Racism

*http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-sub-display?id=S44-4241-0-5971&res=Y&ren=N&gov=N&lnk=N&ic=N&keyno=0000021506&leadiss=Y&auth_checked=Y
*http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/65174
*Me

    My first link is again from SIRS.com. SIRS talks about the history of racism and how it all started in the past. I think that's kind of important to know because you can connect to what causes people to make racial remarks now and what caused people back then to make racial remarks.
    My second link is from answerbag.com. On answerbag, I asked, "Why are people racist?". I read the answers and I learned quite a lot from them. One person thought that being prejudiced was like a phobia. Something that is developed when you are still very young. You may hear it from your parents or grandparents. And when you hear your parents say things like that, you may begin to believe some things. Another person thought that people make racist remarks because they feel like they're in charge. They feel like they have power. When they ever feel threatened or scared of someone, they can make a racist remark and have the person they said it to feel upset, ashamed or bad about themselves. Which makes the person who made the remark feel powerful and strong.
    My third source is...ME. I wrote myself as a source because I have had people say racist things to me. Turns out that many people have a lot to say about Asians. The way we look, the way we talk, just about anything.

Research Entry

*http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-sub-display?id=S44-4241-0-1606&auth_checked=Y&gov=N&ic=N&keyno=0000003475&keyword=Bulimia&leadiss=Y&lnk=N&ren=N&res=Y&type=&method=date&cat=arts&detail=Y&pos=1&num=25#tabs
*http://www.mamashealth.com/bulimia.asp
*http://www.helpguide.org/mental/bulimia_signs_symptoms_causes_treatment.htm

The topic I decided to write about is Bulimia. Above are the links to the sites I found on Bulimia. The first link if from SIRS. There are various articles on what Bulimia is, how it can be treated and it also includes some stories of people who have/had Bulimia. Some stories are about girls and their obsession of being skinny. It's actually really scary to read about.

The second link talks about what Bulimia is, what causes it, the signs of Bulimia, and a lot more information. On this site, I found that Bulimia isn't just about food and being skinny. It also has to with stress and uncomfortable emotions. Many things can trigger Bulimia. Women in the US are always feel pressured about their looks. Skinny women and girls everywhere make it harder for other women to feel good about their own bodies.

In the third link, I learned the different effects you can have when you have Bulimia. Instead of actually losing weight, you get the exact opposite and gain weight. You can get broken blood vessels in the eyes, you can become very weak and dizzy. You can rupture your stomach or esophagus.

Bulimia is a very scary thing. Fortunately, it can be cured. Nobody should feel bad about what their body looks like. No one should every become Anorexic or Bulimic just because they feel so badly about themselves. Everyone is unique in their own way and that's a good thing.

Social Issues #6

everyday i used to walk

people would stare 

i would look down 

people would whisper

i would walk fast

'hey chino'

their friends would whistle

i would just bite my tongue

and walk right by

'let me get some sushi' 

they would say

their friends would laugh

and i would just stand there

feeling ashamed and powerless

but this changed everything:

i walked with my sister

people would stare

i would look down

my sister would stare back

people would whisper

i would walk fast

my sister would sneer

and get angry

'you gotta problem?'

she would say

and they would walk away

everyday i walk

people will stare

i will stare back

people will whisper

i will sneer 

and they will walk away
and i will walk with my head held high

Social Awareness #4

I just finished reading Persepolis. A social issue I read a lot about was women's rights. Women had no rights and they were forced to wear veils and keep hidden. This stood out to me because nowadays women are free..of practically everything. But in Iran women were called horrible names if they were wearing make-up or wearing their veil wrong or speaking their mind.

Marjane, the main character, always believed that women should speak her mind and she would express them when she was at home. Sometimes when her parents let her, she would go outside and join and protest for what she believed in. She would have chats with God at night and discuss everything she was thinking. How she wished she didn't have to wear the veil at all and she could walk through town without getting weird looks or getting yelled at by the older women in the neighborhood.

