Reading Reflection #7

Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
A Corner of The Universe by Ann M. Martin
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson


In the past few weeks, I have finished two books and I'm so close to finishing the last one. All three books have been pretty easy reads. They have gone quick, but that can also be because a book is so good.

The first book I finished was Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom. This was a quick read because it is written in very small sections so usually there's a different section every second or third page. This style of writing is good for me and maybe other people would feel the same. It's good because you're not rushed into finishing a long chapter in a class or anything. You can keep reading section after section whenever you have a minute in your day. I definitely feel it's harder to fit reading into my day when there's long chapters because I feel the need to stop at a solid point. Overall, this book was alright. It relates a bit to my life and someone I had a close bond with so that makes it memorable. It's kind of repetitive, not in the way that it says the same thing over and over, but in a way that it's sort of the same concept throughout the whole book. He's slowly dying and you know he's going to die and Mitch keeps learning lessons from him. There's no twist or event that really catches your attention. I'd give this book a 3/5.

The next book I chose was A Corner of The Universe by Ann M. Martin. This was also a fast read, but not because of small sections. I found it interesting and you never knew what was going to happen in the end. It wasn't the best book I've read, and I probably wouldn't recommend it, but it does have a focus on disabilities and that's something I appreciate. It has a drastic ending of the guy with disabilities committing suicide and I think that makes it have a big impact on the reader. I don't know much about disabilities and I think a lot of people don't learn much about it. In my opinion there's more of a blind eye than actually supporting and learning about it and it's a shame. Overall, this book was okay. I'm glad I could read it, but I don't think it's quality writing. I'd give it a 3/5.

The last book I chose to read was Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson. This book also has quick sections, which made me read it in just one weekend! I'm not quite finished so I'm not sure what kind of ending it has, but overall I've really liked the book. Since it is a teenager talking you can relate to what they're feeling more and understand what they're going through. I like when characters don't have it all. This kid has it tough with grades, girls, and especially family. His family definitely isn't perfect and I think characters need to have flaws so that everyone reading can relate. Somehow, someway, I think everyone can feel something that this kid, Tyler, in the book is feeling throughout the novel. Another reason why I like it is because it is modern. There's no whipping in the school for being bad or dates with a girl to a drive-in movie. There's community service, parties, and grounding. There's drugs, alcohol, and smoking. The more modern it is the easier it's going to be for us teenage readers to relate, so Anderson's style and setting of this book were spot on if teenagers were her audience. Overall, I would recommend this book to people if you want an easy read. I would give it a 4/5.

Reading all three of these books gave me a better perspective of length, style, and setting of novels. I can't wait to read more!

Personal Addition #17

I just remembered going to a zoo in the states where they had these giant tortoises. I forgot what they were called and I don't remember much about them, except that they were extraordinary.

They are called Galapagos tortoises. They can live up to 177 years! And that is only the age recorded. Who knows how many of them are out there that have lived past 200 or more years. It is the fifth longest living animal in the world as of now. All I remember from these animals is that they are huge! I think of a tortoise and I imagine a little turtle like a house pet or something. This is at least up to my knee or thigh. It is very slow and looks its age! I saw them when I was younger, probably around 10 so back then I probably could've hopped on it and rode it it was so big! They really are amazing animals and I think everyone should pet on in their lifetime!
http://news.discovery.com/animals/top-10-longest-living-animals.html

Personal Addition #16

Right now, there's so much talk of the future. I'm in the position where I have to make a very big decision. It's really the decision of a lifetime. I have to decide what I want to do for a living. At the moment, I know that I want to do something health related. I've always wanted to do something in that topic, so I think that's for sure. Everyone always asks you what you want to be so young and I have no clue. Does anyone really know what they're going to do at this point?

One of my choices is to become a dietitian. A dietitian is exactly what it sounds like; an expert on diet and nutrition. You could work as a private practice and start your own business, you could work in a hospital to help patients or recovery, or you could work in research and education which would be government. It seems like a good job and if you get tired of working at one place in your lifetime, you could switch to research or hospital or whatever you want.
http://www.collegeofdietitians.ab.ca/Public.aspx

Recently, I've been tossing the idea around of being a chiropractor. It would take a lot of work, but you could go anywhere in the world and do it. It has a high salary once you're established. I think it would be hard to start your own practice/business and grow from it. I like being under someone else and have guidelines, however being your own boss has its advantages like hours you work, vacation, etc. so when/if I have children, I can still be around to support them and raise them properly.
http://steveshealthanswers.com/natural-health/how-do-you-find-the-perfect-chiropractor

There are many options within health that I'm considering, if you have any input let me know!

