"My experience"

This experience of the blog has being different because I have never done things like this. I think is better this way because we can save the paper and help our planet. In this blog we can write evrything we want without concerning of what poelple can say to us in the classroom. This really help us to express ourselves without any fear. Because some people are shy and do not dare to esxpress their thoughts talking, so this blog help us to express ourselves by writting our thoughts. I like this experience an I prefered this way rather than doing a porfolio.

"Daisy Miller"

This novel is about a woman who is American and lived in Rome, a total different culture. The real problem is that she is dating a guy named Giovanelli and they are always together and alone, no chaperon. And everyone around her are complaining about this situation, because they cannot stand an unmarried woman alone with a man; they have to be accompanied.

I think that Daisy is not a bad girl for doing all this because she is doing nothing bad, they are just enyoing the place. I thibk that everyone is misjudging her, because of her culture. I mean if Daisy is not part of that culture they shopuld not judge her, they should help her understand their culture. S I think that they are all overreacting, because she is doing nothing, but absolutely nothing wrong. They are just friends. But we see this other man always carring about her, whom is in love with her. Because he cannot leave them alone, he is always after her no matter what. Because he cares about her, and what people say about her. He is always trying to make Daisy understand the situation she is in.

And at the end when they are at the Coloseum she got infected with Malaria, for not listening to him. She died couple of weeks later, and he felt guilty of it. Because he reaches a point that he started to believe in everything people said about her. So after she died he regrest for everything, for not fighting enough for her.

"Lolita in Tehran"

This novel is all about memories of the author as he teaches American literature in Tehran University. In the second semester he gave to his students to read Daisy Miller and Washington Square. But both of them were a controversy because of the Islam culture. Those two novels were about Americans, that is why they argued so much about it.

This novel really shows how hard can be to live in such a culture that you can do absolute nothing. They underestimate the women, they do not allow the women to do anything except housework. They should be dress a way that covers their whole body, and if they show something they can go to prison or get killed. Of course we are talking about a novel of the 70s were the culture was very strict for everyone. I really admire the author because for all he had been through he knew how to go for his goals. I mean he is an Islamic and went to study to America and then came back to teach the Islamic students about a different country, a different culture that in some way affects their minds. I think that this novel is a great example of how to pursue our dreams no matter of the difficulties we are being through. We can do anything we really want, if we fight for it.

"The Secret life of Bees"

The Secret life of Bees is a movie that shows how things were couple of years ago. When the racism was very strict, that black people could not be seen with white people, because they will get punished. Just like Zach got kicked when he went to the movies with Lilly. it is hard to imagine how things were back then. i cannot imagine how much hate a people can have to another for just a skin color. I mean everyone is different thats the fun of life, because if we all were alike life will be boring.

I cannot understand why the racism started, just because they thought they were perfect because they were white, and black people were just a simply mistake. I mean black peolpe had been through the history and they were treated like crap. They are human beings like you and me. And I think there is no reason to treat a person that way, becuase they also feel, they think, they breath, they hear, we are all alike in that way, we all have needs, we all need to be heard, need to be helped. And that type of person is reflected in August Boatwright. She never saw the color of anyone, she saw the person, their personality, their way of being. Thats how things should be, not by color, but judge by personality.

The meaning of the title is that the bees have a secret way of acting that nobody understand. And all they need is love, just like us. So we have to send the bees love. That's what we should be doing between us, the people. We are the only animal that thinks and we should know better, we should think more in the others than in us. Because thinking of us all the time hurts the rest of the people, specially the ones we care most. So we shoul follow the example of August and care about others, instead of rejecting them.

Marriage

In the project we made about marriage I did a research on the marriage of China. And what I found was that the traditional marriage in China has different procedures: matchmaking, engagement, betrothal presents, meeting the bride, three bows and drinking wedlock wine. The first, the matchmaking is that a matchmaker woos the girl in the boy’s behalf and asks the age and year of birth of the girl and then goes to a fortune-teller to predict their future. After that comes the engagement which is a ceremony involving an exchange of certificates which tells the birthday of each other, including the hour of birth. Then comes the betrothal presents that are gifts sent to the girl’s family. Then the groom goes to her house to meet her, and the bride is veiled and carried with the sound of drums and in a sedan-chair for the wedding. After that comes the three bows also called bow to the heaven and earth. This is the most important rite ceremony; the couple must stand side by side and tell three bows, one for the earth, heaven and ancestors, second to their families and third to each other. And finally the most exciting procedure of all and is drinking the wedlock wine.

I choose this type of marriage because I found really different to what we are used to. I mean the couple will no meet each other until tat day in which they are getting married. If that marriage begins to be practiced here people could no make it, because we are used to choose our couple, not that our parent choose them. So I think that that should not be done because everyone has the right to be happy with their decision.

"George and the pink house"

This story is about a man who lived in a pink house, tearing apart, who abused of his family and killed his wife. But then his son got older and studied, her daughter got married and he re-married but she left him. Then a lot of women arrived as well as a lot of sailors, but after a while George ended alone, and few days later he died.

