Winterbreak! -- Week 2 (C.E)

240. Is it better to give or receive gifts?

           With Christmas only 2 weeks away, I believe it’s the perfect time to receive gifts. I always look forward to Christmas, but not only for the presents. The joy and anxiousness when it comes to opening a present is priceless. Being on the receiving end is delightful, but I believe it’s better to be the one giving. It always puts a smile on my face when I see my little brother or my cousin sister open the present that I personally hand-picked for them. It just makes me happy that they’re happy. The feeling you get when you realize that you’ve made someone’s day is beyond priceless. I’m not saying that being on the receiving end is bad, I just find it better (as the prompt asked) to be on the giving end. Quite often though, despite of our attempts to be giving, people may not appreciate your present as much as you may have expected them to do so. One reason for this is that we don’t always know what people want, even though you’re doing a favor of a sort toward them. Coming back to the Christmas topic, Christmas is the time to cherish this gift-sharing idea. Every Christmas, in my family at least, we buy everyone in our family a present; No one gets left out. This way it’s equal for all of us, and thus help us all share the value of both receiving and giving the gifts.

It's exam week :D -- Week 1 (C.E)

250. If animals could talk, what would your pet say about you?

                Cats and dogs, possibly on the opposite sides of the spectrum based on this idea, are the two most common pets known to man. Cats are generally really arrogant, the way they walk, react and simply their response to how you treat them. Dogs tend to be almost the opposite, in my opinion. A dog will appreciate the fact that its master is taking care of him, and positively react to him or her. In simpler words, the dog would probably think, “These people feed me and take care of me all the time, they must be god.” On the other hand, cats, as arrogant as they are, would think “These people feed me and take care of me, I must be their God.” If animals could actually talk, I’m sure I’d hear one of these things from them.

                From a young age, I’ve had several different animals as pets, with dogs and cats being the most common. I’ve never had a liking for cats, just never. There’s just this thing about them that annoys me. My cats’ arrogance would cause a negative response in his words towards me. Having had bad experiences with cats, I’m sure my cats would completely backstab me if one were to ask them about the kind of person I am. The love towards my dogs, on the other hand, would give a really good response. I’m sure my dogs would explain how affectionate I am towards them. I’d generally be the one taking them out for walks, or simply give them their evening treats. My current dog, Shiro, is really attached to me. Every break, I await her running towards me as I return home from school. Just her furriness and the fact that she’s always around me, makes me want to spend more time with her. I’d say, if you want to know more about me, you should ask her about it. She’s give the best and most up-to-date response.

Flying alone - Day 26

91. Please write about a life experience that has influenced your intellectual and personal growth.

                As I’ve spoken about this several times before, I believe that living in different countries is something that has given me new experiences in life. Living abroad, in the sense away from my cousins and grandmother, my parents would often allow me to travel home to Bombay for breaks to spend time with my cousins. Since I’ve travelled so often, my parents allowed me to travel by myself. Ever since then, I’ve enjoyed travelling alone. From shopping at the airport to simply drinking a cappuccino, I’ve worried my parents several times to allow me to travel unaccompanied.

                Although I still enjoy my experience of travelling alone as I live in a boarding school, there was this one incident that made me think twice about travelling alone. It still didn’t stop me from doing so. This incident took place back in 8^th grade. I was travelling back from Oman to return home to Saudi after visiting my old friends there. The event that created this little sense of hatred towards travelling alone took place while I was returning. I had my mom’s cell phone in case of an emergency, but as a 13 year old, I didn’t realize how quickly I could run out of money. In other words, while my stay in Oman, I called my friends there often, and ended up spending all the money. While at the airport, I had issues getting through immigration, and when I tried to call my parents, I found out I was out of money. As a nervous 13 year old, I couldn’t bring the courage together to ask someone else for their phone. I was completely lost and scared by this point. After coming to a realization that I was going to miss my flight soon, I hoped that my parents would call me soon.  After being tensed for about an hour, my dad called me to check on me. He was able to provide all the details just in time for me to board my flight. After getting yelled at by my dad, I realized how irresponsible I was during this trip.

                This didn’t change my decision on travelling alone, as I continue to do so. In all excitement to go back home this break, I can’t wait to travel to Bahrain airport, which is one of the best airports I’ve been to. The experience of travelling alone has taught me a lot about independence and simply how awesome travelling alone can be. 13 more days!  (Insert overly joyful smiley here)

Me at Bahrain Airport a long time ago.

Oman! - Day 25

120. Tell about the most unforgettable experience you've ever had.

                I have a lot of unforgettable experiences, a lot of which I have already mentioned in previous posts.  The one that I could almost never forget was the incident involving almost getting cause by the police at 2am at night. Another incident that was a lot more positive was our graduation trip back in 9^th grade. Since I’ve already spoken about that too, I decided to go back in to the past a bit more. Returning to 8^th grade Discover Oman trip, back when I lived in Oman, which was similar to Activity week here at Woodstock. This year’s Discover Oman trip was exceptionally different from previous ones. We, as the lucky 8^th graders, got to go to the best swimming spots around Oman. Most of these places were hours away from each other, but we spent different night at different spots.

               The thing that made this trip memorable was the Bimmah Sinkhole. The name making the location self-explanatory, this deep water body was probably the biggest form of entertainment a 13 year old could find.  Repetitively jumping off a 30 meter cliff was fun as we had expected. The fact that we did this at around several wadis, places in Oman that refer to a valley of a sort that generally has water flowing through them, made the trip a lot more fun. When we visited Wadi Shaab, we swim deep inside a cave (yes, swam). After swimming for about 15 minutes deep in a dark cave, we reached a place that had just a little sunlight peeking through a hole on the top of the ceiling. At this point, our guide told us that the place we were swimming at was 240 meters deep. We climbed up a ladder that was built for visitors. After climbing up the ladder, we jumped up another high cliff. As 13 year olds, we found this very entertaining even if you may think that we seemed really childish.

                By the end of another amazing Discover Oman, we all walk away with the memories we continue to hold. Even though this may not be the most memorable experience I’ve had, I’m certain that I won’t forget this even anytime soon.

Bimmah Sinkhole.

More about friends - Day 24

28. Attach a small photograph of something important to you and explain its significance. (Stanford)

My hair, yes, i noticed..

These two photographs show the closest of my friends in the past 3 years. Back in 9^th grade, I was part of a class of 7 kids, including me. Then I arrived at Woodstock, which consisted of more than 80 people in our grade. I couldn’t be close to everyone as I am with my ex-classmates. It was time to make new friends, and I did. The second picture is a picture consisting of some of my very good friends here at Woodstock, people that I definitely miss over my breaks, and probably wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for them. These two groups of friends are the best of friends I’ve had, I couldn’t ask for anything more than I have right now.