Personal Addition #15

The picture above is the Big Whiteshell Lake. This is where my cottage is. Believe it or not, my family of four shares it with two aunts, two uncles, two cousins, and my grandparents. That is what makes it so comfy and loving. It's one of my favorite places because I have so many memories there. We play lots of outdoor sports together, hike, swim, adventure, do puzzles, play cards, and many more things. I think they built a huge cottage on this island in the past few years. Think about having to go to your cottage by boat and back every time. You would have to transport everything by boat. It seems strange, but if you were retired and spent a lot of time there or even decided to live there, it would be absolutely wonderful. If you've never explored the wilderness, I suggest you do. It may seem boring trudging through pokey twigs and possibly poison ivy, but it's a great memory and makes you forget everything back home. If you get the chance to visit the Big Whiteshell Lake any time in your life, I suggest you take it!

http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~burchil/mantario/trip_to.html

Personal Addition #14

The picture above is G.G. Gelati. It is a little place on Corydon that sells gelati. I highly recommend this place! A small is a huge portion for me and you get to choose two flavors. There are 42 to choose from, so good luck choosing just two if you go! There are unique flavors, unlike most places, such as cookie dough, m&m, snickers, passion fruit, pear, chocolate banana, pistachio, blueberry and many more! You can choose from gelati or sorbet, or mix one of each! It looks like it's an 80's ice cream parlor and that makes it so cute. If I were to recommend a gelati place in Winnipeg, it would be G.G.'s! Give it a try!
http://berleez.blogspot.ca/2009/06/g-g-gelati-for-first-time.html

Personal Addition #13

"All I ever really want to know is how other people are making it through life-where do they put their body, hour by hour, and how do they cope inside of it."
— Miranda July

I like this quote because I can relate to it. I think right now in my life and as I'm starting to grow up, I'm more interested in other peoples' lives. It's easy to get interested in what other people are doing when you are in a school setting because there are thousands of kids around you. Everyone has different religions, morals, beliefs, things they like to do. With technology it's becoming easier and easier to know where people stand and what they're up to. Of course, it's also easy to compare yourself or use this information to look at where you stand. There is a positive and negative side to this. The negative side is if people are going out more than you or buying more things than you or getting better jobs and grades. It's easier than ever to bring yourself down because of how other peoples' social networking looks. People can display their lives in such a showcase but it might not actually be that great...The positive side to this technology is that you can see how other people are doing and if someone has a great idea or sparks inspiration, you can use this to further yourself. Everyone wants to know what someone else is up to in their life. It's intriguing, and you have to realize that it can affect you positively or negatively depending on who you are.

Newspaper Blackout Poetry

 

  The picture above is my project called Newspaper Blackout. There are three poems which are all about love. Basically, you take any newspaper article and pick out certain words to form a sentence which forms a poem. This form of poetry was created by Austin Kleon!

This is my first poem:

It is called Doubt and Uncertainty. The poem says: As each day passes, he questions leaving.

This is my second poem:

It is called Hopeful. It is kind of hard to read, so it says:

It was a long awaited four years, but despite that we will move forward.

This is my last poem (split into two to fit it in):

It is called Unbalanced because it talks about fighting and waiting in a relationship.

The poem says: He complained of the reliability of her. They argue for new communication but await the outcome of it.

Overall, this was a fun project to do, and I'd love to have the opportunity to do it again.

Personal Addition #12

I've never tried pumpkin pudding, but it looks so good.
http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/28454/quick-pumpkin-pudding/detail.aspx
The website above has a tasty recipe which looks something like this:

• 
  
• 1 pkg. (5 1/10 oz.) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk
• 1 can (15 oz) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• Fat free whipped topping (optional)
• If you have the time to try it or have ever tried pumpkin pudding, I'd love to know what it's like. It seems like a great fall dessert or snack!

