Personal Addition #6

"How wrong is it for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants, rather than to create it herself?" 

-Anais Nin

I picked out this quote because I really believe in it. I think this happens a lot, and I actually see it a lot. With fairy tales and movies, girls grow up learning that there's a prince, or someone made for you. They'll do anything to be with you. That may be true, but they can't always do everything for you. I think sometimes when the relationship carries on for a while, people start to expect things or ask for more and more things. I'm sure little things are fine, but when you're letting your relationship affect or establish things like school and work, that's a bit too far. Especially since I'm young, I don't believe in intertwining relationships with other things because you start relying on the other person and if you ever break up, you won't be left with much. There are many things that I believe should be done independently. Everyone has their own dreams and with the kind of rights there are for women nowadays, anything is possible. Everyone is equal and entitled to create their own world that they want. The biggest thought I get from this quote is that there is too much relying on other people to do things for us and not enough independence and self encouragement to do great things on our own.

Six Word Memoir

I chose to write this memoir because it explains part of my past. I think it's important to look at your past and realize the good and bad sides of it. This memoir explains that someone bullied me for months over technology. The writing is white because I wanted something soft and light. I'm not mad about what happened even if I should be. It's a delicate subject to talk about. I think handwriting makes it more of a secret. It's not completely uncovered and typed straightforward. The words relate to this photo because the cyber bullying happened over text, on this phone specifically. There is nothing in the background because everything happened through this one main object. The main focus is on the keyboard leading out to the screen because that's where words come from right? Everything is typed out on that small keyboard and goes to the screen to offend other people. I think in a way the hand symbolizes two things. In the beginning, the hand belongs to someone who is receiving these words of harassment. In the end, the hand symbolizes someone who got a 'grip' on their devices and started to control the situation. The lighting says a lot about what happened. In the beginning obviously it was a dark time that is why there is dark on the left. People read left to right, so there is light on the right hand side because it cleared up. The problem got resolved and fixed. The colors fade into each other because it wasn't a distinct transition between dark and light times. There was an in between that was solving the problem, but it wasn't yet solved. I hope you now have a good understanding of why I chose the words I did and why I paired them with this photo.

Six Word Memoir

I chose to write this memoir because it's the fun and relaxing part of my life right now. Being relaxed is very important to me. I am not the kind of person who always likes to being doing stuff. Having the afternoons off of school all year is a really big treat for me. Loading up on classes earlier on in high school really does pay off and I did learn that in the end hard work will give you great things. I wrote my memoir in a more fun font instead of the usual Times New Roman because of the fact that this whole memoir is relaxed and positive. I paired the photo up with the words because this is just a sneak peak of what my afternoons consist of. Yes, I do homework and clean, but my memoir talks about having it good, so I wanted to pair it with something people consider good, which is being outside in the sun. I don't have shoes on which I think shows freedom. It is a bright picture because the memoir is positive.These are a few reasons why I chose what I wrote and why I put the two things together!

Six Word Memoir

I chose this memoir because it means a lot to me. Someone close to me has been in the military for years now. It's not easy hearing about all the events that happen while fighting in other countries and peacekeeping. I wrote these words because I hope they do return one day. I'm very optimistic about this so I wrote it in white. I chose handwriting because I thought of letters written to people in the war way back when. I picture the people back home writing to their loved ones very neat and elegant in hopes that they'll return. I paired up the writing with this photo because in the magazine there is a picture of a plane flying over a body of water. The picture is dark and in many ways that's how you picture war obviously, dark and violent. It's not a pleasant place to be. Even working out of a base somewhere isn't the best thing because you never know when you'll be shipped off to another country. Being the person back at home, all you can really do is read about these things and learn all you can so that is why I included the magazine. I think that the whole picture ties together with the words because there is this dark and not so lovely photo of some kind of war or dispute, and then there is the light wood floor and white around the article picture. This shows that even though there is this dark image and idea, there is still brightness to it and around it which connects to my memoir saying 'I hope you return one day'. I have hope and will forever have this bright idea surrounding the dark one.