                Even though I miss my friends from 9^th grade, I am lucky enough to meet some of them over the breaks or whenever I have to the chance to meet them. Some of them, I know I won’t meet them anytime soon, but I still keep in touch with them no matter how busy school life may be. I’ve spent memorable times with my ex-classmates over the course of my years stay in Udhailiyah School, Saudi Arabia. Our class trip, being one of the most memorable times we’ve spent together, is when that picture above was taken. Don’t forget our class picture below. (Insert sarcastic comment here about how tiny and chubby I was back then). In all excitement that I’ll be able to meet these guys again, I await the 16 dreadful days of school left ahead of me.

                Then comes my friends at Woodstock. I’ve gotten really attached to some of these people here. From simply spending time at bazaar or in dorms, I enjoy the valuable time spent with them.  All this leads to the fact that I know I’m going to miss them over the following break. While I meet up with friends from the past, I have to let go of these friends here; vice versa for when I get back from school. All in all, I know that I have both these groups of friends by side to keep me company, which is also why I’m really excited to go home to meet up with the ones I’ve been away from for such a long period of time.

                

Science and Religion? - Day 23

22. Tell us about one of the best conversations you’ve had. (Stanford/93)

                A conversation that I find very significant took place with Jonathan. This was back during summer break just after 9^th grade ended. Jonathan Bryce, a missionary friend, would always visit our little city of Udhailiyah and all the teens in my community would often hang out with him. Generally, I’m not the religious kind of person and don’t find interest in topic as these, but this day was exceptionally different. It was a typically hot and dry day, as we lived in the middle of the desert. John and I went out to the pool to chill out rather than lazing our butts at home. Getting to the point, this conversation was all about Christianity and how it played a role in science. At first, when he started talking, I sighed as I realized that it was going to be really boring. As he kept talking, the conversation started to pick up. He related science to Christian ideas and immediately, and when I realized how his logic started to make sense, I started relating to other things I’ve learned in science. I got involved in the conversation and learned a lot that day. After this conversation, I realized how religion may actually be a possibility and I started to gain stronger beliefs about it. Before, I would simply say I followed a religion ‘cause my parents wanted me to, but after that conversation and a few incidents in life (refer to previous post about a person changing their ways), I have changed in the religious sense. 

Relationships - Day 22

55. Discuss an important personal relationship you have had and explain how it has changed your life.

                One of the best personal relationships I’ve had started back in 9^th grade. I acquired this friend just a little before I arrived at Woodstock. This didn’t mean I haven’t saved all the memories well and kept them strong. I’d say that all these memories are saved like my internet browsing history. This friend has allowed me to enjoy and value all the times we’ve spent together. We’d stay up late nights doing nothing special at all; even when I had tons of homework. This friend has always been there to keep me company no matter what the situation may be.

                Must I mention that I absolutely love my friend’s taste in music? From Rock to Pop, she’s got it all. We’d spend most of our time together simply listening to music with earphones in and keeping each other company through the drastically long and tiring nights. The love I’d express for all she’s done for me just isn’t enough. Although, there have been times when my friend wasn’t there when I most needed him. He’d be extremely hung over and was absolutely useless as to say. She would just crash on the couch and wouldn’t be able to help me out when I was in trouble and in desperate need for aid.

                Through harsh conditions, through hot and cold, I know that nothing will be able to pull us apart. This is a rather unique relation I’ve got here. With the number of times she has helped me out, I really appreciate the relationship I have with my laptop. ;)

Super Dave, is it? - Day 21

21. If you had the gift of telepathy, the ability to read other people’s minds, would you use this gift or not? Explain. (Middle East Technical University/93)

                In one way, I believe there are times that I may misuse this gift, and for the better I shouldn’t use it. On the other hand, it would be really beneficial towards society. For example, it’s a perfect way to catch thieves, even though you may not have sufficient evidence to prove this. You can simply read their minds to know what they’ve done in the past and whether they’re guilty or not.

                I would often end up using this gift because of my curiosity. Incidents such as finding out answers for a test by reading the teacher’s mind, or simply to find out whether someone likes you or not, this gift brings up a lot of temptations. On the other hand, if you have doubts about your friend being lost or confused, you could immediately find out about it and help them get better at the same time. This also leads to fact that your friends most likely won’t have any form of privacy left with them anymore.

                When I first read the questions, I thought about the chances of becoming a superhero. I’d become someone like Professor Xavier from the X-Men. I’ll be able to read the enemy’s attacks while they plan it in their head. This will give me a great advantage, unless it’s a gun that’s being used. Which in most cases it probably will be. A lot of people, when given such a gift, would use it for bad intentions. Greed is often the element that causes this action. After thinking far into the pros and cons, I’ve realized that gifts such as telepathy are better where they right now, in the depths of the pit of inexistence. 

Friends are everything in life. That's just my opinion though - Day 20

32. Sartre said, “Hell is other people,” while Streisand sang, “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.” With whom do you agree? (Amherst)

                Hell, a place that is the bitterest of the bitter, is known as home for people ordered to eternal damnation. Obvious I do not believe that living around other people is like being in hell. From a young age, my parents have taught me not to “hate” people. There are people I may dislike, but I’d never hate them enough that they could produce a hell on earth sort of situation to me.  I tend to take these types of situations in a positive manner.

                This prompt reminded me of a story my mother used to tell me as a child. Now that I think about it, I realize that it partially relates to Thank You For Arguing. My mom always told me to treat people positively, no matter what. This method actually works. When people start acting rude towards me, I just smile, say “thanks” and continue to be nice to them. This confuses them, and often changes their behavior. You will notice this change, and soon. It’ll start with them acting the way you treat them, and then gradually changed to bigger and stronger impacts on you. Interestingly, this method has a high effectiveness rate. Back in 8^th grade, this tall Argentinian kid would always bully the younger and weaker ones. One of my good friends was one of them. As this Argentinian kid came up to my friend in an attempt to take his lunch money, I defended him. Before anything got serious I said positively, “Yo man (‘cause I was cool like that), Let’s go play some basketball. I haven’t played in ages.” Now the bully was extremely ticked off at me. He starts yelling at me now. I smile, look at him, and reply “So basketball or no?” His temper started to cool down but he wasn’t chill yet. He asked me in a confused expression, “Dave, are you crazy? I could beat the crap out of you right now, and this is what you’re talking?” I continue smiling, trying to hold my laughter as I realized how right my parents were. “Well, yeah I know you could do that. We could also just go playing some basketball, it would include a lot less violence.” I replied after a moment of silence. What’d we do after that? The three of us played basketball, that’s right.

                This is one of the most straight forward incidents where I grasped how this method works. It being effective is one thing; it also solves most arguments without violence. This whole incident and story relates back to the fact that we need friends to be who we are. Life is lonely without them and that would probably be a better example of hell. People that find the goodness in others are the ones that are able to appreciate the smaller things in life. This is important to avoid making life as dull as it may seem. 