Personal Addition #11

Halloween is coming up in the next week or so! The most traditional thing to do around Halloween is carve a pumpkin in my opinion! Here are my top five favorite pumpkins:




http://www.home-designing.com/2008/10/amazing-halloween-pumpkins
http://swirlyman.deviantart.com/art/Barfing-Pumpkin-184581126
http://mashable.com/follow/maegwin/
http://www.hohumcards.com/2010/10/30-creative-ideas-for-carving-your-pumpkin-into-a-jack-o-lantern/

Writing Reflection #6

I do not have a solid plan for after high school yet, but I do know that I want to receive scholarships and have the opportunity to go to university. I want to graduate from university and have a career that will fulfill my wants and needs. I want to expand on my family with someone I love and possibly travel to a few places. Blogging can actually help me achieve these things that I dream of. Most scholarships ask for a written part about either yourself or a certain topic, so blogging, especially this type of blogging because it is based on creative writing, helps me improve my writing skills. I think blogging also improves your creativity by adding personal additions and trying to stand out from the crowd. This improved creativity will help my application for a scholarship stand out from everyone else. Leaving high school and going into university, you need to become a lot more independent and not rely so much on the teacher to do things for you. Blogging improves your writing and with improved writing, comes improved reading. I think these two skills are a huge thing when going to university and fending for yourself in class. A professional blog that promotes yourself in a positive way could help you make connections with profs and even other students. Blogging also makes you an awesome researcher. You learn to link back to the sites you took something from and you have to do that for basically everything in university. These skills listed above will also help me in my career I believe. As for having a family, increased creativity would help. Sometimes you have to go with the flow, make things up, start something new. You never know what's going to happen with a loved one or kids. When the time comes for me to travel, skills to research are important. Blogging helps you know your way around the internet a little better. There are many ways that blogging can help me achieve my goals after I graduate from high school.

So, I did a bit of travelling around blogs and posted a few comments here and there. I first commented on Jenine's six word memoir because I love animals and learning about an animal I'm unsure of intrigues me. I commented on Victoria's personal addition because I love music and I as well relate to lyrics. I also commented on Carol's six word memoir because I don't know anything really about exchange programs and I'd love to learn! I believe that a good comment has a purpose. Why are you commenting on a post? Do you want to share what you know about the topic, create an idea and share it relating to the topic, or learn about what they're posting. I think the comment should have one solid topic. It shouldn't be all over the place asking things that aren't related to the post. A good comment should pull the writer or the post into the conversation and want to be involved. I think overall a good comment should express your opinion but also ask for other peoples' or just the writer's as well. I believe that a bad comment focuses on just your opinion. A bad comment is writing that puts someone down or discourages them from writing more. I think a bad comment is one that stops conversation or doesn't start one in the first place. A bad comment has no purpose behind it. There are many benefits from commenting on someone else's blog. You can start a conversation and teach each other things that you may not have known before. Teaching each other things can make a bond or a friendship quite easily. Commenting on someone else's posts makes you noticed. They will notice you and want to see what your blog is all about as well, expanding your circle of blogs you connect with. By commenting on other people's things you can encourage them to keep doing the great things that they are and also improve their writing skills by giving solid criticism. There are also some benefits to receiving comments, which are mostly the same. Someone comments on your blog, you will want to check them out, therefore expanding your circle of blogs you connect with. I really do believe comments of criticism are very valuable to improving writing and blogging skills.

Comment #1
http://jeninesbookloversblog.blogspot.ca/2012/10/my-6-word-memoir-5.html?showComment=1350915352053#c8167084679061721461

The first comment I posted was on Jenine's blog. Her drawing with a six word memoir on it caught my eye and made me read on to her explanation. It got me thinking of how complex horses are. There aren't many other sports that involve animals and how many different things horses are used for is incredible. It's weird that humans, who are smaller than horses, can have such control and power over something so large. It also got me thinking of other animals and the relationship you can have with them. Sometimes it's so powerful that when you lose them, it takes a toll on you. Animals can become good companions. I wonder what variety of companions there are out there? What is the weirdest pet there is? I think from commenting on Jenine's post, I stopped thinking of technology and friends for once and focused on something that may not get enough attention when we're caught up in our daily lives; animals.



