All I Asking For Is My Body, Part I, Dialogue

Who is the Narrator?  Where does he live?  What do his parents do for a living?

In “All I asking for is my body” the narrator is a fourth grade boy named Kiyoshi. He lives in Pepelau, Hawaii with his parents,older brother and younger sister.A part of Hawaii where you don’t own shoes and you go to the beach everyday tell sundown only coming home for lunch.There where other activites like movies for family’s who had money and something called the Buddhist Bon dances in the evening. His father is a fisherman and his mom is a sewed for a living.

He talks about always having fish and rice due to the fact they weren’t as fortunate as some of the other familys in the camp they lived in.How he grew tired of it and that’s why he went against his parents and ate at his friends home.I think they were ashamed that they didn’t have a lot of money .example his mom telling him he would get sick if he kept eating over there often. Another example would be his mom worrying the people in his camp would laugh at him and or worry about what people would say.

Essay 3 Workshop

What role does forgiveness play in Smoke Signals?

From my point of view in Smoke Signals, forgiveness plays a large role in Victor, Thomas, and victor’s mom. Thomas and Victor had kind of a rocky past with eachother.I think it was easy in a way for Thomas to forgive victor. Because they as kids were friends, and Thomas understood victor was upset about his dad walking out of the family. Example of that would be when victor as a kid beat up Thomas. And when there on their trip victor says he’s sorry for beating him up years after it happened. Victor I believe forgives his dad in the end of the movie for walking out on him and his mom. I say this because he just seems different on his way back from their trip. Like he might not have understood why but he moved on and forgave his dad. It shows when he gave Thomas some of his dad’s ashes to throw in the river to become a salmon. Another character though of was victor’s mom. I think she forget victors dad for the physical abuse that we saw in the begging of the movie and for walking out on their family after he died. These three characters are who came to mind when I about what forgivness played in Smoke Signals.

This is what it means to say Phoenix,Arizona

Are you more impressed with the film or the story?  Why? 

I was impressed more by the story. I enjoyed the film but all around I was more impressed by the story. I felt like there were things the movie didn’t show or talk about that the story did. I think the story shows a different side of victor we didn’t see in the movie. A softer friendly side of him is described.The friendship between Thomas and Victor comes through as well. They have a friendship built from when they were kids, and you see how guilty victor feels for beating Thomas up and their friendship in a way growing apart.

I think the story also made it easier to understand some scenes in the movie. Like when Victor was beating up Thomas, they didn’t say why in the movie. They just showed a scene of him beating Thomas up. I was lost about that. But after I read the story that scene in the movie made a lot more since to me. I think all around the story helped back up the movie in a lot of ways.

Smoke Signals

What do you think about the relationship between Thomas and Victor?

In the movie Smoke Signals Thomas and Victor had a strong friendship. First thing I noticed is they have been through similar experiences. When Thomas was a baby his parent died in a fire and was left with his grandma. Victor’s dad took off and died. I think Thomas was more relatable to Victor after his dad died. I though it made their friendship stronger.

 I think Victor in a way looks out for Thomas. And vice versa with Thomas. Victors tough because his dad taught him to be, so I can kind of understand why in the beginning of the movie when there walking he freaks out on him and throws his canteen with water in it on the ground. But you can see the bond they share in the beginning of the movie when Victors playing basketball and in a way sticks up for Thomas when the guys victors playing with start to pick on him. Victor was hard on Thomas but you could see he cared about him as a friend. I think by the end of the movie there friendship grows.

"Happy Endings," Obituary," and "Oompah Loompah” Dialogue

My Response to Mr. Harvey would be he’s tough. Not so much rude but tough. Reading his responses to kids in the story was interesting. He almost sounded like he was mad and about to give on those students witch made me sad .An example of, how his students reacted would be where the boy named Jerome put up his middle finger after Mr. Harvey told them they wouldn’t be successful in life if they didn’t learn to speak proper English. Another example of Mr. Harvey would be where he’s yelling at the kids because they aren’t speaking properly and he lets them know there terrible out of frustration.