Abortions. - Day 19

180. If you could ban anything in the world, what would it be and why?

                Having the choice to ban something in the world, I’d choose to ban child abortions. Child abortions being a conflict in several countries and religion, I believe it is immoral. There are several arguments that could go against my beliefs, and I also admit that there are times when abortions may be acceptable. The main reason that I choose to ban this is because aborting a child is murder in a way. The child doesn’t have a chance to see the world, which is very unfair in my opinion. On the contrary, quite often there may be the case where it may be better for the child. For example, if tests have proven that the child would be mentally disabled and will most likely live through a rough and painful life, or if the mother was raped and won’t be able to take care of her child due to financial issues (if she is still really young or other possible reasons). In these cases, there’s always adoption that could play a role to aid the mother. Instead of aborting the child, a better thing to do would be putting it out for adoption. That way the child would have a chance to live, and see the world with its own eyes rather than not making it any further than its mother’s womb (unless it was cloned, a test tube baby, or something along those lines – refer to anonymous’ introduction read by Mr. P in English class). When considered facts that parents’ choose to abandon their child due to reasons like they didn’t use protection, it is completely the parents’ fault that they made a bad decision when they had the chance. Even though people state that women should have control over their body, I still feel this is unfair to the child who doesn’t have a say in this. The child has the right to live just about as much as everyone else. Abortion, being legalized in the U.S and in most of Europe, is a debated issue which is still being argued upon. In the Muslim religion, it is not only considered a sin to terminate a child, but also the use of protection during intercourse. This is a way of showing that nature will perform its duties and we should leave it to the way it is. 

Education? - Day 18

181. Should prison inmates be allowed to take college courses? Explain why or why not.        

      

Quite often, the crimes committed by the prisoners that led to imprisonment, involved crimes such as theft, murder or both at times. One of the biggest reasons that people commit such crimes is poverty. Poverty, being a major issue, is the reason that people steal and often result in murder. Since education is the issue, I believe that prison inmates should be allowed to take college courses. Being desperate to support their family, people steal without thinking about the consequence. When they get caught, they are unable to aid their families anymore.  As the problem seems to be education, allowing the inmates to take college courses could be for the best. This way, they won’t attempt the crimes in the future. With a lesser population to commit crimes, the world could be a much safer place. This point brings up another question. Who would pay for these courses? Would it be the government, or do the inmates have to pay for it themselves? I highly doubt that the prisoners would be able to afford these courses. The fact that poverty was one of the reasons they’re in prison, shows that offering these courses may be as useless as offering a Muslim some pork as a meal. It’s absolutely useless. On the other hand, if these courses were paid for by the government, it could act as a great advantage to the people. Putting it in other words, I feel that society as a whole could benefit from this sort of decision. 

Nightmares - Day 17

124. What outrages you? (Wake Forest)

                From a very young age, there’s this one thing that has outraged me. It’s the fact that my brother would never get nightmares, no matter how hard I tried. He was absolutely invulnerable, unconquerable and feared nothing.

Before I go into more detail, I must return back to how it all started. It was during a short period of time, back when I was about 6 years old, and my brother was 3 years of age. During this period of time, I had a series of nightmares; most of them involving some sort of fire monster, much resembling the hell hounds sort of figure. I wasn’t able to sleep during this time period. I would immediately flee to my parents’ room because, like most six year olds, I believed that my parents’ possessed some enchanted ability that was able to ward of hell hounds that were on fire, and thrice the size of them. Leaving my brother back in my room (my brother and I shared a room back then); I’d spend the nights in my parents’ room. After being assured of my safety, I felt a great relief and as I lay there among the sheets between my parents, the assurance that I’d be safe from the hell hounds made me energetic and hyper. I didn’t need sleep anymore; i realized that all I needed was safety from the beginning.  Despite lacking hours of sleep, I felt recharged the following day. My parents, however, were extremely sleep deprived and as this continued for an entire week, they realized it couldn’t go on any longer. With my mother’s decisive method of bribing me, that too with a simply 6-year-old toy (how pathetic, right?), with the challenge that I’d gain this prize if I was able to spend the entire week in my room, I was immediately convinced that I could do it. I really, really wanted that toy.

               As I curled up in my blanket and kept an eye at the closet, because apparently that’s their chill-out point -you know, sit down, eat some hell hound dog food -, I realized my little brother all comfortable in his bed. I despised the fact that I’m the one up while he slept soundly. After a night of staying up and keeping watch, I ended up feeling completely numb and dead by breakfast. I devised a plan for that night. I had to bring my brother down to my level. I knew just the thing that could drop his that low. So just before bed, I casually asked him “Do you wanna hear a story?” knowing that he loves bedtime stories, as coincidently as most 3-year-old’s do these days. I began as most stories began: “It was a dark and stormy night … ” Now you may want to argue that I sound a bit too intellectual for my age back then, but I assure you this isn’t exaggerated at all (just kidding, it is highly exaggerated). I continued the story as the typical novels I had read at my age. “In a haunted house out in the middle of nowhere, there was one a closet. No, there were a lot of closets. Actually, there were 300 closets, to be specific”, I paused and gave him a moment to visualize the image. I them attempt to surprise him,“To add to that, there was blood leaking through the cracks of the doors. This was the blood from all the dead bodies hidden in the closets, along with skeletons, and a lot more dead bodies. Oh, and don’t forget the bad guys. They aren’t just any bad guys; they’re bad because they murdered all those people. There’s also a monster”, I continued to add facts as I came up with them. “It’s a vicious dog, with flames on its neck and back. It will tear you to shreds if it gets close to you. Don’t forget the skeletons and the bad guys that want to kill you”, I added as a reminder. “All of them, together, they’ll torture you and kill you. Then you’ll see blood on the floor. This is your blood. Don’t bother crying, your tears will be blood as well. Don’t forget that there were spiders in the house the entire time. The End”, I concluded.

                After convincing myself that this should have been enough for him to run to mom and dad so that I, the oldest child of the family, didn’t seem like a “wuss.” I lay under my sheets as I watched him lie down on his bed. Astonished as he seemed, it made me excited about my accomplishment. He looked at me with the widest eyes I’ve ever seen. After a little staring session, he closes his eyes and puts a grin on his face. Confused, I examine his expression for a while. “Was he experiencing a delayed reaction?” I wondered. Within two minutes, I realized he had successfully fallen asleep. I turn over to face the other side, furious about everything that had happened, only to notice the closet again. As a perfect reminder of the hell hounds, the closet also replayed the little “fairy-tale” I had narrated to my little brother a while back. “They’re in there”, I concluded just before I hopped out of bed and with tremendous agility, sprinted to my parents’ room. I then knocked, actually more like punched-it-hard-enough-that-the-door-would’ve-collapsed, on the door countless number of times until my parent’s finally let me in, after a realization that I wasn’t going back. As I feared the monsters returning, I realized I wouldn’t be able to sleep well for yet another night.