Comment #2
http://victoriasbooksandwrittenpieces.blogspot.ca/2012/10/want-u-back-cher-lloyd.html#comment-form

The second comment I posted was on Victoria's blog. I relate to lyrics all the time so it's nice to know someone else does too. It made me think of how people relate to things online and I was wondering if we rely on that too much? Have we grown up expressing our emotions through technology too much that the person or problem we should be addressing has no clue what's going on and nothing will get solved? It made me think of Facebook and how it's become just a mess of people's opinions and emotions. Sometimes people don't use the internet for things that contribute to their life. We're all guilty of it, but some people more than others. I think technology has taken us away from playing outside or art or other beautiful, natural things. Is that a bad thing though? I know Victoria didn't say any of this in her post, but the whole idea came to me when I thought of how we relieve ourselves through lyrics and original things like music.



Comment #3
http://carolcastilhosblog.blogspot.ca/2012/10/as-i-guess-im-only-exchange-student-in.html

The third comment I posted was on Carol's blog. Her six word memoir caught my eye because it had something to do with travelling and that interests me. She talked about being an exchange student and what a good opportunity it is. It made me think of having the opportunity myself and where I would choose to go. I've never traveled out of America, so any opportunity South or to Europe would be a dream. I wonder how many people are on an exchange right now? I told Carol that I'd be so scared to leave my family and friends. I'm not that outgoing so I don't know how I'd survive in a whole new school. It would be different adjusting to the food, the traditions, and especially the weather! If I went on an exchange, I'd definitely have to go somewhere a bit warmer than Winterpeg. Overall, I wanted to create a conversation to learn about what it's like to go on an exchange. I don't know anything about them, so I am interested to learn!

Personal Addition #10

Did you know kiwi can enhance your sleep?
Kiwi fruit is actually known to reduce asthma, wheezing & coughing from the high amount of Vitamin C in it.
While a banana is know to have say 1.6 grams of fiber, kiwi is know to have about 3.4 grams. With such a high level of fiber, kiwi can increase good bacteria in the intestines and sometimes even strengthen the intestines ability to absorb nutrients needed. Also, because of having such high levels of fiber it can help to reduce cholesterol. This means less of a risk for heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and heart attacks. Kiwi is also a good cleaner outer. It can get rid of toxins in your body and unwanted substances. There are specific nutrients called lutein and zeaxanthin, which help protect against blindness and cataracts. These two substances in general help reduce macular degeneration (medical condition, usually for old people, where there is a loss of vision in the center of their vision field because of damage to the retina). Relating back to my main question, kiwis can in fact improve sleep! It is hard to find a fruit with the levels of calcium that kiwi has, but this calcium helps with sleeping.
Aren't those good reasons to grab a kiwi next time you see one in the fruit basket?

Personal Addition #9

Just today, I remembered a trip I went on to Yellowstone National Park in the state of Wyoming. This National Park is about 1,488 km from Winnipeg and takes around 16 hours to get there! If you have ever been there you'd know how magnificent and interesting it is! It truly displays nature's beauty through colors, depth and actions.

The picture to the left is a geyser called Old Faithful. This geyser could possibly be one of the most famous in the world. Believe it or not, it it the most predictable geographical feature on Earth. It erupts every 91 minutes. I remember waiting around, walking through the park, trying to time it exactly right so we got back in time to pull out our cameras. They also have a sort of countdown of minutes until it erupts. It's truly amazing how precised something that we cannot control is. This geyser can shoot hot water up to 32 m in the air!

This picture is a spring called Grand Prismatic Spring. It is also quite famous in Yellowstone National Park. A spring is basically a point in the ground at which the surface dips below the water table. This causes water to come up from the Earth and form a pool. The water in it is said to be around 70 degrees Celsius! The colors that these springs form are so vibrant and eye-catching. I learned that nature doesn't have to be green, brown, and grey.


It blows my mind still that you can get that close to something so strange and mysterious. You look at them and want to dive in to explore. I don't think most people know much about geysers or hot springs, but they're amazing in my opinion & I'd suggest everyone goes to Yellowstone National Park at some point in their lives to experience these things.
www.google.com

Reading Reflection #1

Go Ask Alice
Anonymous
Pages 1-55

As I began to read Go Ask Alice by Anonymous, I felt that it was going quickly and easy. This book doesn't seem to be challenging enough for grade 12. I like how the book is written from one person's perspective in the form of journal entries. From reading the first fifty-five pages, I found that I had a lot of comments and a few questions and predictions.

