotte's ways with Wilbur reminded me of a line on pg. 11 if the book.
   
 "Every day was a happy day, and every night was peaceful"
   
I think it would also apply to Wilbur and Charlotte's friendship, since they both were lonely before, but were united for GOOD.