Final

I have thoroughly enjoyed having a blog this past school year. When I scroll through past posts, I think to myself, "This has got to be the most I've ever written in my life!" My blog allows me to jot down memories. It is convenient since it keeps all my writing in one place. My favorite part is being able to add pictures to give myself a visual of what I wrote about. I can also look at other people's blogs when I see a topic that interests me.

Blogging has changed the way I write, think, and think about writing.I used to think that writing is only worth something only if it is written professionally. I developed that mentality because only good essays good get markings in English class. But now that I think about it, writing, even if it has bad grammar, is significant as long as it means something to the writer or reader, especially if it is about an important event in a person's life. I used to think that writing was plain and boring, but it is actually very powerful. It's amazing how writing can take all different types of forms. There are reviews, fiction, real life stories, poems and you can learn many morals/ lessons from each kind. For example, if you read dramas, you learn stage directions. Also, once you finish a book, that isn't the end. There can be analysis and discussions which can be used to expand into other subjects.

Writing used to be one of my greatest fears. I dreaded writing essays because I always ended up having writer's block. After blogging so much, I now think that producing 300 words is a cinch. However, 500 words is still kind of tedious to do. When I feel painful doing 1000 word reviews and finals, I am in awe how authors can write novels without dragging the storyline. I think I am now more conscious of how I write. I write compound sentences. I used to only scratch the surface of subjects, but now I think more in depth; For book reviews, I think of the morals that I learned: "They show their greatest potential as human beings despite the obstacles in their way; they show their true colors." (True Colors Review) Instead of treating the books as just a story for entertainment, I thought about what kind of lessons can be learned and why the book was named what it is. Doing these kinds of things allows me to write more and suffer less writer's block. With so much practice, I form paragraphs automatically. For book reviews, I try my best to incorporate quotes and make smooth transitions between paragraphs.

My favorite post this past year is my review on the book True Colors by Kristin Hannah. It was one of the best book that I have ever read in my life. It morals of forgiveness and hope make it an inspiring novel. In this post, I answered three prompts about the book. They were: What was the author's purpose(s) in writing this book, and how can you tell?, How well was this purpose achieved?, How would you describe the author's style of writing? What's your opinion of the style?, and Pick a character that interested you and write about them in depth. Answering these quotes allowed me to reflect on what I've read and develop an in depth interpretation of the title and realize how one of the characters relates to me.

For my favorite character, I picked Winona, one of the Grey sisters. I started out with two quotes that describe how Winona felt towards her sister, Vivi Ann. Then I wrote about her personality of being jealous and prideful and how these bad traits get her into trouble. The author's purpose of writing this book is to describe life in a small town and to encourage hope, love, and forgiveness. I described Hannah's style as being easy to read, capable to stir the emotion of the readers, and gives a laid back mood by adding dialogue. In the end, I described the pity, anger, and happiness that I felt through the course of events.

Even though I got full credit on this review, there are many ways in which I could have improved on it. The quotes that I put in did not support my claims. For example, I ended with a quote: "And my dad said. Yeah. It's about time I taught my son to play poker. His son. That was when I had my answer, when I finally knew who I was. " (p558). After rereading this post, I realize that it has nothing to do with the author's style of writing. I guess I just put it in because it was a touching quote and I thought it would be a good conclusion. Also, I did not proofread it carefully, so there were grammar mistakes and switching between the past and present tense.

I get my ideas for blog posts from the aspects of my daily life. The things that I do and watch have a big influence what I write about. Because I always watch anime, I like write about Detective Conan, Naruto, and Bleach. I really like writing about the fun that I have hanging out with Michelle on Thursdays and Fridays after school. When there is a break from school, I usually blog about what I did on each day. However, I can not always think of a topic. When that happens, I resort to using things that I learned in history; These included my posts Should Euthanasia Be Legal? &French Imperialism in Indochina. One time, I used my essay The Cold War from the Layer A of my history project.

I think that some of my inspiration for writing comes from reading amazing works of literature or any other type of writing. For example, when I read really good books like the Percy Jackson series and True Colors, it makes me wish that I had a talent for writing stories. I want to be able to write something that others enjoy reading and maybe think of a good story plot that no author has yet to think of. Though that goal inspires me, I know that I do not have the diligence to improve my writing or even think of a plot for a story. I find it too difficult and I would rather just go the easy way and not even try. Most of the time though, my intention for writing a good essay is not exactly a good one. Being in school, I only think about writing so that I can get a good marking on it.

Writing can take me on a trip down memory lane. I enjoy the nostalgia that I feel when I recall happy moments of the past; it makes me feel as if I'm reliving that moment. it serves as an alternative to remember those moments if I didn't take picture. Writing can also be relaxing and give a sense of freedom. It can serve as an outlet. I remember that one time when I was depressed about my life, I wrote down how I felt in my notebook. After that I felt a lot better. I think that's why some people have diaries. I have wrote a lot this past school year and I hope that it will prepare me English 3 next year.

Ending Slavery Review

"It can happen. Five thousand years of slavery can end forever. Two hundred years of pretending we don't have slavery anymore can end forever. The ugly crime that divides and stains out species can end forever. The use of violence to turn other people into livestock can end forever. It can happen, and it can happen starting now." (p3)

In Ending Slavery, Kevin Bales informs us of the statistics of slavery, incidences where slaves or villages emancipated themselves, and he also offers advice on what we can do to aid the antislavery movement.

I once heard at a church service that Japan is one of the most corrupt countries in terms of the sex industry. I found that hard to believe because it is the producer of some of my most favorite kinds of things like SANRIO and sushi. From reading this book, it shows that Japan is way behind on stopping slavery than it is compared to in technology. It is ironic that though it hasa low rate of crime rate and is one of the most influential and has one of the richest economies in the world, it is on the Tier 2 Watch List. Not only does it not take action, but the Japanese government does a great deal to support it; They give visas to those that will be performing at theaters and nightclubs:

"What other country is so in love with the entertainment that it is necessary to import 133,103 singers and dancers in a single year? And are the Japanese such jaded theater goers that the 123,322 singers and dancers imported the year before ceased to be entertaining after a few months"(p109) Japan tries to put up a good image while hiding slavery in the form of "entertainers".

Japan has a history of using sex slaves. During the Cold War, Japanese soldiers enslaved in prostitution thousands of Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean, and Chinese women. They set up "comfort stations" in military occupied establishments. Chong Ok Sun,was one of the many women that were victims. Her story is the the most tragic and horrifying thing that I have ever read. It reflects the cruelty of the Japanese and the gives an eyewitness account of the horrors of slavery. In Heysan City, she along with thousands of other girls, served about forty men per day and were beaten severely if they rebelled. Deaths also occurred; soldiers had one girl that rebelled rolled onto a board with nails and then cut her head of in the end after the torture. The commander said," it's easy to kill you all, easier than killing dogs." Slavery degrades humans and causes them to believe that one race or gender is superior to another.