The comments that I had about this book were mostly to relate to how the character felt. Since it is written as a journal/diary, many feelings are explained, and many relations are found when a teenager is writing the entries. The first entry explains how the character, Alice, is so happy at one moment and then something or someone always has to come and ruin that for her. I think that's a typical teenage though, and I can relate to that same type of thinking. Another feeling Alice has is frustration towards her parents for asking her to do things when she's not at her best or just not having a great day. Everyone feels like that sometimes, but you can't work up frustration or hate because of it. On the next day she says, "I wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone in this whole world. I wouldn't hurt them physically or emotionally, how then can people so consistently do this to me?" This feeling of everyone around you being for the bad is super common and can also happen on a bad day/time so I can relate to this. A month later, Alice seems to be trying hard to be something she's not. She wishes to be strong, fit, healthy, positive,and thin. I want to know Alice and tell he that while every girl wishes to be these things, no one is perfect and you should learn to accept that as early on as possible. Another month later, on November 10, Alice talks about how she's moving to a different house in another state. I also moved at a younger age in my life and can look back on how I felt compared to how she is feeling. She explains how she has shared so much of her life in that house including laughing, crying, moaning and muttering. I had the same sad feeling that I'm leaving behind a part of me and maybe the new place won't be the same. One funny thing I found that probably everyone going to school has felt over the summer is when you're in school and you really wish for the summer to come so you can stay in bed, read, watch television, and all the other things you long to do, but then once summer comes, you soon run out of things to do. This is what Alice feels at the beginning of her summer and I think that it is a totally realistic feeling that we can all relate to.

Besides all the comments I had throughout the first 55 pages, there were also some questions and quotes. Early on in the book it mentions a guy named Roger and it never really explains who he is or what the relationship is between him and Alice. I wanted to know who he was and maybe more about him because Alice liked him, and if the reader knew about Roger maybe we'd find out more about the main character as well. Another question I have is 'When is this book set in?'. Alice mentions that she could put her hair up in orange cans to curl it so I'm wondering if this is in older times or a different part of the world due to the technology to do your hair here and now. Also, thinking that this is based in older times, and since it's on the topic of drugs, when did all of it start being more popular in daily lives? There was one quote that caught my attention in the beginning of the book. The quote is,"Isn't it funny, but it seems that when something is going good, everything else goes good too." I think this is extremely relevant for everyone, no matter what age however it might not be entirely true. I think the positive outweighs the negative so it may seem as though everything else has been good. Or maybe it is true that when something goes good your attitude/outlook drives everything else to be good in your life at the time. Another relevant quote I found in the text is, "Sometimes I think we're all trying to be shadows of each other, trying to buy the same records and everything even if we don't like them. Kids are like robots, off an assembly line, and I don't want to be a robot."

By reading the first part of this book I've made some predictions based on the text and also learned some lessons. Early on in Alice's journal, she wanted to lose weight and she did. Somewhere in between moving and summer events, she put back on a lot of weight. Now in the book, Alice has been drugged and keeps doing drugs but wants to stop. Just like her weight goal, I predict that she won't be able to stop completely due to her lack of self-discipline. Alice was drugged and as she kept using drugs such as LSD, speed, acid, etc., she made terrible mistakes. Someone big came back into her life after these mistakes and now she kind of regrets doing them. I think this is a lesson because you need to think not only about yourself but how your actions will affect other people or come across to other people. You have to live with what you do so it's wise to analyze things before you pursue them.

There were a couple new words for me. One of these words was 'repent' which means 'to feel sorry for' or 'regret for'. Another one was 'wan' which means 'to be sickly pale' or weak. The last word I discovered was 'bungling' which means 'to do something clumsily' or 'mess something up'.

Overall the first bit of Go Ask Alice is going very well, and I can't wait to read on!

Personal Addition #8

This is something I want to try! Everyone thinks of brownies as being super chocolatey and brown. I want to try these because my favorite chocolate is white so I want to throw a twist on the normal brownie.The recipe for the brownies in the picture is for Green Tea Cream Cheese Swirl White Chocolate Brownies. I like all of those flavors and it would be an interesting & unique mix!