In this story we can see the reality of our present. We think that all the abuse between couples and families has ended, but it has increased today. Abuse has become a daily news. But this story reflects how a family directly affected by the abuse of a father could go on without him. I mean Elias studied, he could get prepared academically. His daughter Dolly got married. Everyone had what they wanted except for George, who died all alone by himself in his house. Maybe he was not conscience of what he did, maybe he did it because he was raised that same way. But even thou he was raised like that I had always thought that we have the right to decide how are we going to be after we are married, we choose how we are going to raise our kids, and how are we going to be with our couples. Its all our choice, nothing else.

"The Storm"

This story is about a storm that arrive to the town and disturbed everyone, specially Calixta Bibi was not home, and he was only four years. But then Alcee arrived to Calixta's place and helped her around with the clothes that were hanging outside. Then they both went inside and Alcee tried to clam Calixta's worries, so he hugged her and eventually they were involved in passion. Then the storm stopped and Alcee left and Bibi and Bobinot arrived. She was happy to see that they were safe. And this story end when Alcee send a letter to hid wife telling her to take more time with vacations that he was OK. And his wife was happy with the news and stayed.

In this story we can see how the factor storm atemorizes everyone. At the beggining Calixta did not knew that the strorm was coming and she was seated relaxing waiting for Bibi. And when the storm came Calixta was really worried about Bibi. This story shows us how people feel when their kids are gone. Because the important thing here is not the storm is the factor that Bibi left the house. And she was worried about him because she did not knew where they were. This shows how a parent should be with their children at all times.

"A worn path"

In this story we can see how an old woman can get what she wants no matter what. In the development of this story is this old lady who wants to get to town to get medicine for her grandson. But in the way she found some conflicts. First she found a dog who was big and black, little scary, then she saw a hunter near by and hew saw her. Then he pointed a gun to her face but she was not scared. She walked all the Way to the town and being there she forgot what she was going to do.

This story is very encouraging, because Phoenix being an old lady she could get what she wanted, no matter how hard she had to try she did it. She found problems in the way but she handle them until solve them. This story remind me of two old woman in my church. They are pretty old but even thou of their age they walk themselves to the church, back to their homes, to the supermarket and back home. For everything they have to do they walk all the way. They get church really early to clean it, they sweep, mop, they do everything. They have health conditions but they do not think of that they think of doing something for God. Because the service is the biggest ministry of all. This really encourage us the young people to do the same, to fight for what we want, to cross all problems to meet our goal.

"A walk to the Jetty"

"A walk to the jetty" this is a chapter of Anni John in which she is leaving her country to study. She did not wanted to leave, she did not wanted to be a nurse, but she had to go. The jetty means a new step, a new life for Annie even thou she do no wanted to jump from being and adolescent to be a youth. She was used to her life. She either like it, because she have change. Her attitude, the things she liked, she is older now, so her mind is in a different level. But the problem is that she does not want to move to a new level. It is not only a different life at education but also a new life socially, a new place, new people but still the same Annie.

In this story she realizes that she have change, when she thought that her parents changed, it was all about her. Annie thinks so different that her mother, I mean Annie does not want to get married because of her role models. Her mother is married to a man that is 33 years older than her mom, and her mother have to take care of him because he is old already. And Annie seeing all that she does not want to be marry. I think that Annie is taking everything way to fast. I mean she is just 17 years old, and she is thinking of marriage already. I think that the character of Annie is a critic to the society. Because in the past women were born just to get married and take care of kids. So Annie not wanting to get married, is like criticizing the society, because the society makes the rules. And Annie is like the opposite of the rest of the girls. In the novel the example is Gwen. Gwen is already engage and is getting married in a year, so that's the reality of their society, the are supposed to get married.

"Columbus in Chains"

"Columbus in Chains" is all about a picture in a book that Annie had. In that picture is Christopher Columbus tied up with chains in feet and hands. Annie is always critizizing Columbus and Mrs. Edwards is mad because he Discovered the land the lived on. And Mrs. Edwards think that Annie is being disrespectful to the history. And send her to the mistress, and as a punishment she told her to write the two volumes of Paradise Lost which is the history of the discovery of Antigua.

But I think that Annie's attitude is not right but neither is bad. Because everyone has the freedom to express their thoughts, no matter what. But Annie is being more realistic. Because Columbus could discover the land but not the right way. Because the spaniards on those voyayes were looking for gold to enrich themselves and they went land, to land exploting, abusing with the people that live on the lands. Columbus never respected their original culture and come to impose a new culture and religion eventhough that wasn't what they believed on.

In some way I agee with Annie because the perspective that she has isn't the past is what they did to make them what they are. What she wrote "A great man no longer just get up and go" What she is trying to say is that no man called great can come change everything by force and then just leave like that without fixing things back. Columbus just came and go. So he should not be great to just come and go. Annie is thinking in the past and the rest just think in the present in themselves. But Annie is thinking in her ancestor that suffered everything Columbus came to do, the explotation her ancestors had to stand.