Six Word Memoir

I chose to write these words in my memoir because it's one of my confessions recently. I have lied to so many people about my tests and how my driving has gone in the past. I think only two people outside of my family know what has happened and also what I've been through relating to driving. It's not something I'm proud of, but the fact that people are so judgmental and things spread too fast leads not only me but so many others to make up lies. They're pointless, and I'm sure friends would be accepting of everything I tell them, yet I fluff everything up a bit. I chose to make my writing black because this confession/memoir isn't something I'm completely proud of or happy about. It's not exactly a bright, happy and positive thing and I think the colors portray that. Even the background color and the shadows explain my feelings about telling these lies. I chose this photo to put my memoir on because the main thing about it is the car keys. These keys are to a car and my memoir is all about that so I think it's pretty self-explanatory. There is nothing in the background except a wall. I wanted to have a blank background so that everyone would focus on the main things which are the keys and the memoir. In a way, the wall represents kind of what I feel now. I've told these lies and now I'm at this point where I don't know what to do. I've built this wall up for myself. Am I going to tell the truth and break it down, or am I going to keep building onto it? 

Six Word Memoir

I chose to write these words as a six word memoir because family means so much to me. This especially applies to my father. Growing up, I've been a big sports person. Since the age of four, I have played soccer year round. My father has been to absolutely every single game that he can make it to. If he's in town, he will be at my games. I've played co-ed mini soccer, developmental, premier, recreational, and high-school. Think of how many games that has been! He has put so much time into me and the things I love to do, so when I think of the category "family" to write a memoir about, I definitely think of him. The writing is very casual and straightforward, and I think this suits our relationship because we are casual. We have never fought or argued, and our communication is very relaxed yet straightforward. I paired these words up with this photo because these are his things. The cap and jeans are pretty well known as a 'father' symbol. I'm sure no mother would wear them so it shows who I am talking about through the memoir. I also toned down the colors of the photo to make it a bit more masculine. I hope you now have an understanding of why I wrote what I did and also why I chose the picture to go with my writing!

Six Word Memoir

I wrote these six words for my memoir because my best friend recently moved with her family to carry on their business and have a new spectrum of life somewhere a bit smaller and less dense. I met my best friend about six or seven years ago playing soccer. She's the one person that pops into my head when you say friend or best friend or even growing up, so I thought it would make sense to write a memoir about her. I chose handwriting because it's elegant and neat. We didn't have a sloppy relationship for one moment. We were always honest and loyal and I think this writing portrays that. I put the writing on this picture because it shows the miles that are between us. There is so much space in this picture and the way it veers off into the distance really emphasizes how much space is actually between us, which is miles. I kept this picture bright and colorful to portray that our future is bright in my opinion. Even after she left, we kept talking, and even now we are still so close. I don't think this is the end of our relationship, and I believe even if two people don't see each other for a while you can still stay completely caught up with each others' lives through the technology of today. I hope that you now have an understanding of why I chose the things that I did for my six word memoir!

Personal Addition #5

"Grown-ups love figures. When you tell them you've made a new friend, they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you, 'What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?' Instead they demand, 'How old is he? How much does he weigh? how much money does his father make?' Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him."

-Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

I picked out this quote because I agree with it so much. From reading this I'm considering that this could be a main idea of why there are so many divorces & misjudgements nowadays. People are focusing on numbers, statistics, and how other people might judge things. The fine details are usually the most interesting and a lot of people tend to pass these things by. They think they know a person, but people are so complex that you'll never know everything about someone. It's quite amazing in my opinion.

larmoyante.tumblr.com

Writing Reflection #3

Six Word Memoirs

I think overall six word memoirs were fun to write. I enjoy the specific and strict number of words needed to write them. I chose to stay in the classroom for no specific reason. I don't need a specific environment to write these shorts pieces, as long as it's somewhat quiet. I finished most of the categories at school. I think a positive thing about six word memoirs would be that they are so specific and I'm organized. I like a plan to follow through on not just being told to go write a poem or an essay. One negative thing about them is that it is tough sometimes to think of such a wide topic and make it fit into six words. You have to be creative and have an open mind. From writing these, I learned that I'm not a quick thinker/writer. I like to take my time to do the best work possible. Six word memoirs, in my opinion, are rewarding because thinking about what to write about brings you back into the memories. If you can't fit the main idea into six words you have to think about more details of the memory or thought, so I think it's quite personal.