When Marjane was sent away to spend a few years in Europe, she realized that everyone was so free and people didn't wear veils or anything. Women freely walked allowed to do anything. After four long years, Marjane finally decided that she wanted to go back home to live with her parents again. As soon as she arrived at the airport, she was yelled at by a man to put on her veil correctly. She quickly realized how much Iran had changed she had last been there. Women still had to wear their veils and hardly any women walked outside. They were always questioned by soldiers. Women had no rights or freedom like women did in Europe

Social Awareness #1

Day 1 October 23rd:
This isn't really from today but I just thought that I needed to write about it. On Tuesday October 19th, I got a text message from my friend telling me that I should wear purple on Wednesday to show respect to gay people that committed suicide. So on Wednesday, I wore my purple shirt and went to school. As soon as I walked in, i saw so many people wearing purple. To honor, to pay respect to gay people. Not just the ones that committed suicide, gay people everywhere. More people wore purple than I had expected. Even teachers were purple.
It's horrible how some people cannot accept gays for who they are. Being gay doesn't make them any less human. It doesn't give other people the right to make fun of them. The newspapers are saying that the people that made fun of gay people, abused gay people are being arrested. But personally, I don't think that's enough. Some may not even learn the lesson. I think that the consequences aren't enough. People need to pay for what they have done to gay people and their family.

Day 2 October 24th:
Today I read in The New York Times newspaper that the disease Cholera was spreading in Haiti. The International Red Cross is in Haiti right now doing their best to nurse Haitians back to health. They are bringing drinkable water, water purification kits, plastic sheets, tents, mattresses and other necessary supplies to help the sick. Now that the Red Cross is in Haiti there is clean water for everyone to drink and slowly there is progress. I think it's amazing that the International Red Cross is in Haiti to help the sick. It's a really good thing that they are there so that no one else dies to the disease Cholera. Already 208 have died to this disease in Haiti. And we are there trying to prevent it.

Day 3 October 25th:
Today I was watching Eye Witness News and they said that a college student at PACE University was shot and killed by a police officer. Eye Witness News also said that many students lit candles and laid flowers in front of his dorm to pay respect. I thought it was totally horrible that the student Danroy Henry Jr. was shot and killed by a police officer. Well obviously, who wouldn't? Anyway, I though it was really touching that many people bought flowers and cried for Danroy Henry Jr., even people that didn't even know him.

Mother to Son

I really like the lesson that this poem teaches. The lesson that Langston Hughes' mother teaches him. Life is hard, but don't give up. Keep fighting your way through the obstacles and you'll reach the top.

I like how Hughes' mother tells him to fight through life and reach the crystal stairs even though she didn't. Even thought her life was so hard on her. She gives him strong advice on how to reach the perfect life. To not fall backwards.

"Don't you set down on the steps" Sitting back won't get you anywhere. You must always keep moving forward to achieve goals in life.  This line stood out to me the most because I am usually a person that takes things slowly. It takes long for me to take steps forward. I guess you can say I'm a perfectionist. So when I read this line, it made me think that if I take everything too slow and seriously, I might not be taking a step further leading to my 'crystal stair'.

Also I liked the lines:
I'se been a-climbin' on
And reachin' landin's
And turnin' corners
And sometime goin' in the dark
Where there ain;t been no light
It probably spoke to everyone in general. There is always going to be a rough patch in life. No matter who you are or where you are. But you must look past them because eventually, you will reach a relaxing place, you will reach a place where you can let go of all your worries and be free for a while without having to think about what you will do to reach your 'crystal stairs'.

Final Draft Appreciation

I first discovered this book when I was about five or six years old. I remember just flipping through the pages not really taking in the story word for word. I loved the book as a five year old because I loved how much freedom Stuart had in his life and how fairly he was treated by everyone in his family. I have always been the baby in the family and never have been treated just like everyone else so I envied Stuart. I still love Stuart Little because of the freedom and how he was treated equally, but now as I am older, I appreciate this book because of the symbol of life and its cycle and  how Stuart can still live life even though he has lost everything.

Another one of my favorite parts in this book was how Stuart can still carry on with his life without getting so sad and worried about going home or losing Margalo forever. Even though he loved Margalo so very much, he still tried to give Harriet a chance. Probably thinking he may never see Margalo again, he must go on with life. Also, Stuart never gave up hope while looking for Margalo. He never once told himself that he would never find Margalo. Even after so many people told Stuart they've never seen Margalo before. He still went on with his journey to find his love. I admired Stuart for how strong he was. How he can still do amazing things and still look for his friend  as he grieves and mourns for home and love.