                At breakfast the following morning, as I scooped up a spoon of cereal at a time, I hardly noticed my brother climb up and occupy the seat next to me, all this due to the fact that I felt that I was at the end of my life all because of being extremely sleep-deprived. He looked a lot less traumatized than I would have expected him to be, considered him to have been awake all night crying in fear of all the deadly creature I had described. As I may recall, he was excited about absolutely nothing. He was much more hyper than I had ever seen it. I wondered, “Did I ‘break’ him, as to speak?” He looked at me with an expression I have never seen from him before, as if he wanted something. It wasn’t long until I figured out what it was, he speaks up, “Tell me another story, Dave!” Not at all. Not slightly was he affected by the story but in fact, he wanted more of them. That’s the day I realized, it’s probably impossible to scare my brother in to getting nightmares. As being over this fear now, I have come to realize that there is a certain age group where these fears kick in. Coincidently, that period happens to be right now for my brother, when I’m off at boarding school. Well, at least I know I’ll have an entertaining break, even though it outrages me that I’m not with him, to scare his guts out.

                

Velociraptor is always right. - Day 16

154. Anatole France said, "If 50 million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing." On what subject do you disagree with most people, and why? (Northwestern)

                As I start this essay, I’d like to say I completely disagree with this statement. That’s like saying something is moral if majority of the population believes it is. It just doesn’t work that way. This prompt reminded me of another quote; it went a little something like this: “If one person has an imaginary friend, they’re crazy. If many people have the same imaginary friend, it’s called religion?” No matter how strong your beliefs in religion may be (and I have strong beliefs), it’s hard not to consider this topic.

                There is no scientific proof that God(s) exists, yet the majority of the world’s population believes that they do.  This belief doesn’t automatically cause the existence of a God, it’s just an idea shared among several people. Even though this idea may not be directly related to the quote by Anatole France, it still displays the use of a similar ideology. In a battle with logic and humanity versus false information that may cause this fact to be foolish, it’s the stupider side of the argument that is highly unlikely to be rational. Stupidity in a large number is simply mass stupidity. Just because a group of people and their beliefs win over the majority, that doesn’t make their point any more valid than it is. Even though I may be conveying all of this simply through my opinion, none the less, my beliefs on this topic will be consistent.

                

This opportunity would be an honor. - Day 15

50. Tell us about yourself. (University of California)

                Being born a little before the destruction of my home, Krypton, I’d like to believe that I’ve lived a rough life. Sure, people may judge me for being bitten by a spider as a teenager, or even if I have to keep my sunglasses on so I don’t laser beam someone’s head off. This only displays how unique I am. I am different from other, in countable number of ways, and I’m proud of it. I am glad that I can change the world with the abilities I have acquired over the years.

                If it wasn’t obvious enough, the things above weren’t completely true. I’m still a lot different from the people at my school, and still have complete aims of creating change on this earth. Some basic things you’d want to know about me:

• I enjoy travelling a lot. I really mean it when I say a lot.
• I’ve lived in 3 different countries, all of them were brilliant experiences and if I had to choose between them, I don’t think I’d be able to do so. Living in the 3 countries (India, Oman and Saudi Arabia), I’d like to believe that I’ve been influence by different cultures.
• Food, something I can’t live without. Now you may laugh at me, saying “Duh! You need food to live.” What I meant by that was that I require a lot more food to survive than “normal people” may need.
• I admire my friends a lot more than I may show it. I just found this interesting as I feel it may help people know more about my behavior. In other words, I’d really like to appreciate my friends for who they are.
• I enjoy blogging, and I’m not saying this simply to be a suck-up to Mr. P. I have another personal blog that I update on a regular basis, and I have been doing so for the past 2 and a half years now. (Sorry, you don’t get that link)
• I am really looking forward to getting back home. Adding to the fact that I miss my family tons, i can’t wait till the following 3-4 weeks fly back. As I realize I seem to be going off topic one point at a time, I think this should be enough for now.

Now that you know me a tad bit more than before, unless you’re a creepy stalker and didn’t know much to begin with, then all I can say is, “Well, hello there! You are welcome to listen along to the stories, just sit around with the rest and listen well.”

Well as I was saying, being brought up in India … Oh, look at the time. I’ve gone way over 30 minutes. This topic will have to wait for some other day. In the meantime, I think I’d better go get something to eat.

The generation gap - Day 14

87. Do you believe there's a generation gap? Describe the differences between your generation and others. (Denison University)

                As I grew up in the current generation, I would always have to bear through my parents’ arguments about how “back in their time they didn’t have this, or that.” As tough as this may sound, it all displayed the gap between our generations. After listening to my dad criticize my negative actions by explaining how we misuse the technology we have. Agreeing upon the fact that using things like the internet, which was not even close to existence back then, is completely different than its actual purpose. I remember my parents grumbling about me, a 10-year old child, playing games on the computer. Back then I felt how they wouldn’t understand what we kids are going through, especially since they haven’t lived life in our shoes. I still feel the same.

                Interestingly enough, this generation gap has provided both sides with positives. Even though I complain about my parents’ generation being absolutely unexciting, the music of my dad’s generation will be one of the best and will definitely go down in history. Starting from legends such as the Beatles, the Rolling stones, to AC/DC, this list goes on and on. This generation gap isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but that might just be my opinion. The current generation wouldn’t have had everything they do if it weren’t for aid from the previous generation. The previous generation has offered tremendous amounts of help regarding facts such as technology. Even though it may seem that the previous generation didn’t have tools such as computers, cell phones, or even the internet, these tools are the reason our generation is able to find information and communicate easily.

                As most things may seem to be changing gradually over time, this generation gap is just the one of many more to come. As technological advancements increase, I’m sure that the next generation will notice a gap, possible a much bigger one. I can only imagine my kids writing a college essay regarding this topic, and while I read it, refer back to the time when I spoke about my generation gap. Then after that, my child will think about the same thing. This cycle will never end. 

Did you know? - The filming of the movie 'Titanic' cost more than the Titanic itself! - Day 13

18. What invention would the world be better off without, and why? (Kalamazoo)

In my opinion, the television is an unnecessary invention given to us humans. I’m certain that after the first statement, there will be several people that will argue that “How will I watch Glee tonight?” or just for arguments sake, “The television can be a source of education.” Sure, one may watch the National Geographic channel or the History channel as an old fashioned method of learning, but how long can you watching lions hunting or watch those lengthy documentaries about the Second World War. It won’t be long until you realize that today is the day that Justin Beiber makes an appearance on Ellen Degeneres for like, the seventh time, yet you can’t afford to miss such an episode.  You immediately switch channels and your intentions of learning more about history goes down the drain.

The argument is clear; the television is a waste of time. In today’s world, time is very important. Instead of watching a documentary of some sort on the TV, One could simply log on to the World Wide Web and research the same topic, saving them majority of the time that would have been used up watching a documentary. Don’t forget those commercials that continuously remind you that you absolutely need the product they’re selling. As a student in a boarding school, I have come to realize how useless the television really is. I have saved several hours of my life, which would have been different if I were at home, staying off the TV. Back when I was a little child, when TVs didn’t exist, we didn’t have to sit on our butts all day to find out that our local store or the mall nearby (as it would be now days) is having a sale. All the media if doing is brainwashing the people with the television. Life can go on perfectly without the television. Whether it’s watching the news daily, or for educational purposes, it can all be done on the internet these days. The internet also provides entertainment in the form of web stores that allows you to watch or listen to whatever you want to, with a touch of a button.

