Journal Entry 17: My Favorite Stories

        I know that ever since I had memories I am a total book lover. People might consider me a rather sportive person now but I spend all my childhood reading books. Just for entertainments, nothing really related to the school. I am still a book lover now, just that I dot have enough time to do so. Believe it or not, even though they are not real think ones, I finish at least 20 books during this summer. To consider books I really love when I was young, I can remember that that I really love. I can recall a lot of books I read or some of books I like but I don’t know THE book I LOVE.

        I read everything when I was young (preschool to 4^th grade), from destiny stories to dictionaries. When I grew older, I am more into science fictions, detective, adventure novels, and novels that are interesting while contains a lesson, novels only. I think the plot of the story attracts me more than anything else. I don’t like plots that move too slow because too many descriptive details are sometimes unnecessary and they bored me. I also like novels that contains a certain useful background because then I can learn knowledge while having fun.  For example “The fifth Sally” tells about a girl with multiple personality disorder. The story is chain by Sally trying to fix her disorder, the story itself is interesting and memorable. On top of having a good time, after I finish that book I know a lot about multiple personality disorder, and I will always remember them. This way of remembering knowledge fits me a lot more than normal lecture. Because, first, I will be welling to “study” and second, I will probably remember the knowledge probably ten years after it. 

Journal Entry 16: The Influence of Others

  People who influence my life that is all the people I know. Everyone around me influences me and makes me who I am. The biggest people who have positive influence on me is my family. They raise me up, teaches me to tell right from wrong, and all others that I could not name. I consider myself as quit a independent person, and I have to thank my family for all that. To be honest, I sometimes dislike them for making me know how to be independent so early. However, that is also a good thing, learn to rely on yourself as early as possible so you don’t have to ask others for anything.

     In my opinion there is actually rear people who would have pure bad influence on you. Everyone who hurt you, taught you how to held your wood and what to avoid in the future. The ones who insult you let you know what is tolerate. Thank your first lover who might hurt you the deepest because he/she taught you what is love. What ever that might seems like “bad” in most people’s eyes at least taught you the experience and tell you what to avoid in the future. So, how would anyone be bad influence to you if you are already busy thanking them all? 

Entry 15: characters

     Characters, what are characters?  They are “character is a printable symbol having phonetic or pictographic meaning and usually forming part of a word of text.” So, what make those words seems like a real person to us, the readers? On the top of my head, I am going to think of some characters and list the characteristics of those characters down and see what do they have in common or what are the differences. SpongeBob! That is one of my favorite carton, and I sometime still watch it if I can. What makes SpongeBob real? Why would anyone want to watch a sponge in the bottom of the sea? Well, Sponge can talk like real human, act like a human, it have eyes, arms, legs like human, it is very childish and the things it do was not too smart. The dogs in 101 Dalmatians can also talk, act like human, it is very loyal and the things they do aren’t too smart either. The talking tea pot in the monster and beauty also talk, act like human, with eyes, legs and arms like human, and it is very caring, that tea pot was not very smart, too.

    So I think by giving those non-human “things” human characteristics such as having eyes, arms, legs, can talk and act like human, with human emotion and thinking ability. The author makes the characters seems real to the readers. 

Entry 14: How does heritage contribute to characters?

      What is heritage? Here is the definition of heritage form the dictionary: “Heritage is the full range of our inherited traditions, monuments, objects, and culture.  Most important, it is the range of contemporary activities, meanings, and behaviors that we draw from them.” To make the definition simpler, I think heritage is just anything you gain from your family. I usually think of it in the more scientific way, which is anything that pass down to offspring through genes.      

         Lots of things could be part of the heritage, here are some that I can think of on the top of my head: colors-includes anything that has to do with colors physically on your body, ex. Hair color, skin color, eye color. Physical traits- we get almost everyone of our physical traits from our parents, including height, bone structure, size. Talents- the since of talents are generally pass within the family, such as the talent in music, drawing, athletic. Diseases-  sadly some diseases are also pass from generation to generation. Ex. Eye sight, cancer, smoking problem. To me, the talents are probably the most important thing that you can get from all those heritages because it is one of those that you can’t change no mater what.