I think this chapter is trying to make them react about the history behind the present. She is trying to let people know the truth about the history. And I think Mrs. Edwards should listened first instead of punishing her for thinking different, for expressing their thoughts.

"To Hell with Dying"

This story is about a man who had earned the affection of a family had always been there for him. He was a smoker, drinker but besides everything he did he had always been there for the kids. They were two kids from his neighborhood. First it was the boy, but in the story the boy and Mr. Sweet were not together that much as his sister and Mr. Sweet. Mr. Sweet knew how to make her laugh. And she knew how to make him gain strength when he was about to die. Her father every time he was about to die, he told Mr. Sweet this phrase: "To hell with dying, these kids need you".

As I understand it, this story in a way is a message to the people, because every time Mr. Sweet was sick the girl and her family always try to help him to live, but we could see that at the end she could not do anything for him. When the death is there for us, when our moment arrives there's nothing we can do. No matter how hard we try we cannot control things like that because we are not God, to make people live longer. In the time the story was written the science and medicine was not at its highest point like now, that we have anything for every pain we feel. In that moment it was the nature of the body that take care of everything. Diseases were not under control the disease control the human. There was nothing they could do.

As we can see these family was something special because they were the only ones that causes effects on Mr. Sweet. Since the beginning the two kids were always with Mr. Sweet, they were like his grandchildren. So they were inside his heart, they were tied to his feelings, because he was always carrying and worrying for them. It was the strong relationship that they had that gave her the power to cause an effect on the moment Mr. Sweet was about to die. And we can see this because in the story Alice said that everyone in the neighborhood looked for them every time Mr. Sweet was sick. They did not looked for anyone else except for them. This means that they have a strong, bonded relationship, it is like if they were family. They are, maybe not blood family but they reacted like family. Because every time they went to look for the family they did not waste a second and run over to Mr. Sweet's place. So I think this story shows us how to treat and react to the family.

Everyday Use

Everyday use is a story of a woman, a black woman and two kids. She started the story describing her backyard that she made it with Maggie. She was humble, hard worker, caring person. After that she talks about a TV show. And she said that the TV program only shows a dream of life, a dream of how they want to live. But reality is not that easy to live, life is a lot more complicated than what the show describes. The show hides the reality behind an imagination. In reality she is fat and with man-working hands, because when she was younger she lived during segregation. She does not have education because of the segregation, but her kids do have education and enjoy it.

Her two kids are two totally different personalities describing the society. Dee was the imagination, she was always dreaming just like the TV. Dee has nice hair and fuller figure, she represents the white people. She is always walking with her face up and always dreaming of life, a better life. Maggie was different she always walk with her head down and eyes on the ground feet in shuffle since they lost their first house. Dee hated the house but Maggie loved it. She enjoys living there. Dee has a few friends but Maggie has one. Dee was so ashamed of her life that she always leaves with her friends. Dee was so ashamed that she changes her name to Wangero.

The story’s subtitle For your Grandmamma is because at the middle of the story Dee confronts her mother because she wanted something her grandmamma made. But She was saving that to Maggie’s wedding. But Dee was impulsive and wanted that piece nothing else. Maggie gave it to her because she felt so bad that Dee does not have anything even though she was never home. Dee wanted a better life; she wanted the best and left the worst to Maggie.

This story as I understand it is cultural and ethical. Because they represent a culture of African American people during a period of time that was not like ours in present. In that moment there were very less opportunities to an African American to develop and be somebody in the society. After all Dee is the chosen of the family to be that somebody, but then Dee really changed her personality when she moved from the house. She disrespected her family by taking away the only thing they have left, the only thing her mom preserve for Maggie, and totally disrespect her mother by taking everything with a value in her house. Dee left them with nothing.

I think this story is just the reflection of most people that do the same thing. That thinking of them they forget of their families and leave them with nothing. And it is not only in that time but in present we see it a lot. Maybe not under the same circumstances but the same situation.

A visit to the doctor

When I was a kid I was afraid of needles. One day my dad took me to the doctor to inject me the hepatitis medicine. When I got to the doctors office I was relaxed because the doctor started making jokes and entertaining me. He did a lot to keep me in calm, just for that moment I was. After all that he sat me in a high chair and went to his desk. He opened a drawer and took out some alcohol prep pads and a little bottle of medicine with an injection. When I saw all those stuff I got scared and started crying and yelled my dad to put me down of that chair.

The doctor got closed and opened the alcohol pads and started to put me the alcohol pads on my shoulder. I started to hit him with my feet to make him go away but it did not worked. My dad came to hold me and my mom holded my feet. I could not do anything else so I stoped forcing with the doctor and my parents. My dad put his shirt in my mouth to bite it to avoid the pain in my shoulder. The doctor pinched me and with the shirt in my mouth it hurt anyways. I jumped off the chair and left the office. I was mad because I did not wanted to be injected. It hurts a lot. From that moment on I started hating the medicine.

The END!!!!!