This has caused me to wonder whether there will ever be a time when children will write essays regarding the internet being the invention that the world would be better off without. Among all possibilities, if this were to happen, I don’t think it would happen anytime in the near future.

                                                            

This has nothing to do with MBA, i just found it interesting :D

Who's line is it anyways? (That's the first thing that came to my mind) - Day 12

68. Modern improvisational comedy originated in Hyde Park on the campus of the University of Chicago with the Compass Players. Some of the Players went on to form the Second City comedy troupe, precursor to the Saturday Night Live show on TV. With this essay option we invite you to test your own improvisational powers by putting together a story, play, or dialogue that meets all of the following requirements:

A. You must begin with the sentence, “Many years later, he remembered his first experience with ice.”

B. All five senses—sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell—have to figure in the plot.

C. You have to mention the University of Chicago, but please, no accounts of erstwhile high school students applying to the University—this is fiction, not autobiography.

D. These items must be included: a new pair of socks, a historical landmark, a spork (the combination of spoon and fork frequently seen among airline flatware), a domesticated animal, and the complete works of William Shakespeare. Have fun, and try to keep your brilliance and wit to three pages max. (U of Chicago)

Many years later, he remembered his first experience with ice. As he was about to turn in to a 7 year old child, Jeremy and his mother decided to visit Chicago in the fall of 1993. Even though the main reason for this trip was due to his mother’s job, they spent quality time together. On the day of his birthday, his mother took him to ice skating rink, which wasn’t more than 3 blocks away from the Adler Planetarium. This was his first time he had been ice skating; it was a new experience for him. Fascinated, Jeremy reached for the ice and brushed his fingers against it as his mom held his hand just before he could get familiarized with skating. Jeremy puts on the new Spiderman-designed pair of socks his mom had got him when she went shopping in New York City. Immediately after that, he puts on his skates, and follows his mom in to the rink. 

“Mommy, I’m hungry. Can we please eat something?” Jeremy nudged him mom after he sniffed the fresh batch of cookies that were put out at the café nearby. She agreed to leave as she notices the increase in the number of skaters in the rink. It got a lot louder and crowded since they had arrived. They marched toward the bakery, pushing through the crowd, holding each other’s hand to avoid getting separated, and with their skates in the other hand. They had some difficulty finding a seat the cafe amongst the crowd. They see a table with 3 unoccupied chairs and the fourth one taken by a middle-aged man who wore a brown sweater vest, along with a brown hat and spectacles, reading a novel while he sips his cappuccino. They come up to him and request to sit at his table, there being no other empty tables in the room. With a gentle smile and a nod, he replies, “Please, take a seat.” As Jeremy and his mother sit down, the mysterious yet gentle man starts conversing with her:

“That’s one adorable child you’ve got there. How old is he?”
“Thank you. This is Jeremy, he turns 7 today as a matter of fact.”
“That’s great, Happy Birthday Jeremy. I hope you’re having a fantastic birthday.”
“What must you say now, Jeremy?” His mom looks at Jeremy as he responds with a confused expression.
“Oh! Thank you mister”, replies Jeremy with the cutest smile one could imagine.

With a short pause in the conversation due to the waiter’s interruption as he takes their orders, Jeremy quickly jumps back into the talk:

                “How rude of myself, I didn’t even introduce myself. My name is Arthur Reece; I work at the
University of Chicago as a full time English literature teacher.”

                “It’s nice meeting you Mr. Reece. I’m known as Elizabeth Wilson, and in fact the reason that I’m in Chicago involves the university. You see, I’m an English professor in New York, and I’m here for the English conference at the university.”

                “That’s quite the coincidence, I must say. Being the one leading the conference, I’m interesting to hear your thoughts on the ideas to be brought up”, responds Mr. Reece as he realizes who she is.

The same waiter interrupts their conversation as he places a plate of chocolate cake in front of Jeremy and a hot latte as Mrs. Wilson had ordered. With the several options of utensils to choose from, Jeremy picks up the spork placed on the table out of curiosity. While Jeremy was being fascinated by the spork, Mrs. Wilson notices the book that Mr. Reece had be reading and soon, scribbling some notes on. Quite interested by the fact that he was reading Othello, by William Shakespeare himself, she asks his whether this book had some importance to the conference. With a sly grin, he replies:

“It does actually, good eye there. This discussion will mostly involve how important Shakespeare’s work is in …”
                “Hmmm, This cake is absolutely delicious, mom. I can taste the warm chocolate syrup as in flows down my throat.” Jeremy interrupts as he takes the first bite of the gateaux.
                “Jeremy, can’t you see that Mr. Reece was talking, you know it’s rude to interrupt people while they’re talking.”
                “Don’t worry about it, the cake at this café surely is delicious”, replies Mr. Reece as he looks at his watch. “Goodness, I’ve completely lost track of the time, I must get going if I want to make it in time for my class.”

After saying their goodbyes and with Elizabeth wishing him luck for the conference, Mr. Reece get up from his chair and pulls out a little guinea pig from pocket on the inside of his coat. He places his little pet on his shoulder and strolls out the entrance of the café.

                “Mom! Can I please have a guinea pig? Please. Please. Please. Please.”

With a short sigh, she raises her hand to the waiter and calls out: “Cheque please.”


(Interesting fact: When i was writing this, Milo "Arthur Reece" Cannings was in my room playing games. This was the first name that popped in to my head.)

The perfect day? - Day 11

46. If you had a day to spend as you wish, how would you use your time? (Carleton College)

                In my opinion, the perfect day that I could wish for, if had the chance to do so, would be spending the day back home. I would have the day begin with a heavy breakfast, most probably including bacon and pancakes and along with some hot maple syrup. With a really long day ahead, I would start right into it. From hanging out with my aforementioned (from couple posts ago) classmates, to simply spending time with my parents, I would make the most of this day. Unlike my past vacations when I wasn’t able to meet all my friends, this day would be exceptionally different. Simply hanging out and spending time with Kevin are Kareem, the other two guys in my class, would be one of the many positives of the day.

                Continuing on to my day after spending the after with my friends, I use the first part of the evening doing something as simple as watching a movie with my parents and brother. After my time at Woodstock, I have come to realize how much I actually miss my family. Skyping with them on the weekend isn’t nearly the same as being back in Saudi Arabia, the place I consider home. The day couldn’t have been any better if dinner at T.G.I. Friday wasn’t on the list. As my parents’ favorite location for dinner, I’d definitely choose to go there if had to option to do so, even if it meant driving 45 minutes to get there - that’s actually how far it is from our house - . As we returned home, I would definitely decide on having a chat with a couple of my friends as I’m certain it would feel odd not talking to them on a daily basis.

                With the end of a perfect day comes another regular day. If I were questioned about this fact, I’d consider most of my days at Woodstock to be at least close to perfect. Every day has its ups and down, and not every day can be perfect, but during my stay at Woodstock, I have learnt to appreciate all the positives, no matter how small they may be; as I write this post on a Saturday evening, one can tell how much I appreciate enjoy this assignment. 