I find Kevin Bales style of writing to be kind of hard to read. He bombards the reader with too much information; I forgot almost everything that I read because there was just too much information to absorb. I also thought that some points seemed redundant or maybe he did that on purpose so the reader does not forget the point that he is trying to make. However, I found the stories that he adds in, such the city of Sonebarsa freeing itself by getting a mining lease and the story of a girl named Rena being forced into prostitution captivating and powerful. Stories of tragedies inform others of the need to end the horrible practice of enslaving people thinking that they are inferior, while those of success encourage others that the efforts that they put in are not in vain.

There are many areas that he did really well while writing the books. Visuals can be more influential than words; By adding pictures of slaves with captions, he is able to show the horrible conditions that slaves live in. These pictures stirs the emotions of the reader; When I glanced at them, I felt sad looking at the boy that was abused, having scars over his body. He also organizes his information; although there are only six chapters, there are many subheadings. He ensures that the reader gets the points of each chapter by giving either a summary or a list of things that people can do to aid the fight against slavery.

Adding quotes and stories make the book more information and offers proof that supports his reports and statistics of slavery are valid. For the report on slavery in Japan, he even shows a graph of the entry on "entertainer" visas. He does not used boring titles; he has very catchy ones such as "Brazil's Report Card", where he gives a report on slavery in Brazil and "So, Mr. Chocolate Company, When Did You Stop Using Slaves?", where he talks about what chocolate factories such as Hersheys, Mars, and Nestle did after they found out that slaves were used to make the cocoa beans.

"Ending slavery in this world means solving a lot of puzzles. Some concern a single child, and some relate to fitting the pieces of government policy together: ...Should our laws keep slave-made goods out of our country or take advantage to its cheapness?... Then some of the questions hit us right in the heart: Are we willing to live in a world with slavery?..."

Bales begins by boggling the mind of the reader with questions. The purpose of the book is to answer those questions. He is very dedicated in his work; he has traveled around the world investigating slavery to write this book. The author directs this book to anyone that is willing to read it. However, I would only recommend this book to those that would be diligent enough to finish it. Not everyone can or are willing to sacrifice their time to other countries and serve as antislavery activists, but they can do little things that contribute. These things include spreading the world about the book, teach children, building antislavery libraries, learning to recognize the signs of slavery, and long term supportive funding.

Consumers have a right to know that the clothes they wear or chocolate that they eat could have produced by slaves on the other side of the world. The luxuries that we enjoy could be at the cost of the pain and suffering of others. Bales tells us that one thing that consumers can do is that whenever we go shopping, we should go to the store manager and ensure that their products are made by paid laborers. Consumers are often also employees and and investors, so they can also encourage the business that they work for to support antislavery organization and question if retirement funds or stocks are make profits from slavery.

Bales hopes that national organizations and governments would also read the book. In Governments: Carrying the Biggest Stick, he informs that though the government holds the most power in countries, they do little to try to end slavery. Most of the time it is the activist groups that are responsible for the emancipation of slaves. National Organizations have a national reach which can be the key to ending slavery.The World Bank can fund projects by giving loans and grants, and the United Nations can appoint experts to review and improve conventions. If governments and organizations worked as hard as the government in Brazil, which "freed 4,789 slaves in 2003 and another 2,745 in 2004" (p118), the emancipation of slaves around the world will happen a lot quicker.

"The truth is that all of us have a hand in slavery through the things that we buy. The basic reality that we have to grapple with as consumers and businesses is that a lot of commodities and products have a little bit of slavery in them. (p181)"

The chapter that this quote was in was about ending the product chain that causes slaveholders to not let go of their slaves in order to earn the most profits. On page 211, Bales gives a number of ways that we, as normal citizens and consumers can do to help the fight against slavery. I feel shameful to say this, but even after reading the advice, I know I won't follow what it says. I would not go up to a store manager and tell him that I do not want to buy slave made goods. First of all, no one that I know does that. Also, I don't even know whether the employees or manager know whether the goods are from slaves; they could be deceived like everyone else too.

It is so sad that even though that products are made from slave of child labor it is still being sold out in the market for so much more than the cost needed to produce it. Yet despite the expensive costs, lots of people still buy those things. Everyone is fueling the global slave trade unknowingly. One of the things that require slave input is cocoa. Some of the biggest chocolate companies, such as Hershey, Mars, and Nestle have had slavery in their product chain. It is ironic that something that takes so sweet and good originated from the tears and pain of other people.

When I think about it, when I look at tags for the clothes and other things that I buy, all of them say that they are made in poor countries. If only slaveholders would stop being so selfish and be happy with what they have slavery wouldn't exist. But I guess that is impossible because humans are fallen beings and we are sinful no matter how hard we try not to be. I think that there are people that are also told about slavery, but they choose to not believe it because it is too hard to look carefully at products and to feel guilty whenever you guy something.

Red Cross Speech

Yesterday, I gave my speech for the Red Cross club. I was running for the position of corresponding secretary.The duties of this job is to be the communicator between the members and Joanne, our club sponsor who is in charge of the events; the person in this postiion has to call members that signed up for the events, ensure that they remember to go along with when and where it is, or cross them off the list if they are busy. This is my speech which I wrote many weeks ago, but two weeks ago we only had time to vote for webmaster and last week there was no meeting due to AP testing :

HI! My name is Katherine and this is my second year at Red Cross. I think that I am capable of this position because I am a hard worker, I get things done on time, and I have a good memory. I keep up my grades along with having done swimming and tennis and having a o period. I will not have any difficulty fulfilling the duties required since I always have a lot of free time on my hands. I am an active member of this club. This past school year, I have attended about twenty events, consisting of fifteen different types of events. As for why I want this position, I am running for this position because I want an opportunity to do more in the club. Since I do not have much experience in calling people except for a few weeks ago when I called people to promote measure E for swimming, I will be able to learn something new and be able to do something that is outside my comfort zone. If I get this position I will do my best to ensure that you guys know the details of events, that I call at appropriate times, and that there will not be any miscommunication of any sort.

I did not list all the events that I attended since they were too many. The events that I attended this past schoolyear were:
candlelight vigil
field trip to the red cross office in san franciso
bingo at Water's Edge convalescent home
passing out cards
holiday food drive at Bayfarm Community Church
pressure booth at the car show
cleaning ERV warehouse,
health fair at alameda hospital
disabled people's fair at alameda point
earth day fair at washington park
making cards
packing meals on wheels
setting up and cleaning up for toys for tots

I was so happy when I was done with my speech. I was so scared that when I was talking my words were kind of jumbles. I was so happy when Shuying, Amanda, and the person that I ran up against said that thy liike my speech. AND I am so happy that I am going to be the correspoding secretary next year. I am really looking forward to it. Afterwards, I sat down, listened to the speeches of the candidates for vice president and president, and voted.