Blogging

I think blogging is going very well for me. I've had some experience in the past so it's fun to make a whole new blog and have a professional touch to it. I don't find anything too hard about it or challenging since I've had experience. I guess I'd say that worrying about what other people think is the hardest thing about blogging. The most rewarding part is when other people notice your work. I'd like to set a goal for this week to visit other peoples' blogs to get an idea of how other people are presenting their work. I'd also like to keep up with my personal additions, so I'd say about four to five this week. The easiest way to achieve this is to log on every day and do one a day so that I have fresh ideas and am not thinking the same thoughts in every single post. 

Reading Reflection #3

Go Ask Alice

Anonymous

Pages 113-213 (end)

After finishing this book, I am left with many comments, predictions and text connections.

The first comment I had was about Alice’s behavior. At one point in the book, Alice is giving people sexual favors for drugs in return. She doesn’t know what day or month or year it even is because of being off and on so many drugs and blacking out. She also says, “So maybe I am pregnant. So what.” All of these things are examples of some of the worst outcomes of drugs. Hardcore drugs can open up the door for people to take advantage of you. You get so addicted that you would do anything to get your hands on some more. It makes you careless of things that really do matter and could possibly change your life. This is because all you start to care about is where you’re getting your drugs next and when your next high will be. Another very bad and serious sign that you see from Alice is when she says two boys had died from overdoses the night before and she wished she had been one of them. Nobody should want or feel the need to leave this world, especially not at fifteen years old. This shows that she has many regrets, and she’s not very stable. After these things happen while Alice has run away from her house, she finally talks to her family and goes back. When she’s back it seems as if nothing has happened. She stops using and becomes quite grounded. She rereads what she had written about the past few weeks and she is very overwhelmed by who she was when she was on drugs. She says, “Someone evil and foul and degenerate wrote in my book, took over my life.” This just emphasizes how bad some drugs out there are. They were able to take over a stable, clean, fifteen year old girl’s life, so I’m sure they can take over anyone else’s as well. One bit of writing that caught my attention was when Alice describes what she thought she remembered when she was drugged with acid. She describes in incredible detail about her hallucinations of worms and maggots completely disintegrating dead bodies and even her body. An example of this is, “His two eye sockets were teeming with white soft-bodied, creeping animals which were burrowing in and out of his flesh and which were phosphorescent and swirled into one another.” I think the author does this part in such detail so that readers understand different drugs and the risks and dangers of them.

As I finished reading Go Ask Alice, I found quite a few quotes that interested me and most are text to self connections. The first quote I found that caught my attention was, “Perhaps it was even right for me to go through all this suffering so that I could be more understanding and tolerant of the rest of humanity.” This quote could be a text to self connection because I agree with the concept of having to go through pain sometimes to gain knowledge and experience. Alice is right that it gives you an understanding maybe about what other people are through if you go through tough times yourself. Another quote that is also a text to self connection is, “Now that I have a goal I feel a lot stronger myself.” I can connect because I think creating goals is a more fun and rewarding way of getting things done. For example making a list of goals and finishing them by crossing them off the list. It makes you feel proud and complete. It’s almost the idea of gammification where you feel that you get a certain amount of points for each goal you complete. There’s a really big idea behind that sort of thing lately within apps and such so I think that it could be considered a text to world connection as well. A more personal text to self connection I found was when Alice explains that her father complimented her on how he could see her being a great wife someday. She explains how she got tears in her eyes, and I can totally relate to the feeling of being so surprised and emotional when parents know exactly what to say and when to say it.

In this book there is an epilogue, and I never would’ve known what that meant, but now I learned that it was a ‘concluding part added to a literary work’. The epilogue in this novel is quite intense. The book ends off where Alice is a whole new person and she’s in the best place possible after going through such tragic times. The epilogue explains that Alice died three weeks after completing her first diary. It is a sad ending, but I think it ties the message of the story together perfectly. If you’re going to warn others about drugs, why not end it big and dramatic? It gets the point across and being the last thing said in the novel, it leaves the impact in the readers’ minds.

There are many other connections and comments that I could have picked out about the last part of this book. Overall, I think it was a bit easy for grade 12 although a good, informative, and thorough read. I might recommend this to someone, but it isn’t necessary to read. Can’t wait to start a new book! 