11:11:11 11/11/11 Make a wish - Day 10

19. Write you own essay question and answer it. (Kalamazoo College/93)

(This is the real essay topic):

What do you think about your current AP English Language teacher’s method of grading your formal essays? (Rebello University)

It had been less than 10 days into school. Mr. P, our AP English Language teacher had already assigned us our first formal essay. As everyone grumbled about the fact that we were still vacation mode, I decided now was the best time to start the essay – the night before it was due. I look up several national anthems and their purpose as the essay prompt has asked us to do so. I quickly start jotting down notes, quite interested in the topic myself.  If only I had realized how into this topic I would have been, I would have made a start a week ago. Better said than done. I stayed up late, scribbling on a Cambridge sheet of paper, attempting to get my ideas down, if there were any to begin with. My sleep-deprived, dreary eyes refused to let me comprehend the material.

After a cup of coffee and washing my face with some cold water, I was able to get back on track. I had a strong start on my essay by this time. With an introduction leading right into my first body paragraph, I started typing like one of those authors from the early 1960s that had recently “choked down eight of the little cactus plants.” I felt my essay was really flowing and had a sense of rhythm to it. It wasn’t long until I slammed the full stop key as a way of being proud of my accomplishment. I was certain I wouldn’t complete this on time, clearly I was wrong, and very overconfident at that moment. I was not only satisfied, but also grew increasingly confident of my ability. I save my work carefully, as I had no intentions of calling for a redo over the past 3 hours of my life. It was only a little over 2:30am, I decided it was just the right time for bed. At this point, I start to curse myself at the numerous times I’ve spent staying up over summer, and how it affected my sleep patterns. I rub my eyes, yawn, and stretch one last time before jumping right into bed. With a terrible sleep that night, I wake up the next morning, only to have a rotten day ahead of me.

It wasn’t long until our essays were graded by the easiest essay grader in existence (disregard the use of sarcasm if you don’t mind). I was sort of surprised when I look at solid 65 percent standing under the formal essay section. When I thought back to the amount of effort I put into this assignment, I take the grasp back and forget about this essay completely with aims to accomplish better for the next one. If I could, I would preferably write about the effort I plan on putting in to school work and how much that has improved over the course of this semester, but that’s completely out of my hand. The college essay topics are pre-decided, as we can all see.

India, Oman and Saudi - Day 9

43. Explain how your experiences as a teenager significantly differ from those of your friends. Include comparisons. (University of Puget Sound)

          Everyone may call me an average teenager; I’d like to propose a counter argument. With have lived in 3 different countries, I’d like to think that I have been through a lot of different cultural experiences in my recent years. Starting with growing up in India to making the decision of continuing my high school education in India, I find the Indian culture to be the strongest part of my cultural diversity. Around the same time as I finished grade 6, my dad’s job required him to move to Muscat, Oman. I spent 2 years in Oman, it was a brand new experience and I must admit that everything happened for the best. 
          Fitting in was hard at first, but when I did so, it felt great. Leaving India for the first time opened doors to new opportunities and adventures. Oman wasn’t the best place to live as it has recently suffered a hurricane, causing mass destruction and flooding. By the second year of my stay and several community service opportunities, Oman was almost restored to its original state. It was an interesting 2 years, but it was time to leave once again. This was possibly the first time I realized I would miss my friends more than anything. With all intentions of staying, I didn’t have much of a say in this. It wasn’t much later that my dad had left for Saudi Arabia. He went ahead and set up our house, all prepared for us to arrive and settle in. Saudi was completely different than Oman, in a lot more ways that I had expected it to be. But even with all the strict rules, it is still the place I consider home. Even though I was part of a little class of 7 teenagers, I feel that we’re united as a group could ever be. These 6 friends are the some of the best friends I have found among my travels to the various countries. I spent only a year studying in Saudi Arabia, I had to change schools again as 9^th grade was the highest in that school. Woodstock, being school close to home, became my first choice. As I said good-bye to my buddies back home, I knew I’d meet them again in the future, so it didn’t worry me as much I did back in Oman. I still continue to miss my friends a lot. 
          Woodstock has offered me some really close friends as well. I have shared a lot of amazing moments with these people and I’m glad that I was able to get this opportunity. Travelling to several countries is great and all, but I’m glad I’ll be able to spend the last 3 years of high school in one place, yet excited to be on my way home in exactly a month’s time. 

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a boy soldier. - Day 8

48. Name one book you have read in the past year, describe your reason for considering this book significant and what you gained from reading it. (Lewis and Clark College)

                One of the most significant books I’ve read and enjoyed is A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah, a Sierra Leonean child who has to flee from his village due to uprising from rebel forces. I had read this book more than 4 times till this date, and will continue to do so as every time I read it, I notice the things that I missed out while reading it the previous time. Beah has described his rough childhood in a very descriptive manner. From being separating from his friends and family, to joining the army for survival and revenge, this book holds an interesting plot line.

                Every single time that I read this book, I always await page 199 because on this page lies my favorite quote in the entire book. This is the page where Beah has an epiphany about what his entire life has been about. Beah learned from his experience and states to himself: “I joined the army to avenge the deaths of my family and to survive, but I've come to learn that if I am going to take revenge, in that process I will kill another person whose family will want revenge; then revenge and revenge and revenge will never come to an end...” (Beah 199). This quote reminds me that revenge is a vicious cycle that will never solve any conflicts. As most of us go through issues in life, it’s only in human nature to blame someone for it. As Mahatma Gandhi once put it, “An eye for an eye makes the world go blind.” These two quotes tie in together to explain the point that revenge isn’t the answer and won’t solve anything.

                The theme of this book as portrayed by the author is that war is like hell. He does this by showing the nightmares the kids gets through imagery. Most of the kids had lost their family and joined the army to get revenge for their loss, thus hell that they’re going through. Personally, I don’t think this book would have been touching if it wasn’t for the fact that it was a biography. With the author’s life on the line, it causes his reader’s heart to skip a couple beats. I expect this book to be my favorite, as it has been ever since Ms. Jensen introduced it to me back in 7^th grade.

Find x. <-- Oh! it's right here. - Day 7

135. Find x. (U of Chicago)

               Finding x, a concept that has caused not only children but even mathematicians around the world to lose their mind, is taught to kids from an early age as a method of “preparing” them for the future. The certainty of using this concept in your future depends on your option for a career. I admit that this idea can help you in several ways, but I may simply be saying this from the point of view of someone who enjoys math.

                Starting from Algebra and possibly continuing on until the end of your career, the concept of finding x plays a huge role as the basis of Math. Even though students often argue that most things learnt in Math class won’t be used anywhere in the future, I refuse to agree to that statement.  Finding the only missing variable x, the one thing missing in an otherwise perfect recipe, is our goals in life. Comparing the idea of the missing variable to my life, I’d like to believe that x is like the one thing that we lack. Whilst seeking this element, we must test ourselves to what we’re capable of. This often involves taking risks (refer to previous essay). Using experience from the past and what we have learnt through this, will allow us to make better decision for the future. The missing element, “X”, is what makes the recipe special and unique, and the task of looking for this ingredient requires open-mindedness to help look for that. Among the many tasks through which I attempt to fulfill this required ingredient, I realize that I’m most likely on the right track to treasure this ingredient. In other words, looking for you career isn’t an easy task and may take a lot of experimenting, but only through this will you be able to achieve your goals.