Quickwrite: Rules of Love

The boy is supposed to pay on a date, but not to the point where he spends every penny that he has. The boy asked the girl out before, but nowadays there are girls that make the first move. They will flirt with the guy or even tell him that she likes him. Back then, parents meet the guy that their daughter is dating. In the community, people are usually acquainted with everyone else. Nowadays, Parents are clueless with their children's love lives . Kids sneak off and lie that they are doing homework, a projector, or hanging out with friends
When on a date the best activities to do are to go watch a movie, shopping, or eating out. People are so perverted and lustful these days that I think that a date can just consist of making out. The terms pimp, slut, playboy, etc. show that people often date around. They believe that they can be the most popular if they can get either the most guys or girls. However, the moral thing to do is to date one person at a time and only when they really like that person; they shouldn't ask a person out just because they are good looking; they should also like their personality. If the relationship is lust and not love, it will not last long and can result heartbreaks and unnecessary pain. Dating is out of control; people go to online dating sites, cheat on others, treat it as a game, and play with other people's emotions. People are very dissolute. Some people continue to do so after marriage. Humans are falling in moral standards. People will not feel special and feel like objects that can be disposed of . That is why it is so adorable when a couple has never dated anyone else and their realtionship lasts for a lifetime.

SWIMMING

I can't believe it but only nineteen more school days. This year and the swimming season went by so fast. This past Saturday was the last day of the swimming season and we had our ACCAL league championships at Contra Costa College. We all met at eight-thirty in the morning at the AHS parking lot. Then rides were assigned and we were on our way. I rode with Jenny, Amanda, Siu Quan, and Julia. When we arrived there, we set up tents and ate breakfast. There were strawberries, tangerines, bagels, bagel thins, and wheat thins. We had to eat healthy because of tapering and we couldn't be bloated when we raced. It was a perfect day for a meet because the weather was nice and warm.

After breakfast, Coach C. told us the events that we were swimming in, along with the lanes, heats, and relay groups that we were in. We wrote all the events on our hands with sharpies. Warm-ups started at eleven-fifteen and the meet finally started at around twelve-thirty. It was suppose to start at twelve sharp, but not enough parents volunteered to be timers. It was exciting and fun when it started. It was also intense when someone from our school and a person from a rival school were near being tied for first place. It was really funny during the five hundred yard for Junior Varsity girls because Coach C. was so intense that she was actually standing up and leaning over the table to look.

I was so thankful that I only had to swim three events; the events that I swam were the fifty free, hundred free, and two hundred free relay. Right after swimming my last event and taking a picture with Jenny to capture what she called "our happiest moment in swimming", I raced into the shower room. I was looking forward to the shower all day; Unlike the ugly showers that we have, Contra Costa College's showers were really nice. After showers, there were snacks. We were finally able to eat junk food. There were chips, rice krispies, cookies, cake, fruit roll ups, granola bars, and animal crackers. Some of the girls even caked Coach C.

The results were just as we hoped for. Alameda High won all of the divisions; we won for JV and Varsity boys and girls. I was really happy because last year the JV girls lost to Berkeley and this year we finally won the championship title back. In the beginning, I wasn't sure if we were going to win because we started out some point behind of Berkeley from the diving team. When the announcements were over, Coach C. and Marshall were pushed into the swimming pool. This was a tradition that happened for the past twelve years. I had a really good year with swimming; I made a lot of happy memories. I feel kind of sad to say that next year I won't be joining the swim team again after having been part of it for the past two years.

Ending Slavery #2

"One of these girls was Reina. At the age of fifteen, Reina was slipped across the border from Mexico by human traffickers, who lured her with the promise of a job." (p71)

This incident that Bales talks about takes place in San Diego. I was never aware of how real slavery is. I can't imagine how it can be happening right in California. My brother recently went to San Diego and he told me that it was one of the nicest cities that he has ever seen. I guess no matter how nice a place looks, evil is still lurking about. I thought about going to college in San Diego; I can imagine if I do go there in the future, I will be walking into a restaurant and wondering if those people are really there of their own will. When I think about all the illegal immigrants from Mexico, I wonder if most of them are even here of their own will.

One of the reasons that I enjoy this book so much is that Kevin Bales tells stories of certain peoples experiences with slavery like this story with Reina and how the city of Sonebarsa freed itself. Instead of telling general information on slavery, I find a specific examples more empowering. It is amazing how slaves go against their fears and rebel. I think that reading this book and how slaves and activists are fighting this evil, more people will definitely give to the cause.

Reina's story is a sad one. When I read what happened to he,r I think that her life is definitely not how life is meant to be; her baby was taken hostage and she is forced to be a sex slave. Everyone is supposed to have education, job, and happiness. I also feel pathetic how I have so many blessings, but yet I am not satisfied. As for the slaveholders, I do not know what they had gone through that they do not have consciences. Stories like hers shows how strong human beings are; despite all the hardship they have gone through, they still are able to move on with their lives.

Ending Slavery

"I felt terrible, I mean I felt really terrible because I couldn't imagine, not even in my slightest imagination, that in this day and age someone would treat somebody's child the way she was treated. It made me sick in my stomach." (p80)

Like most other people, I am ignorant of the existence of slavery. I thought that after the Civil War and Emancipation Proclamation it really ceased to exist because that's the impression I got from history textbooks. After reading this book, I realized that slavery was only made illegal, not gone from existence. Corrupt officials and greed for profit encourage the illegal smuggling of slaves. I am unaware that it could be happening right in front of me. When I walk into a department store, I do not stop and think whether the merchandise were made through slave and child labor probably on the other side of the world of whether the waitresses at restaurants are prostitutes at night.

I agree with Louis, one of the people Bales writes about whose thoughts were expressed in the quote above. It really is sad how people can treat other humans so inhumanely. In the book, it said that the enslaved field worker who cost the equivalent of $40,000 in 1850 costs less than $100 today. It is unbelievable that price tags are put on people whose lives are of infinite worth. Their worth has diminished so much that they are considered disposable; they are even worth less than products that you could find at a mall.

Hearing of the conditions of slaves made me feel thankful of my life. Its pathetic how I complain about petty things while others are suffering more; slaves are beaten, starved, and have lost their pursuit for happiness. I also reflected on what I want to do with my life; I thought that one of the things that I would want to do is be like missionaries that travel to countries like Southeast Asia and rescue children that have been forced into slavery. Louis said that even though he was supporting the girls that he rescued, he was happy because he knew that he did the right thing. He was overjoyed seeing the smiles of the relatives of those girls when he showed them video footage that they were alive. People's smiles, like those of the kids on the cover can be more rewarding than money itself.

The Cold War

Revolution: an overthrow or repudiation and the thorough replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed.