It was sad to me because it touched home in a way .My parents talked to me in Greek so naturally Greek was my first language. I remember going to kindergarten and knowing a very little English and sometimes my teachers not being able to understand what I was saying. I struggled learning to speak proper English and still do sometimes to this day. I never experienced a teacher losing patients with me but I know how those kids must of felt.

Writing Topic: Rules for Writers chapter 47

One of the points mentioned in Rules for Writers Chapter 47 is Examine your issue’s social and intellectual contexts. It means Social and Intellectual issues go hand and hand because if you have social issues your intellect is sure to be challenged. Sometimes the brightest minds don’t have the patience to be social. Second point that was talked about was View Your Audience as a panel of jurors. It means to not assume that your audience already agrees with you.Instead, envision skeptical readers who, like a panel of jurors, will make up their minds after listening to all sides of the argument. Third Point that is talked about is in your introduction, establish credibility and state your position. Meaning when you’re constructing an argument, make sure your introduction contains a thesis sentence that states your position on the issue you have chosen to debate. Forth point talked about is Back up your thesis with persuasive lines of argument. Meaning to make your side sound right with a strong argument yet not arguing. Fifth point would be Support your claims with specific evidence. Meaning to have tangible proof of your claim. Sixth point would be anticipate objects; counter opposing arguments. Meaning readers who already agree with you need no convincing, but indifferent or skeptical readers may resist your arguments. Seventh point would be Build common ground. Meaning simply to build common ground with readers who don’t not initially agree with you. And lasty, Sample argument paper. To me it means a sentence that clearly asserts the main point or argument of the essay.

I plan to use this information with different styles for writing papers.

“Shooting Dad” Dialogue

             What accounts for the narrator’s struggles with her dad?

They have different views of the world. Her dad thinks using guns is ok in the world. He votes for a different side then Sarah does. She doesn’t like guns, and her dad is a gunsmith. She later in life became ok with shooting cannons going off. Because it’s not going to go anywhere.

 She realized she didn’t like guns when she was 6 when she first shot a gun. She talks about the noise, and how it made her fall back which scared her. She also talks about how it made her feel when she first shot the gun and how she never wanted to again. They also don’t agree on the same parts of the constitution. She shares that she’s partial to the First Amendment while her dad has always favored the second.  Another thing is her dad was into guns and she was into art. This caused a lot of fights as she says in her teens.

“Coming Home Again” Dialogue

What is the narrator’s home?  Is home the kitchen?  His mother?  The house he grew up in?  Why?

In “Coming Home Again” by Chang-rae Lee I think the food and kitchen were home to him. The food and kitchen were a way to connect with his mom, when he was there or away at school. The food always happened to be there. When he was at home, he was always in the kitchen watching his mom or preparing food himself. He started watching her when he was 6 or 7.She would ask him to run along and play with his friends or to do his homework.

His first 6 weeks away from home; he lost his since for food. When he stepped in the hotel room that really rooted home for him. It was important. He lost that since because he was eating Americanized cafeteria food at school. He longed for the smell of the foods being made in his kitchen.

Writing Topic: Rules for Writers Chapter 3

In Rules for Writers chapter 3 we learn that one thing is, making revisions is important. It helps you view your work from the audience’s perspective. Meaning; It a way to go back and correct or make things better after you have written a paper. It’s different from a draft, in the since that you do a draft before you start writing to get your ideas clear and on paper. Another thing in chapter 3 we learned about was revising and editing sentences, along with Proofreading. Revising and editing are two different things. Meaning; with revising you’re focused on effectiveness. With editing you’re checking for correctiveness. And with proof reading, reading at a slower place and keeping an eye out for any errors.

I plan to use global revisions when it comes to writing essays. That way I can read it from the audience perspective and see if I need to make any changes. I see this being used a lot as an effective tool to writing. Revising and editing will be another helpful tool to checking to make sure everything, meaning thesis and ideas are making since and running well. And lastly, proofreading.I plan to use it more than I do .I’m awful with spelling, so proofreading will be helpful when checking for errors in spelling.(Ect).