      My heritage from my parents: I have more of my dad’s physical trait, such as I am tall like my dad. However I also get a big bone structure from my dad, which is a little sad. I also get my moral and believes from my family, one of the most obvious example is that I am a total vegetarian like rest of my family members. Also I think I also receive the interest of biology from my parents since both of them are doctors. I think the moral and believes I get from my family is the most important one and is that one that is going to stay with my forever. 

Entry 13: Unpredictable Characters

      When it comes to unpredictable things, the friends around me turn to be very helpful. It seems like have the most unpredictable friends in the world. However, I want to talk about my things, the unpredictably with in myself. I sometimes purposely do things that I am not expected to do, purposely acting weird or childish. I usually being expected to be mature, at least compare to my friends. When I purposely do things that I know is very childish and different from what was expected out of me, I usually do it just because I feel like it, I want to be myself, I don’t want to restrict myself from being random or free. An exception that I especially remember is when I am super tire. Since I have memory, this situation only happens two times, they both happened last year (thank you teachers.) I had not sleep more than 3 hours last night, and I have basketball practice, when I finally get home, I still can’t sleep because there are more homework waiting for me. I remember I was very high for some unknown reason, I was not myself, talking hyperly and saying weird things to a guy friend I usually talk to. When I look back at chat history, I cant believe I actually said that, those are the things one would say to her boy friend. Thank god that that friend know I was very tire, I explained to him and he said he understands.

      The unpredictability brings surprises to the real life, usually brings a big change in the atmosphere, same in the story. Also the unpredictability is one of those things that makes life more fun than it already is.   

Entry 12: Animal vs Human

       Are animals and humans all that different? Most of people would say yes, because we all have this feeling that we are better than others. Every country, group think that they are the center of the world, we can know that from the old maps people made before they know what the whole world looks like. Biologically, humans are animals, they are in the animal’s kingdom, just like most of the animals are know and touch everyday. Man, used to be defined as “the creature who can make tools in a set of pattern,” however it is not recently discover that the chimpanzees can also make tools too. Some argue that the animals do not have consciousness. Which means that don’t have the since of “self,” they don’t know and don’t have the awareness of what they are doing. However, it is shown that an elephant would help the other dying elephant who they have never meet before. That action of helping does not help the elephant to survive in any way and the elephant is not force or train to do so. How are we going to explain that? What if the animals do have consciousness? Are we going to say sorry about all the harms we had done to them? If you don’t know what we have done, take a trip to the slaughterhouse and where those poor animals are raised to be the meat in your plate. 

Entry 11: Conflects

     In the story “By the Waters of Babylon,” one example I use to describe internal conflict is when the main character, John need to go East. John is afrid to break the strict laws about no one can go East and to the places of the gods. He thought and was taught that any one who dares to step on the land of the gods will die. However he knew that if he didn’t go, his spirit will die, and there are a lot of signs that seems obvious to John he shall go East. In the end, he decides that death of life was better than death of the spirit, he go East and was prepare to die.

     An example of external conflict was when John tries to cross the river. John made a raft and was in the river, trying to cross it. But he don’t know how to operate the raft, the currant of the river was strong and was taking him past the land of the gods. He call out that he is a priest and a son of a priest and the god show him how to do it.

      One internal conflict I practically remember was an year ago when I had to decide weather to stay in PAS or not. The internal conflict was kind of bland in with the external conflict. My parents don’t have enough money to support both my brother and I to this expensive school. My brother was having bad grades and my parents want to move him to a cheaper school, which was a bilingual school with a very different system. If my brother is moving, it is the best if I moved to because or else it will be hard for my parents to explain to my brother. Who knows, there might be a family revolution. However, the conflict is that I HAVE A CHOICE. I was able to choice if I want to stay in PAS with my friends and the system I am already used to. Or should I transfer to the new school which sounded pretty good to me, cheaper, and avoid unnecessary conflicts within the family but facing a new system and new environment at the same time.

       This conflict resolved in a very surprising way, the school didn’t get build in time that year, and so the school was not open. Now having no where else to go to, all my worries and conflicts “resolved”

Entry 10: Taboo

       In the environment in lived in, it is full of all types of taboos. The first one that pops in my head is the respect toward the old ones. You are not suppose to sit in certain sits that is more “important” or just that sit represent the high class. In my family you should never start a meal with out asking my parent weather you are able to eat if you are eating first. If the older ones start eating before you, then you don’t have to ask. If my grandparents visit my house, it is expected that us the younger ones fill the bow for them.