The Cold War, lasting from 1945-1991, was a global conflict that resulted due to problems conflicting ideologies and mutual distrust between the Soviet Union and the United Sates. Stalin wanted to spread communism in Eastern Europe and create alliances while Roosevelt and Churchill rejected his views. Though it began with a couple of disagreements, it turned into a war that would define the 20^th century. Many countries crossed paths in disputes and rebellions. Each was motivated by national interests and believed in imposing its policies on others.

As the war dragged on, new conflicts arose. Stalin sent the Red Army to help local Communists destroy opposing parties in Eastern Europe. The United States responded with the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan to strengthen democratic governments. The existence of the atomic bomb was a constant threat between the two countries. In 1948, Soviet troops blocked railroad and highway access to into Western Berlin. For more than a year, the Western Powers delivered supplies by cargo planes. As tensions grew, the Soviet Union and the United States formed military alliances to ensure national security; the North Atlantic Treaty Organization consisted of the U.S., Canada, and ten other countries while the Warsaw Pact consisted of the Soviet Union and seven Eastern European countries that would form what was known as the “Iron Curtain.”

The war eventually spread to Southeast Asia, Latin America, and European colonies in Africa. European colonies in Africa took advantage of the feud between the U.S. and the Soviet Union; they demanded independence and sought support from the one the powers. Soviets helped Fidel Castro to take over Cuba. U.S. President John F. Kennedy supported Cuban exiles in the Bay of Pigs Invasion. In 1962, the Soviet Union sent nuclear missiles to Cuba. In Southeast Asia, the Soviet Union and the United Sates fought in the Vietnam and Korean War on opposing sides supporting different governments.

During the war, many rebellions took place. Many of the Eastern European countries were unhappy with Soviet Policies and in Vietnam the Vietnamese wanted to put an end to foreign influence. Uprisings against the Soviet Union occurred in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Afghanistan. Some were successful and some were not. The one in Hungary and Czechoslovakia were brutally crushed while the Afghan resistance forced the Soviets to withdraw their troops. The Northern Vietnamese forces waged guerillas wars; In 1968, guerilla forced came out of the jungles and attacked U.S. and Southern Vietnamese troops on Tet, the New Year.

Differences in ideologies and mutual distrust were the main causes of the war. The West and the Soviet Union were ruled by two very different forms of government. The United States was a democracy where people had a capitalist economy, elected representatives, and political leadership valued freedom and prosperity. The Soviet Union, China, and other countries that clung to hard-line communism had a command economy; political decisions were made by the Communist Party, and political leadership valued obedience, discipline, and economic security. These contrasting systems greatly influenced many regions; The United States and the Western powers experienced booms in their market economy. In China, Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution were complete failures resulting in the death of millions due to famine and killings by the Red Guard. The Khmer Rouge in Cambodia slaughtered, worked to death, and starved a third of the population. Hundreds of thousands fled under harsh communist rule in Vietnam. The Soviet Union’s economy halted and was unable to support the race of arms. As communism declined, the Soviet Union crumbled in 1991. The Cold War truly defines the meaning of a revolution.

True Colors Review

True colors, a novel written by Kristin Hannah, is a story of love, jealousy, family, and community.

"This envy of hers was expanding, taking up too much space in her chest. Sometimes, when she thought about everything Vivi Ann had taken from her, she couldn't breathe."(p89)

"Somehow, impossibly, Vivi Ann had broken all those rules, and a good man's
heart, and still paid no price. Golden." (p192)

Life is far beyond perfect for Winona Grey. Being single and overweight, she is constantly jealous of her sister Vivi Ann. Vivi Ann is beautiful and wins the heart of Luke Connnelly, Winona’s true love. Jealousy causes Winona to be malicious towards her sister; while Luke and Vivi Ann were dating, she fantasizes daily that they would break up and Luke would come running to her for a shoulder to lean on. When Winona finds Vivi Ann sleeping with Dallas, she betrays her by telling Luke right away, not giving her a chance to tell him herself.

The only thing that Winona never doubts is her intelligence. Thinking that she knows what is the best for everyone, her actions cause others to get angry at her. One time Vivi Ann actually slaps her and tells her that she never wants to see her again. She recommends to her father of selling his land while many times he told her that he would never do so. When Vivi Ann thinks of a plan to raise money for the ranch Winona tries to dismiss it because she was angry that she did not think of it herself. During the time Dallas was convicted of murder she tried to convince Vivi Ann that Dallas had to be the murderer, not caring of her sister’s pain. Hypocritically, she steps into case after Dallas spends more than a decade in jail.

In the end, Winona redeems herself. She finds flaws in Dallas’s conviction and goes to court as his lawyer against the will of her father. When the trial fails, she approaches the state attorney. Dallas gets dismissed and Winona is able to compensate for the pain that she caused Vivi Ann. She was also able to have a happy ending too; Luke comes back and asks her for a second chance.

The author's purpose of writing this book is to describe life in a small town and to encourage hope, love, and forgiveness. Growing up in Oyster Shores, the Grey sister's relationship remains strong throughout the years They walk to church every Sunday morning and go dancing and drinking together. Because the town is small, everyone is acquainted with one another. It made me kind of yearn for that type of lifestyle. It seems a a lot more peaceful and fulfilling than living in the city where people are preoccupied with making money and fashion, ultimately caring about themselves.

After Dallas gets arrested, the story is at a standstill. Vivi Ann stays single, never recovering from her pain. Noah gets blamed for starting fights and turns into what people call "like his father". Aurora divorced her husband for infidelity and Winona attempts to find love and fails. This situation creates a very gloomy mood. It had me wondering how the story will turn around.

" "...We're the Greys. That matters. Show us your true colors, who you used to be." " (p 554)

Hannah's purpose was achieved in writing this book. When things seems hopeless, miracles happened. Dallas's cased reopens and is eventually dismissed, Luke asks Winona for a second chance, and Noah is able to answer the "Who am I?" question in the journal that Mrs. Ivers gave him. The ending is beautiful; it encourages hope that pain is temporary. Despite her jealousy, Winona loves her sister and family. Through the good times and the bad, the Grey sisters stick together to the very end. Also, Dallas displays an amazing act of forgiveness; he forgives Myrtle Michaelian, whose mistaken testimony had convicted him.

People can be so beautiful when they demonstrate amazing acts. They show their greatest potential as human beings despite the obstacles in their way; they show their true colors. This is my initial interpretation of the title. I think that the author's meaning of true colors is one's true self. For Winona, her sisters, and her dad, there true colors was their identity as Greys and relationship as a family.

This book catches the interest of the reader from the beginning to the end. From how good the book is, I am surprised that it did not win any awards. I really like Kristin Hannah's style of writing. She does not include unnecessary details that bore the reader. It is easy to understand, descriptive and causes emotions to stir.