Writing Topic: Rules for Writers chapter 2

In Chapter 2, For most types of writing, draft an introduction that includes a thesis. The main point of this section of the chapter is showing us how to write an introduction that includes a thesis.  The second point is the Draft the body; meaning your essay develops support for your thesis. So make sure the body of your essay is clear. And third, is Attempt a conclusion. Meaning to summarize the essay’s key points, offer advice, or post a question.

I have a hard time starting a paper, so I see myself using this in everyday writing. That being a free write, or even just writing in a daily journal. Another would be, writing a paragraph about each supporting point listed in the planning stage. I see this being useful to stay on track with a topic, or topics so that my papers come out better. Final is the tips about starting a conclusion. This will be helpful, so I don’t feel like I’m repeating myself when I’m writing a conclusion.

"The Ways We Lie"

Is it possible to lie and still be an honest person?

Yes, it’s possible to lie and be an honest person, but it depends on what kinds of lies you tell .If they’re “white lies” that don’t hurt anyone, they’re ok. But if they hurt people then it’s opposite. I believe in honesty but I also know sometimes you just have to lie. Which can be hard, but sometimes you have to. Example: if you have a kid, and they ask if there are vegetables in the meal you’re cooking. You say          “ no”, but there really is. This type of lie isn’t going to hurt anybody and is with good intentions on the part of the person telling it. This type of lie can be told and you can still be an honest person. Another example would be, if you tell someone they look nice, when they really don’t to make them feel better. This type of lie can sometimes grow into very large lies, which would contradict honesty in a person.

An honest person is someone who tells the truth when it matters, and a lie when necessary. It is easy to think that honest people only tell small lies, fibs, or something to spare the feelings or thoughts of the person hearing it. I think that people who try and live honestly, in their actions and behaviors, still find themselves in positions where they’re going to have to cut corners in the truth, but because of their intentions and respect for people and their feelings.

Not every beach is the same to me.Theres one that I hold dear.

Samos, Greece is a beautiful place and it carries a special place in my heart. I was born here, and raised the first 3 years of my life. It’s where my grandparents and most of my mom’s family lives. It has a lot great beaches. But there’s one that holds a very special memory to me. This beach is a family tradition to me, as you’ll learn why later.

The beach is called Samos Beach. I’ve had a lot of memories at this place but one really sticks out to me. I love this place because my Pappou (grandfather in Greek) and Yiayia (grandmother in Greek) taught all of my siblings and myself to swim at this beach. It’s a family tradition to learn to swim at this beach. The Image is connected to my identity because I was born there, and it’s part of my roots. My grandparents are getting older, and so looking at this picture of the beach reminds me of the memories with them here, teaching me to swim, and many summers of coming to visit. I only see them once a year, so when I get to go for the summer it’s something I enjoy.

 I was scared of water until I was about 4. I don’t remember much. I remember Pappou and Yiayia getting me into the water after awhile of convincing me I would be ok.Pappou and Yiayia took me swimming with my siblings every day that summer.By the end, I was over my fear of water. It was the summer I learned to swim, and float on my back. My parents joke about how after that I was a “Fish in the water”.

I love the beach, but Samos Beach will always be special to me. It brings back a lot of memories. And every time I visit, I come back with more .Samos Beach is just one of many beautiful beaches in Greece. I hope to make many memories as the years go by at this special beach. This is just one of many memories I’ve made at Samos Beach and hope to make many more.

Writing Topic: Rules for Writers chapter 1

One of the main ideas in chapter 1 in Rules for Writers is generating ideas and sketching a plan. Meaning write down some ideas and “brain storm.” Things like listening to music might help, or simply saying them out loud when driving to work might help as well. Second would be  to experiment with ways to explore your subject. Meaning instead of just doing a first draft, play around with a couple of techniques for your subject like: Free writing, keeping a journal, asking the journalist’s questions, and lastly annotating the texts and taking notes. The goal is to come up with many ideas that will lead you to a question. Third would be to formulate a tentative thesis. Meaning to find the central idea. And lastly, to sketch a plan. Meaning after you think of some ideas and form a thesis, make up an informational outline.