Personal Addition #4

"Just remember that sometimes, the way you think about a person isn't the way they actually are."
-John Green

I like this quote & agree with it because there are so many times in day to day life where we judge people so naturally without really knowing who they are or what they've been through. You could have had a bad past with a partner and broke up, that doesn't make them the worst person in the world, maybe just to you at the time. I do believe you can get to know someone to a very great depth, and we don't use that chance enough.

quote from enjoyeverymomentt.tumblr.com

Personal Addition #3

Fall is such a pretty season! It's definitely not long enough in Canada and doesn't get enough credit, being the season right before winter. The best thing about fall is the range of color in nature. The change from all green to browns, reds, oranges, and greens is beautiful. Some other things about fall that are my favorite are Halloween, cozier clothing, & warm glasses of tea!


http://www.brainerd.com/falltours/index.html

Personal Addition #2

Here is a picture of Chicago. I went here three summers ago on a family trip and fell in love! It is such a perfect city because you can have the urban housing lifestyle to the left, the beach and bright blue waters to the right, and the bustling downtown city life right in the middle. While I was there, I walked along Navy Pier and the beach, I went shopping through all of downtown, went up 100 stories of the John Hancock Center, and saw the giant bean known as the Cloud Gate. I would recommend that everyone see Chicago at some point in their lives.
http://www.rent-in-chicago.com/

Personal Addition #1

I chose this picture for a few reasons. One reason that I relate to this picture is because I have been at one job for over a year. It has been a great starter job, but I thought I would be gone by now. For the past few months I've been wanting to get out and find a new job so I think the quote, "What am I waiting for?!" suits me. Another reason I chose this is because school has started, work is continuing, and I am on a sports team. These things are taking up time for other activities and especially my time to see other people before we all go off to college/university. I need to wake up and do the things I want to before it's too late.
                                                                                       http://www.postsecret.com/

Digital Footprint

My Digital Footprint consists of many things that represent my online status. There are phone numbers from the last three people I have texted. There are internet websites that I share information about myself and also where I find out information about others such as Facebook, Youtube, Kijiji, Tumblr, and Hotmail. There are images of my accomplishments and hobbies that I am most known for such as soccer teams and tournaments, my job logo, and also a writing accomplishment. There are drawings of some of the pictures I have recently posted on sites such as Facebook and Instagram. All of these drawings that I doodled are part of my person Digital Footprint.

Reading Reflection #2

Go Ask Alice

Anonymous

Pages 55-111

As I continue to read Go Ask Alice by Anonymous, I am very entertained and a bit surprised. This book is full of drama such as Alice and her friend, Chris, running away, both of them getting raped, and returning home only to run away again. From reading through these crazy events, I gathered some questions, comments, predictions, and even some text connections to either myself or things around me.