This book is very easy to understand. Unlike some other ones that I have read, there were no parts where I had no idea what was happening. Hannah uses simple vocabulary and also adds in a lot of dialogue. The dialogue creates a comforting, laid back mood, with the sisters making jokes about one another from time to time. She is very descriptive in her writing; all the situations and people along with their characteristics and apparel are explained thoroughly.

While I was reading, I felt many different emotions. These emotions included pity suspense, anger, and happiness. Knowing that Vivi Ann is beautiful and gets all the good things, I pity Winona, who is fat and lonely. Even though Winona acts badly, I have a harm time blaming her because if I would do the same in her shoes. During the long years Dallas stayed in jail, I was eager to find out how the story ends. I thought to myself, "There's no way it's going to be a happy ending." However, the story ends perfectly with one of Noah's journal entries. He too had found his true colors.

"And my dad said. Yeah. It's about time I taught my son to play poker. His son. That was when I had my answer, when I finally knew who I was. " (p558)

True Colors

True colors, a novel written by Kristin Hannah, portrays the life of the Grey sisters.

"From this vantage point, Myrtle saw Dallas' right side. Winona had always had a photographic memory, and she'd sworn it noticed Dallas's tattoo when she hired him. She would have sworn it was on his left arm."(p444)

I was horrified and in disbelief when I read this. I was sure that Dallas was the murderer and he only never admitted it. It was terrible thinking that he spent more than a decade in jail for a crime that he did not commit. I was wondering why he never pleaded innocent. It also shows how flawed the justice system is. The crime scene and the witnesses' accounts were not thoroughly investigated. People assumed that Dallas was the murderer because he was Indian.

While the years were passing by I was depressed at what was happening. Vivi had not healed from the pain of losing Dallas. She took pills and drank alcohol to ease her pain. Noah grew up and started fights at school. The people of the community said that he was just like his father. Dallas was still in jail. Even Aurora, who was doing fine in the beginning of the story suffered a failed marriage. I had no hope that the story would turn around.

"His son. That was my answer, when I finally knew who I was." (p558)

But, the ending was beautiful. I was so happy that Vivi ann. After waiting for so many years, she was find happiness again. Noah was able to answer the "Who am I?" question in the journal that Mrs. Ivers gave him. Dallas demonstrated a beautiful act of forgiveness; he forgave Myrtle Michaelian, whose testimony was the one that condemned him. Winona was also able to find happiness; after years of searching for love and not finding it, Luke came back and asked her for a second chance.

This past week...

This week was one of the most laid back weeks during the past school year. On Monday, there wasn't much to do since we were settling back from spring break. I thought Schindler's List was an interesting movie, but it was depressing to watch. I cannot understand how people can treat other humans so unhumanely; they are shot just by the point of a finger from a German officer. Even though Schindler saved 1100 Jews, I have a hard time seeing him as a hero. Because he is a womanizer, I can't see the good things that he did.

On Wednesday, the sophomores continued the Holocaust week by listening to survivors of the massacre of the Jews. One of them was Helen Fargus. Even though I should have given her my undivided attention, I had a hard time sitting still. I am amazed how people are able to survive in concentration camps, toiling long hours with consumption of only meager amounts of bread, soup, and coffee. Helen said that she asked a boy if he ever felt really hungry before and he said that he did when he forgot his lunch. I started questioning myself that question. The only time that I ever felt hungry was when I participated in World Vision's 30 hour famine. I almost fell walking from lack of energy. It 's painful to imagine how hungry those at the concentration camps; they had to endure mental and physical craving of food day after day.

Yesterday , I got to hang out with Michelle afterschool, which I haven't done in almost two weeks. I really missed her while she went to Italy. I didn't have an eating buddy Thursday and Friday afterschool on the week before spring break. On the night before she left Michelle, Elaine, Ryan, Priscilla, Grant and I were suppose to have dinner together, but Michelle ended up not coming. She said that she was going to make it up to me by treating me. Right afterschool, she went with me to my dance rehearsal and then we went to her place to pick up her brother. We went to Kai's and she treated me to teriyaki chicken.

Today was the Unity Week Assembly. I was so excited for the performance of Jai Ho. However, my morning began horribly. I couldn't find my leggings, so I frantically looked around. Later I had to call a friend and thankfully she let me borrow hers. I ended up being late for zero period and not being able to dress, but at least I took the test. The assembly was so fun; I never got tired no matter how many times I watched the acts. My favorite ones were the Chinese fan dance and the salsa. Michelle and Frank did such a good job dancing together. It was fun wearing the costumes even though it felt kind of weird putting the red dot on the forehead. The two assemblies went by so fast and so did the rest of the day.

True Colors 1&2

"Somehow, impossibly, Vivi Ann had broken all those rules, and a good man's
heart, and still paid no price. Golden." (p192)

I really sympathize with Winona. Like her, I developed a hate towards Vivi Ann. It's unfair that she is so beautiful and gets everything that she wants. She even cheats on Luke for Dallas and is accepted back by her family and the community with little harsh gossip. She is favorited by her father and karma never seems to get her. She is a perfect example of how unfair life can be. The situation Winona is in, being jealous of her sister is something that I can relate to easily. I constantly feel jealous of those around me, thinking why I couldn't have the life of this person or that person. Jealousy is an ugly thing and it brings out the worst in people like it did to Winona.



Even though I feel pity towards Winona, there are many flaws in her character that can make people hate her and that she needs to change. She is malicious trowards Vivi Ann; while Vivi Ann was dating Luke , she often fantasized that they would break up and he would come running to her for a shoulder to lean on. She always boasts of her inteliengence and therefore is unwilling to accept other people's ideas or criticism. Her greatest weakness is her pride. When Dallas saw through her like transparent glass and knew that she was jealous deep down inside, she tried to deny it. She even stains his reputation by spreading his criminal records around.See complains that she fat, but yet she does nothing about it. She continuously binge eats when she is stressed.

"During the course of the trial , the state will prove beyond reasonable
doubt that Dallas Raintree... went to Catherine Morgan's home and killed
her."(p273)"

"It was the clearest picture of his past that she'd ever s gotten: she imagined
him as a young boy, abused for a long time and then suddenly alone in the world
being told by adults that he was bad to the bone. Abuse can make an animal
mean."(p221)

I have a hard time siding with Vivi Ann that Dallas did not murder Cat Morgan. All the eveidence points to him as guilty of charged. Coincidentally, the gun in his car was gone, he had given the gun to Cat, and he did not attend the Grey family gettogether on the night of the killing. Based on his past criminal records and how he was abused as a child by his father, it is hard not to assume that he is the obvious killer. It is true. Abuse does make an animal mean and humans too. Since had been beaten with electrical cords, burned with cigarettes, and watched his father kill his mother while he was only a child, he should be emotionally scarred. With a record of having seen a psychiatrist , it is likely that he has anger management issues or is mentally ill. I also thought of the possibility that it might be one of those incidents in which the shock of murdering someone caused him to forget the whole thing all together.