I plan to use these things in my writing. I think free writing helps, so generating ideas before a first draft will be very helpful when writing a paper. Experimenting with ways to explore your subject, I think will help when trying to come up with more the idea, to answer a question. Another would be  to formulate a tentative thesis. I can see this being helpful in organizing a draft. And lastly,  to sketch a plan,  I think will help keep ideas in order, to write a clear and neat draft.

The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me

Why is a “smart Indian” dangerous?  Dangerous to whom?

A “smart Indian” is dangerous because they aren’t expected to be successful. They’re expected to be stupid. They’re widely feared and ridiculed by Indians and non-Indians alike. Most lived up to expectation of being stupid, but showed signs of intelligence at home, such as being able to remember a dozen or so songs. I also think that maybe Indian kids were scared of non-Indian teachers, and that is why they hid the fact that they were smart.

 The “smart Indian” is dangerous to Indians and non-Indians alike. I think it’s because some might feel intimidated by a “smart Indian” because it wasn’t the norm for an Indian child in school. They were expected to fail in the non-Indian world. Those who failed where ceremonially accepted by other Indians and appropriately pitied by non-Indians. They were feared for who they were and what they were capable of. They were most dangerous who didn’t expect what they were able of conquered in the class room and in the non-Indian world.

Writing Topic: Rules for Writers chapter 46

The main idea of chapter 46 is how to actively read. How identify the thesis, the audience, and the authors intended audience .There are many steps involved in the process. One would be annotate the text, meaning you are engaging in the work, not just letting it slip past you. Second would sketching out a brief outline of the text. This means basically to do an outline after what you’ve read.

Third would be to summarize, to check your understanding. Meaning to state the work’s main ideas and key points Cleary and effectively .Another key point is critical thinking, meaning judgment about whatever you’re doing .And lastly, the different types of texts analyzed in different disciplines.Exmaple: An image or a work of art. Or a passages of a musical composition. These are the steps involved in actively reading.

I plan to use this information in my writing in checking off each step each time I write a paper. I think these steps will help build better writing and comprehension skills for me. I plan to use outlines more, to keep my thoughts clear and on the topic. Another way this material will help me in the class to is annotate the text. . I think these steps will help build better writing and comprehension skills for me.

Free writing Exercises

What is a free write? A Free write to me is an exercise to write for a certain amount of time. It’s writing what comes to mind. What’s on your mind without worrying about grammer.It’s a way of letting go what you might hold back and putting it on paper.

How is it meant to facilitate stronger writing? It’s being able for you as the writer to take thoughts and put them on paper. Delivering clear thoughts to the reader. Also being able to clearly express what you’re writing about and staying on topic. It helps you build better writing skills, and also gets your brain thinking. What did you find surprising or illuminating about the reading? What surprised me was how free writing can help you stay focused. Also that free writes can improve writing skills. I hated them in high school because I never knew what to write, but over time I’ve realized they help me sort out my thoughts when I’ve got a lot going on. Another thing that surprised me was that they help you get better each time you write a paper.

Sam's Blog

HI my names Samantha. But most people call me Sam or Samie.I’m the baby of six kids. Five sisters including me and one brother. I’ve been a part time nanny since my junior year of high school.Im currently taking classes to become a medical assistant .Later on I plan to get my BA in nursing. I was born in Samos, Greece which many people don’t know about me. I then moved here to Petaluma CA when I was 3 to be closer to family.Im half Greek \Italian. I’m fluent in both Greek and Italian. I graduated from Petaluma high school this last summer. I got accepted to UCLA and Berkley but wanted to stay close to my family. So far I love Santa Rosa Junior College. I’m hoping to take away better writing skills and better understanding of English.Im an auditory learner and like to get things done early. Other things to know about me are I love animals. I enjoy traveling.Ive been to Rome, Florence and hope to go back soon!