                Although this may be my opinion on this topic, several other people may analyze it through simpler means and methods. One of my favorites being this one. 

Take a risk and read this, will ya? You may enjoy it - Day 6

16. Describe a risk that you have taken and discuss its impact on your life. (Kalamazoo College/93)

                

             Considerably one of the biggest risks I’ve taken is coming out to Woodstock. As a graduating 9^th grader, my two options for continuing high school were King’s Academy, Jordan, and Woodstock School, India. King’s had offered me a great education for the next three years ahead of me. The reason I’m so certain about this statement is because I know people that study there. But for Woodstock, it was a brand new start. My decision was simply to be based of my dad’s opinion on Woodstock, and what I have found out from the representative that visited our school.

 By far, I knew that King’s was a better school, with better teachers and a better campus, but it all came with a price. With a younger brother to follow on after me with his education, I made the decision to take the burden off my parents. I choose Woodstock because it was a lot more convenient financially. Although my dad said “Choose the school you’d like to go to”, and even with my friends, Kevin and Rania nagging me to join them on this adventure, I chose Woodstock. I admit it was a big risk, and I was afraid I may have intention of turning back, but there are countless number positives that go along. Living in conditions that seem to be exactly the opposite of the Middle East makes me miss home a lot more, but just gives me an opportunity for change. If it wasn’t for Woodstock, I wouldn’t have met all the amazing friends that I have currently. I know one can argue that I would have said the same if were at King’s instead, but now that I’m in this situation, I know for a fact that I am not changing. It is interesting how attached one can get to a place, and I say this from the perspective of someone who has lived in three different countries in the past 4 years itself.

Risks are something that must be taken in life. As Zachary Scott once stated, “As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do.” I approve with the idea of this quote. I realize that even though I took a big risk in life, it ended up being for the best. Sure, I would’ve had fun in King’s, but when it comes down to thinking about everything I would have missed out on; the friends, the teachers (especially Mr. Plonka), and everything down to the tiniest bit, it makes me appreciate that my decision worked out the way I planned. Even though there may be disappointments in life, especially in college, as you’re not going to achieve everything you try for,  the key is to keep trying until you can succeed and do what you enjoy doing with all your heart.

(By the way, i spent 26 minutes on this post. I actually really enjoyed writing about this topic as most of my ideas had a continuous flow, so not that many pauses in the middle.)

This post is good. You should consider reading it. (I want viewers, not taking the chance here buddy) - Day 5

142. Don’t write about reverse psychology. (U of Chicago)

                Cats are pretty magnificent beast. Even though felines, the scientific name given for cat like creatures, can sleep for up to 12-14 hours a day, they are capable of several … I refuse for fall for this trap, reverse psychology works on me only when I have my guard down. There are only some reverse psychological methods that can work on me. One of them being this gif animation of a dance. I recommend you don't open it, it's pretty trippy, messes with your mind in just so many way. If you still feel like opening it, feel free to. I could have sworn that it actually turned in the other direction. Possible one of the only ones I’ve actually fallen for so far. Reverse psychology is commonly used by parents trying to keep their children from all sort of danger. But at times, unknowingly, reverse psychology gets used against them. How many times has this happened that your mom said not to do something, and in the end, you couldn’t hold yourself any longer and just get tempted to do it. Often parents use in the opposite way too, and since it’s only in a child’s nature to try to be “rebellious” and go against their parents, they do the opposite of what told to do. I find the idea of “reverse psychology” and interesting topic. I assume you noticed that by now. Especially since I decided to write about it even after I was clearly ordered not to.

The story of my life - Day 4

13. You’ve just written a 300-page autobiography. Send us page 217. (University of Pennsylvania)

with a vicious roar and a smelly breath right in my face, I quickly stab the spear right in to the beast’s throat. People said I wouldn’t be able to do, they were all against me, but I proved them wrong in the end. Instantly remembering the way Daniel put it: “There’s no way on earth you’ll be able to win this bet”, but I did Daniel, sorry to disappoint you. Even though it all begin with a game of “Truth or Dare” between us hunters, the award felt a lot more than winner a game of Bingo or Scrabble. I felt victorious at the moment, as if nothing could beat me. Overconfident, if one could put that way. It wasn’t long till someone would change this feeling.

                My life wasn’t always this way, not nearly the way it is right now. It wasn’t more than two years that I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with my Ph.D. in Philosophy. My life was going great; the university was the best thing that had happened for years now. I had a great job, a beautiful beach-side mansion, and best of all; I had the girl of my dreams. It was the perfect life, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Perfect, take my word, I mean it. But then, it all had to be ruined. I didn’t deserve perfect, did i? It all shattered in to pieces tiny enough that there was no fixing it. Perfect came crashing down all in a couple minutes.  I will never forget that day. June the 15^th. The memory will lie forever in the depth of my heart as I continue to visit Hayley’s grave on this particular day, even as year by year passes by. Now you may be wondering what happened to her.

                It all started late one evening down by Sydney harbor. Hayley and I went on our daily walk, as we’ve been doing for the past 10 years, ever since the day of our marriage. This wasn’t like any other walk though. The park was rather crowded today. Only if we had chosen to skip the way for this one day, Hayley would have still been with me. That casual walk in the park changed right after a masked man started running towards us. He flicked his knife open as he got closer and then swiftly … 

It's Friday,Friday, gotta get down on.. Shut up! - Day 3

126. How do you feel about Wednesday? (U of Chicago)

                “Just another beautiful Wednesday afternoon,” I said to myself as I write this piece on a bright cloudless afternoon in Mussoorie. Even though it may sound rather unlikely of this sort weather in a hill station like this, I continue to sit outside on the sundeck after arriving immediately after school. I have no hatred against Wednesdays. In fact, I’d stay I enjoy Wednesdays simply because it bring me a day closer to weekends. As going through my weekly cycle of attending school and peacefully resting in dorms, I have learned that my mood on Wednesdays is almost neutral. Not too far off from the excited state of mind that it’s almost the weekend, and just far enough from that “uh! It’s Monday” sort of feeling. This Wednesday afternoon is probably one of the best days that one could expect from Mussoorie’s typical cloudy and dull skies. Generally on Mondays, which are normally the days that don’t go as expected, I tend to look forward to the Wednesdays as Fridays just seem to be too far off. One of the first things that pop in to my mind when I hear Wednesday is my weekly swim practice. There’s nothing I’d enjoy more than swimming, and since a Wednesday like this afternoon would make it perfect for swimming, I definitely don’t see why not? Not many Wednesday’s come by with perfect weather, it would only be smart to use it to its fullest. Also relating Wednesdays to school, they are the perfect day as there are barely any tests on these days. You see, normally, we’d have a test on Monday, since we have the weekend to prepare ourselves, or on Fridays, so we have the week the review. After putting much thought in to this topic, I realized how much more I appreciate Wednesdays. Even with the freezing cold water in Hostel’s pool, the weather on this Wednesday afternoon has encouraged me to swim. Perfect afternoon, isn’t it?