" "Luke but ... I love you. If you'd just try, we could be happy together."..."I
love you. tpp" he said, lowering his voice to add, "as a friend." "(p210)

Winona finally admits her true feelings instead of trying to to hide them like before. I feel so bad for her though, being rejected after conquering her pride. I don't understand why he loves Vivi Ann so much when he should like Winona; they had been best friends for like forever and he only asked Vivi Ann out in the first place becuase she was beautiful. He shows how weak he is by later moving away again to avoid his pain of losing Vivi Ann to Dallas. I wonder if he will come back later in the story and if he does what will happen.

writing reflections+ plans of next year

My current goals as a writer are to be more creative, captivating, emotional, and productive. I want to be able to approach subjects in a variety of ways. I feel as if my writing is "flat"; there is no shift in mood from the beginning to the end. I even find myself getting bored while looking over my blog posts. I am envious of how bestselling authors are able to get the attention of millions of readers by writing about things that no one have ever thought about. I want to use my writing to express my emotions, but I often find that it is easier to use physical actions as an outlet. When I choose a topic or am given a prompt, I usually take long periods of time to finish. Since the blog post criteria has been raised, I have been struggling to produce 500 words. I have difficulty forming paragraphs since I have to think of more topic sentence and elaborate on them.

The purpose of my blog is to record all the aspects of my life that I have chosen to share. I write this blog mainly for my English class because it is a requirement. I would have never gotten or used one on my own. Even though, I write this blog for school, I also write it for myself. My blog holds alot of treasure memories in each post. In the future, I will be able to look back and think how far that I have come and how I have changed as a writer and as a person in general. I am not sure what topics I will write about for the last quarter of this school year and I don't plan to think too hard about it. With so many things happening daily, I am sure something of interest will pop up. Even though I do not know what I will write about, I do have expectations; I want to write about events that have impact even though I am not sure what they would be. In my posts I realized that most of the stuff that I write about, especially anime, are meaningless.

My goals for the next school year is to do better academically. The classes that I signed up for are 0 period Spanish 3, English 3P, Ap Physics, Ap Calculus, Ap US History, and Contemporary dance. I accidentally signed up for physiology to fill in the extra spot in my schedule, but I realized later on that I can only take one science class. For my alternative electives I chose psychology, careers in heath, and I forgot the other one that I picked. I'm kind of worried that I will not be able to handle the course load toughness, but at the same time I want that challenge in order to polish my diligence and studying skills.

This past year I have spent too much time watching anime. All the hours that I wasted could have been used for meaningful work. Next year, I plan to participate in more clubs. I enjoyed all the community service that I have done with the Red Cross this past year and I want to be able to do even more. I am very excited and hopeful for the 2010-2011 school year and will try hard to make the best of it.

The Lovely Bones Book Review

What was the author's purpose in writing the book? How can you tell? How well was the purpose achieved?

Alice Seabold's purpose in writing The Lovely Bones is share her portrayal of heaven, warn others that tragedies do exist, and to give hope to those that have been inflicted with pain from the death of a loved one. George Harvey is put in t he story to caution others of dangerous predators. She shows that there are those kinds of people out there that appear innocent, but are actually criminals or murderers. Children, especially, should be aware of of strangers.

There is a twist in Seabold's heaven compared to most people's imagination of heaven. Most people believe that heaven is a place with God and all the other descriptions of it that are written in the Bible. In Susie's heaven you can look down upon Earth anytime, continuing to be with your loved ones as as they live their daily lives. Also, she does not mention a hell. Seabold probably believes either that humans are ultimate good and are undeserving of eternal suffering, a hell does not exist, or that people that are generally considered moral go to heaven.

"These were the lovely bones that had grown around my absence: the connection- sometimes tenuous, sometimes made at a great cost, but often magnificent- after I was gone." (p363)

In the quote, it is clear of the meaning of the title. Even though tragedies are unavoidable, she hopes that the victims will be able to see a new light and hope for the future. Though Susie's bones and memories of her were symbols of heartache, they were able to result in something good. Through her death, her family and friends depended on each other for support and new relationships were formed. Ruth and Ray, who were loners found friendship with one another. Lindsey leaned on Samuel's shoulder and eventually were engaged. In the end, both the one in heaven and those on Earth learned to let go of each other. Though the story started out horrifically, it was able to end beautifully.

I think that her purposes were well achieved. I think that if someone who has just gone through a mourning period and read this, he would feel less burdened. He would have hope that his loved one is in a better place. Also, thinking that he are being watched by that loved one he would strive to live his life to the fullest in attempt to make that person happy.

Pick a character that interested you. Describe the character in depth.

In my opinion, the most interesting character in the story is Abigail Salmon. She represents how a typical person would respond to the death of a loved one. Being a mother, Susie's death must have affected her the most. To know that the child that came out of her body, that she nurtured, and gave the best to is gone was devastatingly painful. It was a scar that could never heal even with time. She falsely believes that by running away, her problems will vanish into thin air. She takes radical action in traveling thousands of miles to the West Coast to escape what haunts her.

Though I did not understand while I was reading this, there appears to be something intriguing about her. Jack calls her "Ocean eyes", not because they are blue, but because once you look into them you seem to drown in emotion. I wonder what she has or experienced that cause her eyes to arouse such feelings in others. While Susie was playing with her camera one day, she captures a picture of her mother sitting on the porch. Susie realizes that her mom looks different; for the first time she looks like Abigail. That means that she normally puts up a mask to not reveal her true self.

Abigail Salmon stirred my emotions by making me angry while I was reading. I could not help but feel disapproval towards her. She has an affair with Len Fenerman using pain to justify her actions. She later returns to her husband without ever telling him of her involvement with the police officer. She also leaves her children for seven years, not taking on the responsibilities as a mother. Her immoral behaviors, though not as extreme as Mr. Harvey's, made her stand out among the other characters.

What are the weaknesses of this book, in your opinion?

Though this book is a national bestseller, it has failed to meet my high expectations. It is unable to capture my attention. I was only interested in the first chapter where the murder takes place and then the rest of the book was a drag. I had to force myself to continue; once I actually fell asleep while reading it. Seabold puts in too many unnecessary details that do nothing, but make the story longer. Susie, the main character is not given enough action either; all she ever does is sit at the gazebo and gaze down upon Earth.

Even though Seabold puts a twist in the story, I think that there are parts that are unrealistic. Since the story seemed to be a rational one that could possibly happen in real life, I think that the idea of having Susie return to Earth in Ruth's body is awkward. It is also useless because all she does is make love with Ray; she does not even communicate with her family. The parts where Ruth sees spirits leaving Earth and writing down the descriptions in her diary was weird. It made me think that Ruth was insane.

