“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.