The first comment I had was about a quote that Chris told Alice. The quote was, “A man’s blood soon runs cold where there is no one around to warm it up.” I don’t believe this is always true, and it’s frustrating that people generalize so often or make assumptions based on just their lives and experiences. I think if you have a very good bond with someone and have been with them for a long time; it is very possible to be apart from each other without losing feelings. The next comment is on the same topic of relationships. Alice talks about how she would do anything for this guy that she just started to have a thing with, and she even says that she would give up college to work to provide for this guy and his dreams. I cannot disagree with this outlook more. I think anytime in the teenage years is too young to give up anything for anyone else. You only have one solid shot at school, and I definitely don’t see how someone could throw that away for someone else. I believe young relationships can work, but you have to add that person to your life, not give things up to fit them in. You work hard in your teenage years, why share that hard work’s earnings? Alice’s bad judgment on people doesn’t just stop at the ‘friends’ who drugged her. She goes out with a guy named Richie thinking he is going into medicine and that he is really into her, but he turns out gay and only using her to sell drugs for him. I think this is good writing on the author’s part because the character should keep their characteristics throughout the book, and Alice definitely does. After Alice and Chris run away, Alice says, “I will never ever under any circumstances use drugs again. They are the root and cause of this whole rotten, stinking mess I am in, and I wish with all my heart and soul that I had never heard of them.” This gave me hope for Alice that maybe she would go home and quit drugs for good because it sounded like she still knows at that point what is going on in her life and where she went wrong. She does eventually return home, but starts using drugs again to the point where she gets caught. This shows a lack of self-discipline in her. The most shocking moment of what I have read of the book so far is when her and Chris take ‘Smack’ and ‘Speed’ that was set up and given to them while they’re living in a different town by themselves, and the two people who gave them these drugs took turns raping them and treating them brutally. That is something that you never want to happen to you in your life and I’m sure you can never forget that. Alice never really carries on her thoughts about it and I’m wondering if it really damaged her the way it would for non-drug users. With the use of drugs come people being able to take advantage of you. I don’t understand why you would let someone have that sort of power over you just so you can have a great high, but I am not in Alice’s place or situation. At first in the book Alice says,”I wish I could talk to my mother about things like this…” Now, after she returns home from running away, she says, “It was a nice warm feeling knowing that we were communicating, and much more than vocally! I really have a great family.” Even with the huge event with her running away, there’s still a bright side, and that bright side is that she is closer with her family after running away than ever before. Since her family is so welcoming and kind, it’s surprising that she gets into this mess, and it makes it very real that anyone can get addicted. A quote that I liked from the pages I read was Alice talking about a guy named George. The quote says, “He’s kind of nothing but I guess that’s the safest kind.” I think this is interesting and possibly a bit true. When you’re ‘nothing’ you don’t have much going on and you’re not caught up in drama and other people. You’re probably thought of to be pretty relaxed and not out there to hurt anyone. There are a few other quotes I picked out of the text because they interested me. The first one is, “After you’ve had it, there isn’t even life without drugs.” Alice also reveals that drug users just exist from one experience to the next. These thoughts mean that maybe while you’re alive, you’re not living in the here and now. You’re not focusing on reality and the world around you. All you care about if you’re doing as many drugs as Alice is about the trips, and in between those you have nothing to live for. Something else Alice suggests that catches my attention is when she says, “I bet the pill is harder to get than drugs­-which shows you how screwed up this world really is!” I think this is true. Drugs are easier to obtain because you don’t always need to go over the counter to pick them up, but that’s also the reason why there are so many faults and deaths dealing with drugs. You never know who made them or what is really in them. One last comment I had was about a little girl’s life in the book. Alice runs away for the second time because she is close to getting caught and letting down her family. While she is taken to doctor’s office in another town by a social worker, she meets Doris and hears her story. Doris explains that her father abused her and threatened her for years. She was then put into a foster home where her brothers did the same to her. She started getting into drugs and became attracted to girls. When Alice meets her, Doris is fourteen and willing to get into bed with anyone and everyone. Even though this is a book, these things still happen in real life and it’s absolutely horrible. I don’t think anyone deserves to have a bad life at home because it carries out throughout your whole life, and usually your parents have a big influence on how you are as a person.

Besides the comments I had while reading this part of Go Ask Alice, I also had some text to self connections. One example of this is when Alice explains that her and Chris are thinking about quitting their jobs because it’s getting so that they have no time to do the things they really want to do. I think everyone feels at some point that all they’re doing is working, and I know I’ve had that thought of quitting and doing all the other things that I would actually enjoy doing. Another text to self connection that I found was about Christmas. Alice says that she wanted to have her own little special and sacred part of the day to review, repent, and recommit herself. I feel like I go through the same thing around Christmas time. It’s a holiday to really renew yourself and touch up everything you’ve been longing to about yourself.

One word I found in this section of reading that I did not know before is ‘asinine’. This means to be extremely stupid or foolish.

This book is written as a journal and you asked what some of the benefits/drawbacks of this style of writing were. A benefit of this style is that it is very detailed and you get to go deep into the journal writer’s life. A drawback is that you rarely get to hear about other peoples’ feelings which can definitely make it a whole different story. I have read this book before and I am half done reading it for the second time.

Overall I’m enjoying this book and having an easy time picking out connections, comments, and questions. 

Rambling Autobiography

I was born five years before a millennium, when the price of a dozen eggs was eighty-seven cents. I love the quiet, calm, and cuddly demeanor of a kitten. I can't resist the melting, icy chocolate treat called a fudgesicle. I rush home from wherever I am just to slip into some ragged, worn-in sweats. When I was six I didn't understand what nail polish remover was and put it all over the bathroom. So, my parents built me a tree fort; the most breath-takingly magnificent tree fort I had ever laid my eyes on. I lied to my best friend when I was younger and told her I was from Thailand; she believed me. I can still smell old carpet and pastries when I think of my grandparents' house. I can't think of a better sound than nature, such as birds chirping, raindrops pattering against the windows, and the wind blowing through the trees. I am just a student in high school, but I aspire to be more than just that.