Though the story begins with suspense, the ending is a flop disappointment. It is not anywhere near what I had expected. I had imagined a scene where the police officers are restraining Mr. Harvey and handcuffing him after finding solid evidence against him. They bring him to the Salmon's house where he is interrogated for his crimes. He confesses of his methods of killing his victims. The sirens attract neighbors that surround the house. In the end though, Mr, Harvey dies by falling on an icicle. That was a pathetic death. Though karma gets him, his one life does not compensate for all those that he had taken.

The Lovely Bones #3

Finally! I am finished with this book! It took a lot of effort because it was so boring. Alice Seabold puts unnecessary details that make the story draggy. When I am reading I think to myself, " Just hurry up and get to the part where Mr. Harvey is arrested!"

"Then suddenly, Franny and Holiday were gone...I came to realize that the marvelous weight weighing me down was the weight of the human body."(p342)

This part took me by surprise. While I was reading, I wondered if Susie would ever be able to see her family again and then this happens. Susie's spirit is inside Ruth's body. However, it is only for a short period of time until she is forced to be among the dead again. Even though it was only for a while, I think it satisfied her longing of earth. I expected that she would call her parents and tell them the details of Mr. Harvey, but all she did was spend time with Ray and make a phone call to Buckley. Susie is always looking down upon Earth which makes me wonder if their are spirits surrounding me wherever I go. This gives me a feeling of self-consciousness and goosebumps.

"But as she walked forward into the room, everyone else- her so, her daughter, her mother- fell way... She held his hand and cried silently, letting the tears come freely. " Hello ocean eyes," he said."(p305-306)

This was the moment that I was waiting for since the chapter "Snapshots" between Chapters sixteen and seventeen. When Susie's mom left the family to go to New Hampshire and then to California, I had a feeling of disapproval towards her. She goes back to her husband without ever confessing that she had an affair with Len Fenerman. She leaves her children for seven years, not doing her duty as a mother.

"a moment later the icicle fell. The heavy coldness of it threw him off balance just enough for him to stumble and pitch forward. It would be weeks before the snow in the ravine melted enough to uncover him." (p371)

I had imagined a big scene in the end with the police restraining Mr. Harvey and taking him to the Salmon's house. They would curse at him and grieve for Susie. My hunches were wrong though. His death turned out to be a quiet one. Karma got him in a way, but I think that he got off too easily considering he was only paying one life for all those that he had taken.

How were you expecting the story to end? Were you satisfied with the ending?

summer and next school year are approaching

As the days are getting hotter and the third quarter is ending, I'm starting to think about what classes I want to take next year. Some people have already gotten called down by their counselors. I want to get called down soon and see what classes are recommended for me. The schedule that I had mentally planned out in my head were 0 period Spanish 3, AP Calculus, English 3, APES or AP physics,and regular US history. I don't know what to take for my electives. Art is boring, I already took Current Life, and for dance I don't know how to choreograph a dance to teach the class without a partner. I am not interested in many of the electives that are offered.

I also started thinking about my plans for summer break even though its not that close to the end of the school year. Even though summer is suppose to be a time of relaxation, I want to take classes at Laney College. I plan to take Chinese 2 since I took Chinese 1 last summer. I also want to take Japanese, but it's kind of a hassle having to get a transcript. I had planned to take it last summer, but the lady at the administration's office told me that I would not be able the workload for both classes. In the end, I wished I never agreed with her that I would not be able to keep up. The Chinese class turned out to be one of the easiest classes that I ever took and the homework only took 5 minutes.

The reasons that I want to learn and improve in languages is because it helps me learn more about a certain culture. Being Chinese, I think that it is appropriate that I know my native language. I have had a good experience learning Spanish at school. With the vocabulary words that I learned I can read some store signs that I pass by on my way to my grandma's house; I feel less clueless while looking at foreign words. This makes me feel bad for immigrants that don't know the English language. I wonder how they communicate in a place where everyone speaks English and they can get easily tricked.

During the summer, I like to go on vacation. I love visiting new places because it broadens my world. The past years I have gone to LA and Florida. This year, I know that I will not be going on a trip because my sister told me that we cannot afford it due to the declining economy. But even if we could afford it, I won't be able to go out of the country which is what I really want to do. Having my parent's consent for permission to go out of the country would be a hassle since my dad is all the way in China and my mom is ill. I still hope that summer at home will be enjoyable and so will the next school year that is arriving at such a fast pace.

The Lovely Bones #2

The book continues to have many boring parts like the first eight chapters. Since the story is told from Susie's perspective, I expected that she would be more involved in the story, but all the action revolves around her family and friends on Earth. The story is getting less draggy though with Mr. Harvey mentioned more now; I feel as though it is getting closer to the climax of Susie's family proving that Mr. Harvey is the murderer. I was horrified by " Inside the house, my sister was the only living being, but she was not alone... I stood in heaven. I called there names... Jackie Meyer. Delaware, 1967. Thirteen... Flora Hernandez. Delaware, 1963. Eight..." (p205) Mr. Harvey had killed six girls and also animals in the neighbors. He must be discreet to have gotten away everytime.

This book expresses immoral events that happen daily around the world. Susie's mom cheats on her husband with Len Fenerman, a police officer that is mainly in charge of Susie's case. Even though she was in pain, it does not justify what she did. Mr. Harvey is a serial killer, who not only kills Susie, but a whole bunch of girls from Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Lindsey has sex with Samuel even though she is still in Junior High.

"But he stopped. He saw her running toward the elderberry. The silk-screened number on her back screamed out at him. 5! 5! 5! Lindsey Salmon in her soccer shirt." (p208) After Lindsey breaks in to Mr. Harvey's house and rips out a drawing of the cornfield that night link him to Susie's murder, she jumps out his window to escape him just in time. This part gave me some suspense. I was scared that she would get kidnapped and killed too. Since she escaped and Mr. Harvey saw her, I wonder if he will do anything to silence her.

The Lovely Bones

Considering that The Lovely Bones is a national bestseller, the first seven chapters have been a disappointment to me. I found it to be very boring to the point where I fell asleep trying to read it. I thought that there were too many parts about her family, friends and events of the past. Some parts that I thought were draggy and unnecessary were when she talked about how she used to help her father build boats in bottles and when Ruth ran into Clarisse and Brian. There is little action since all Susie does is sit in the gazebo and look down upon Earth. However, I have to applaud the author that the idea of telling a story in the afterlife is very creative approach.

"After a few days in heaven, I realized that the javelin-throwers and the shot-putters and the boys who played basketball were all in their own version of heaven."(p.18)

I had always thought of heaven as a place where everyone would see and experienced the same things, as Susie thought when she first entered after being killed by Mr. Harvey. The story also did not or at least did not mention of a God in heaven unlike what most people believe. I had never imagined Susie's type of heaven, but it would be nice if everything you liked were there and if you wished for things they would appear, with exceptions to things on Earth.