     Obviously no laws stated that those things should be done. We are just doing it because it is the couture, the way you show respect to the elder ones, and how younger ones are expect to act. My parents would give us a “talk” when they saw us being disrespectful toward the elder ones, not necessarily my grandparents. I think it is deep in the Chinese sociality that elders are to be treat with highest respect. Without them we will not even be here, this is not the only reason but it one of a very strong one.

       I think it is necessary that the children learn to show respect to the one who are older than they are. The elder one have more knowledge of life, and you will not want to be treated disrespectfully when you become one of those elders do you? 

Journal Entry 9: Analyze a Folk Tale

   In the story “Coyote Kills the Giant” the Coyote saw a lot of starving people and people are starving because they are all in the stomach of a giant. People are sick everywhere, starve to death, not many people have the strength to walk around. This “village” is trap inside a giant, no one ever walks out of the giant’s mouth. Then Coyote is smart enough to cut off meat from the giant to feed the starving people and kill the giant while keeping everyone alive.

      This story tries to explain why people in the same village all gone sick together and why they all get well later. I think it is also related to why the plants don’t grow- giant eats them all- because it mention of starving many times in the story.

       The famous story of Yi tries to explain why there is only one sun. In the dark times, there are ten suns on the sky, people’s life are tough and hardly any plans grow. Yi who is one of the gods was send by the head of gods to save lives on Earth. Yi took 9 arrows and a bow, he shoot down 9 of the suns and leave one on the sky to keep life cycle going. 

Entry 7: Taking Risks

        One thing that everyone will do and is doing for everyone else is to pretend. People pretend to be happy when they are not, pretend to be fine when they are heartbroken. People pretend all the time, usually because they don’t want the other to be worry about them. Human are stupid animals, they hurt themselves to make others feel better. This is one common sacrifice people made for the good of others. It might not be a big sacrifice, but small things do build up.

       Taking risks for someone is a little different than sacrifice for someone. I personally thinks that taking risk for someone is harder than sacrifice for someone. If you sacrifice for someone, the worst you get is just losing something that you are willing to lose (you are willing to lose it once you decide to sacrifice). Even if you regret it, you know it is your own decision. Taking risk is going into something that is unknown, something you might not be willing to face or to lose.

        One of the more common, risky things I do for my friend is copying homework. From the bottom of my heart, I really don’t like copying homework. HS biology is the only exception, because of the homework is overlapping, unreasonable and teacher never actually check the homework. Other than that, I am giving my work to the one who have done nothing. At the same time carrying the risk of being caught and possibly lose the grade I should’ve got or getting send to office. Calling my parents is probably the worst situation I can think of so far. I think it is reasonable for me to have this big struggle over copying homework. On top of those, the one who will ask for homework is usually not my best friends, they are usually just friends. However I also need to consider the feeling of the one asking for homework. Will he/she get mad at me? Will he/she start to dislike me? Or will he/she not help me when I need help in the future? I consider that to be one of the hardest decision to make. 

Entry 6: A new place

      My school was once a new place to me. PAS was always this small school with white walls and some artworks by the students on it. It is white everywhere, the wall the hallway, the ceiling, the floor, the lights, everything. The only difference is probably the brown doors and the blue chairs in the room, and sometimes the posters on the wall. I was this little kid being put into this white system. Without knowing anything about it ahead of time. I just came back from U.S, but my English skill was not too good, probably a little better than normal, local kids at my age. I had home school since 4^th grade so I am not sure how to deal with people at my age, especially a group of them at the same time. I will always remember that summer when I first come to PAS, I was the summer from 6^th to 7^th grade. I totally thought that this school is a big maze! I only dare to take one, and only one root to class for the entire summer. Thinking I will get lost if I go off the root I took everyday.

     Obviously everything is very different now, since this is now my 4^th year in PAS. I feel just as free in the school as in my house, and also know the school as well as I know my house. Fortunately I know a lot more English now, than when I first come in this school. The best part of all, I made a lot of friends here. Sometimes, or most of times “Students come to school for the people, not for learning,” I find it very trueful.