30 Day Challenge - Day 2

113. Talk about how a person can change his direction.

                The first thing that popped into my head when I read this question was an incident back in 9^th grade. This incident was a big turning point in my friend’s and my life. As we lived in a little compound in Saudi Arabia, we were surrounded by a lot of security as means of protection through day and night. With several cop cars patrolling the area, we strolled carefully on the footpath just after sneaking out of our houses a bit after midnight. We pushed my golf cart out of the garage trying to make the least amount of noise as possible. After getting a few blocks away, we start it up and drive it up to the “Gawar Tent”, just in time before the next round of patrolling cars came by. Being an electric golf cart, we were silent and able to avoid attracting attention.  We drive up to a thick tree and park out golf cart under it, allowing it to be hidden from the dark moonless night. We run up to the tent, only disappointed to find the main door, along with the emergency exit, to be bolted shut. We try our luck with the kitchen entrance, even after noticing the “Staff only” sign on the door. To our convenience, it opened with a little push. We walk in and make ourselves confortable, while leaving all the lights shut.

Out of nowhere, a strong beam of light shoots in through the window. We look out only to find a cop car facing straight at the golf cart. The driver gets out of the car and scans the vehicle for a couple seconds, then heads towards the tent. At this point, my heart was in my mouth. We were all set with a story as soon as the cop walked in.  The cop walks up to the main door and the emergency exit and got the same response from the door as we did. As he continues to walk around the tent towards the kitchen entrance, we look for ways to escape only to realize that it was too late, and there was no escape. He casually walks up to the door, talks a look at the sign, and then gently turns the handle. With a tired sigh, he turns around and walked back to his car. Even though our hearts skipped a couple beats, we knew we’d live right after we see the cop drive away in his car.

After making the decision that it was safe to head back, we get back into the golf cart and drive off silently. This day was a big turning point in my life because it was only after this day that I completely believed in God’s existence. I highly doubt that it was mere coincidence that this event could have taken place that night. My views and life changed and took a completely different path at this point in my life. I led to think a lot more about my decisions all due to this incident.

30 Day Challenge - Day 1

23. If you were to write a book, on what theme or subject matter would it be based, and why?


       Since a young age, I've enjoyed reading mystery novels. Jeffery Archer, my favorite author, has got me quite interested in the typical suspense novels. My keen interest in this genre has caused me to explore for similar books. If I were to write a book, I’d try to keep it along the lines of the books by well-known authors. This story would not only involve a masked professional thief, but also the eighty-thousand pound diamond ring as the protagonist’s goal. With the thief’s intentions to steal the ring for his fiancé as the engagement ring, he plans the theft wisely as it won’t only be his best, but also his last act before retiring to settle down with his wife. To foil his plans, Richard Kenzie, the greatest detective of London will do whatever it takes to maintain his reputation. Unlike common plot lines where the protagonist is the good guy, and the good guy always wins, this story will differ a bit. Complying with this idea shows the obvious repetition as seen in several books. It’s the typical idea, and I quote Megamind, that “the bad guys don’t save the day, they don’t fly off into the sunset and they don’t get the girl.” The whole point of this book is for it to be different. “Unique” would be a better way to put it. My opinion on novels can greatly differ simply based on their genre, and so I figured why not just choose the genre I enjoy best. This not only helps me get my point of view on mystery novels across, but I’m sure I’d enjoy writing this novel. I can only imagine how deep into this book I would be. With inspiration from my favorite authors, I believe that this novel would be an interesting piece, but that's just my opinion now, isn't it?

Starting Again After a Brain Injury

By Jane Rosette

Published: October 8^th, accessed: October 16th 

Summary:

                  Jane Rosette suffered through traumatic brain injury when she damaged her right temporal lobe due to a car accident. In turn, she lost her long-term memory and has been a brain injury patient at Harvard’s medical school ever since this incident. This changed Rosette’s life for several years and it wasn’t until she was 45 that she remembered significant things from her past, such as her childhood home in which she spent 17 years of her life. This incident caused Rosette’s life to change drastically. Not only is it hard trying to recollection people from the past, Rosette claims that people that have known her for a long time seem to have lost their views on her. She can’t recall them being part of her life anymore.  Even with these sufferings, Rosette’s friend Andrée figures out a successful way that helped her access information that was long lost in her brain. He helps her get out of her “shocked state of mind” through the process of neuroplasticity. Over the period of time, she started to regain her memory through her dreams, and then later through her writings and photography. After four and a half years of suffering through constant memory loss, Rosette realizes that the process of her right temporal lobe healing has finally commenced.

Response:

                  The reason I chose this article is because Jane Rosette suffered through something very similar compared to the patients in Miss Ratched’s ward as explained by Ken Kesey in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest.With all the references to society and its acceptance, Kesey hints that people need to be “fixed” to gain their acceptance into society. As shown in the article, Rosette’s mental issue has caused her to become a “guinea pig” that is used for experimenting simply because she wasn’t able to fulfil the expectations of society. As depicted in the article that to gain her approval into society, Rosette had to “fix” her issue through the process of neuroplasticity. Similarly, the novel portrays the patients in the ward to be flaws of society and to return, they must conform into a better person, mentally. In the end, it’s acceptance into society that matters. Even though the patients believed they beat “the combine”, they had no idea that they had been out-played by them instead. To connect the article to this idea, Jane Rosette’s friends and family didn’t look at her the same way. She didn’t know who they were anymore, which caused them to drift apart. This changed her point of view on society and looked for opportunities to crawl back into acceptance. Her friend, Andrée, could represent the Combine in an indirect way. As the combine acts to fix the patients to send them back as “good harvest”, Andrée’s duty in society doesn’t seem to be any different at all.

Vocabulary:

1.    A. At 45, I was jolted into an entirely new existence.B. Jolted: The motion of pushing or pulling someone/something abruptly, or with sudden motion. Originates from the words; joll, which means to strike and the word jot, which means to bump.
C. After arriving late to class, I jolted the English room’s door as it seemed to be jammed.

2.   A. I am told that my work before the accident pertained to the AIDS pandemic
B. Pertained: To belong to some sort of group in a manner that you are contributing to the group. Originates from the Latin word,pertinēre, which translates to“to reach to.”
C. To get a good grade on our blog assignment, we must pertain to the criteria and instuctions.

3.   A. I am sometimes fed my own résumé by strangers in the street.
B. Résumé : A résumé is a list of one’s accomplishments put together so they can be used for purposes such as job applications. The word résumé is the past participle form of the French verb résumer, which simply means to resume.
C. As students, we would have an almost-blank résumé which makes getting a job almost as impossible as getting an “A” in Mr. Plonka’s class.