After my grandfather passed away, I feared of death. For a few days, weeks, I thought about dying and I didn't want to grow up. But after a while, I noticed how my mom still carried on with her own life even after her father died. It gave me courage to move on with life but still carry my grandfather in my heart. Reading about Stuart and seeing how he could move on reminded me of my fear of death and it kind of lifted a little weight off my shoulders. Knowing that I wasn't the only person who had to deal with everything made me more comfortable

As I closed the book, finishing the amazing adventure with Stuart, I realized that this book wasn't just about  some mouse on an adventure to find his bird friend. It was about life and its cycle.

Entry#7

The book Stuart Little was made into a movie. But the movie is completely different than the book. I did research about the movie for more information.

I read a movie summary of Stuart Little on starpulse.com. I found out that unlike the book, the movie is about Stuart and his becoming part of the Little's family. But Snowbell is still the bad guy...I mean the bad cat.

The Little's go to the orphanage to adopt a younger brother for George. But instead, they meet a mouse named Stuart. The Little's liked Stuart so much that they adopted him instead of a human child. They bring him home and Stuart charms everyone except for the house cat, Snowbell.

I also read a book review on jandysbooks.com. The book is about Stuart and his adventure of finding his bird friend, Margalo. And of course, Snowbell is the bad...cat.

In the movie, the Little's come across Stuart in an orphanage. But in the book, E.B. White doesn't exactly tell you how Stuart becomes the Little's son. Also, in the movie Margalo does NOT exist and Stuart doesn't have any adventures.

I thought it was totally weird that the movie was completely different than the book. But then I realized that if the movie was the exact same as the book, it wouldn't be as interesting. 

Stuart Little

I had a nice experience rereading Stuart Little. When I was younger, i loved how Stuart was so adventurous and had the ability to build up courage to do many things. For example, Stuart was so adventurous the time he decided to do the sailboat race. Stuart didn't even give up when  he fell out of the boat. Also, Stuart had to build up the courage when he decided he was going to run away to find Margalo. He really loved his mother, Mrs. Little, so he took a piece of her hair to remember her before he left for his trip. After i finished rereading Stuart Little, i realized that i still admired Stuart and I actually appreciate him.

In the end of the book, you don't really find out weather or not Stuart finds Margalo. Then i realized, if Margalo wants Stuart to be looking for her, she will let herself be found. But if Margalo doesn't want to be found, Stuart won't ever find Margalo. Like they say, if you love somebody, set them free. If they really love you, they'll come back. Something I learned while reading this book was cherish every moment with your loved ones because you don't know when time will run out.

Something I thought went well while reading this book was how so much of this book can relate to Charlotte's Web and that i could get good annotations out of that. Something i thought didn't go well was the fact that you don't know if Stuart finds Margalo or not. It kind of left the story off as a cliff-hanger and I didn't like that.

Entry #2 Charlotte

When you think of a spider, you probably don't think kind hearted, polite, or clever. When I think of a spider I think ew, ew, and ew. But Charlotte is nowhere near being ew as I had expected. Instead, Charlotte is smart, fierce, and according to Wilbur, beautiful.

Charlotte is very loyal to Wilbur. She is like a mother to him. Charlotte teaches Wilbur things he doesn't know and new vocabulary. Also, Charlotte helps Wilbur in his time of need. For example, one day, out of nowhere, Charlotte decides to speak out to Wilbur, telling him she'll be a friend to him. Goood timing too because right before Charlotte said anthing to Wilbur, he was very lonely, bored, and upset that no one wanted to play with him. He wished that someone would be his friend. He really wanted someone to play with him. Another example is when Charlotte tells Wilbur that she will figur out a way to save him from being killed at Christmastime. Wilbur was still very young then and he cried, and cried and cried. Wilbur was very lucky that Charlotte decided to become part of his life. Because if she didn't speak out to Wilbur, he probably would have died.