• What are your interpretations of heaven? and what would you think would be in your heaven just like how there were dogs and peppermint stick ice cream in Susie's?
  

I hope that the story will get more interesting. I also hope that and have a hunch that Mr. Harvey will get caught in the end. By, what means, I have no idea and am curious to find out.

Should Euthanasia be legal?

The debate topic this week in my modern world history class is "Should euthanasia be legal?".
When I first heard my teacher say euthanasia, I and a lot of other people thought that he said
"youth in Asia." Later on I found out the real word and that it means physician-assisted suicide. I had a hard time reading the information I found at procon.org.;I did not understand this one thing about slippery slope. After spending hours on it, this is what I have:

PROS

Euthanasia should be legal because people have the right to choose death. Right to life includes a right to death. The American Civil Liberties says that a ban on euthanasia interferes with a person's liberties. By granting a person the right to choose death, the person has a choice and can exercise his/her rights and choose not to use it. Also, euthanasia will greatly reduce health care spending. The money saved can be used of other things or for others that have definite chances of survival.

Euthanasia is justified when life becomes excruciatingly painful and is no longer beneficial to the patient. Those that are ill with a terminal disease have torrent ahead of them; the disease will kill them slowly to the point where they lose their identity and can not even be considered alive. They might be brain dead,but yet their heart is still beating with the help of modern technology. Euthanasia is more humane than removing life support. I read this piece of information where it was decided to let this person die. Since euthanasia was not legalized, life support was removed and she died from starvation. A physician-assisted death helps grant the patient an easy death. It is more humane to let people choose how they want to end their life. Physicians know the amounts of dosages of certain drugs to provide a painless death.

CONS

Euthanasia should not be made legal. It interferes with religious beliefs; it is not a natural death as God intended. According to Wesley Smith, a consultant of the International Anti-Euthanasia Task Force, Euthanasia interferes with the equality-of -human-life ethic, in which the protection of human life is society's primary priority. Physicians should not be directly involved in the death of an individual. It would have them break the Hippocratic Oath they gave to never give poison to a person. Also, it does not make sense for a physician to help a person commit suicide because their primary role is to be a healer according to the American Medical Association.

Euthanasia is usually for patients with terminal diseases and only six months to live. It would be more reasonable to let them live for those months since it is not very long and modern medicine can relieve pain. That way they would be able to spend that time with their family. When the patient has the poison in hand, it encourages doctors to not care for the patients properly. They find no motive to care for the patient since they will die soon.

The Handsome Siblings 小魚兒與花無缺

The Handsome Siblings is one of my favorite Chinese dramas of all time. I remember it aired on channel 26 in the US when I was in sixth grade. I recorded all the episodes and watched them over and over again. There has been many drama versions of this story such as The Legendary Siblings cast in 1999 and The Amazing Twins cast in 2002 with Alec Su and Jimmy Lin. The drama is based on a novel by Gu Long. Even though the plot and the actors were superb, the ending was depressing though because only three of the characters are alive in the end.

The drama is focused on two brothers separated at birth. Their parents were killed by the Moon Princess of the Floral Palace. She loved their father, Jiang Feng, and even cared for him while his life was in danger, but he ran away with a maid. Jiang Feng stayed with a friend that betrayed him and revealed his whereabouts. The brothers were about to be killed too, but the Star Princess suggested a better idea to her sister. One of the twins, Xiao Yu Er, was given to their brother's friend to raise. The princess took the other baby, Hua Wu Que, and raised him in the Floral Palace. The Moon Princess's plan was that when they grew up they would fight and kill each other.

Eighteen years later, the brothers meet and become friends, unaware that they are brothers. Hua Wu Que meets Tie Xin Lan and falls in love with her. But due to a worm inserted inside him by his masters, his heart is being eaten by the worm whenever he feels affection. The masters find out that he has fallen in love and attempts to kill Tie Xin Lan. She is hit with the Broken Heart Palm and almost dies. Xiao Yu Er sneaks into the Mu Rong household, where he falls in love with Mu Rong Xian. The two friends faced many obstacles, but with the support of one another they were able to go on with life. Eventually, they find out of their blood relations which further strengthened their bond.

Mu Rong Xian is eventually killed by the evil Eunuch Liu who sucked out her life force in attempt to learn one of the most powerful types of martial arts. Su Ying, a famous doctor, falls in love with Xiao Yu Er, but keeps her feelings to herself. She dies later by a bite from a poisonous plant. Xiao Yu Er and Hua Wu Que's greatest enemy was Jiang Yu Yan, the daughter of a well-known martial artist. She loves Hua Wu Que, but he doesn't feel the same way about her. In her pursuit to gain his love, she becomes the concubine of the king and eventually kills his lover, masters, and all others dear to him and Xiao Yu Er. With all those around them dead, the two brothers team up for a final battle with her.

French Imperialism in Indochina

Two weeks ago in my history class, there was a project on Imperialism. I was in a group with Elaine, Priscilla, and Grant. We wanted to do British Imperialism in China, but another group got it before us. I was running up to the teacher to the get that topic, but I was not fast enough and before we could decide on our second choice, all the easier topics were already taken. In the end, we had to do French Imperialism in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. I was really frustrated because there wasn't much information in the history books on it.

For the project, each group had to present ten components of their topic. It could be on a poster board or for creativeness, it could be on a 3-D object. The topics include a time line, cause and effect chart, top 10 reasons for colonization,etc. I did the cause and effect chart, showed what Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam had that France wanted, a report on the current problems of the region, and I also made a mini pagoda to display the info.

Through this project, I was able to learn a lot about imperialism. In the early 1900s, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam were known as Indochina. The reason that the French wanted this region was because they wanted control of more land; they wanted to rival their enemy, Britain. Also, they wanted valuable resources such as rubber, rice, cotton, oil, and timber that was abundant in the region. With control of Vietnam, they would be able to secure a route to trade with Inner China. The event that sparked the invasion of France into Vietnam was when the Vietnamese killed French missionaries. They killed them because they felt threatened by foreign influence.

The French took over the region and forced them to trade with them. Knowing that what they were doing were wrong,the French tried to back up their actions by using the idea of Social Darwinism. Because of nationalistic values, they believed that they were superior to other ethnicities. They claimed that they were doing a good thing by imposing their "superior" culture and beliefs on the people of Indochina.

The most tiring part of the project was making the pagoda. Luckily, I had access to a cardboard cutter. That was able to save hours of time. I stayed up til 2AM working on it, making sure that it looked realistic and that the pieces were the right size. I was so tired that I woke up late and missed 0 period PE. Priscilla, also tried to make one, but in the end, we used mines. I felt kind of bad because she worked harder that me on it; she stayed up til 4AM and she also started making it a day before me. Also ,she had to buy the Styrofoam materials and it must have been tiring cutting it with scissors.The hard work was worth it though. Our project got a 225/200, so we all got extra credit.