Brownie base
8 Tbsp butter (1 stick), cut into 1-in pieces
5 oz. white chocolate, chopped
2 eggs
5 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 C flour

Cheesecake swirl
8 oz bar of cream cheese, room temp
1 egg
3 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp green tea/matcha powder
About 2 tsp of water, hot but not boiling

http://nookandpantry.blogspot.ca/2007/06/green-tea-cheesecake-white-chocolate.html

Personal Addition #7

"Instead of being presented with stereotypes by age, sex, color, class, or religion, children must have the opportunity to learn that within each range, some people are loathsome and some are delightful."
-Margaret Mead

I enjoy this quote because this is exactly what we need. We need to learn that negative experiences connected to certain races or ages or religions shouldn't be carried out with that stereotype. Just because you have a negative experience with a white person doesn't mean every white person is going to be like that. I think we make it too complicated when we should really be thinking like Mead and thinking either a person is loathsome or delightful; good or bad. These two options don't connect with the stereotypes used today and children need to grow up learning this.

Character Iphone

This project was to create an Iphone that a character would be carrying around with them. We made apps to suit the character and also the case design. I decided to do 'Katniss' from The Hunger Games written by Suzanne Collins. Here are the apps and why I decided to pick what I did:

I picked the app Game Center and kept the same format for the icon. I picked this app because it could be like mini games to play just like the actual Hunger Games themselves so that kids know what kinds of things they'll be facing and how to use certain weapons. I think every person in the age category that gets qualified into the games would have this to be prepared.

My second app was 'The Game of Hunger' instead of 'The Game of Life'. It could be more of a fun game related to the Hunger Games. Since the people are so used to seeing death and tragedy, a game such as this wouldn't be considered cruel. It could be a board game just like the original except with different board pieces and answers.

I chose to include the weather because it played such a huge role in Katniss's story. It's an incredibly important factor because in their society there is lots of time spent outside. Katniss hunts every single day so I think she would want to know the conditions to prepare herself. It is also important in the arena because you need to be prepared to keep yourself warm or cool yourself off.

My fourth app I chose was Archer WC2. This is an actual app from the app store. I chose to include this because if you've read the book or watched the movie, you'd know that this is Katniss's one main strength. She is an archer and having a skill game such as this may help her gain skill even when she's not able to get her hands on a bow & arrows.

The next app I picked was originally 'Auto Trader' which is an app to sell vehicles on, and I turned this app into 'Squirrel Trader' because Katniss hunted squirrels mainly and went into the market to trade them. If her people had phones, she might look on 'Squirrel Trader' to find someone who would trade bread for her squirrels, etc.

My sixth app I chose to include was THN Mobile, instead of the original TSN Mobile. Obviously TSN Mobile is updates on sporting events and games, so THN-The HungerGames Network, is updates on the games. When the Hunger Games are happening, THN Mobile will send updates of deaths and player scores. When the Hunger Games are over, THN Mobile will send updates of upcoming events such as when the next games will begin and reaping dates.

The next app was HG Tube-Hunger Games Tube. This is based off of YouTube. With this app Katniss would watch past Hunger Games and gain skills and tactics from seeing other players.

Aside from all the 'Hunger Games' type of informational apps, Katniss needed some fun apps. I picked my next app to be Hot District 12.3, based off of Hot 103. Maybe she likes to listen to music while she hunts or right before she does one of her courageous acts of rebellion. I named it what it is because Katniss lives in district 12.

The next app is based off of Geo-caching. Geo-caching is an app to find treasures like a treasure hunt. There's sometimes little souvenirs from people and also a paper to sign that you found it. I transformed this into Geo-catching. Geo-catching would be an app to find animals or berries; resources that you need. You would use this special app to get clues or detect where these resources are at that moment.

My last app is a fun one for Katniss just to get away from all the game apps and hunting she has to do to provide for her family. This app is called 'Pimp Your Bow'. Sometimes when people are very interested in something such as cars, houses, or sports stuff they like to design their own or make those things the way they want them so since Katniss is so interested in archery, I made this app to customize a bow and string and arrow to whatever color she would want and style.

I hope now you have an understanding of why I gave Katniss the apps that I did. Her background on her main screen is a tree and some flowers at the bottom. There's blue sky and grass. Katniss is a very big nature person and she's seen it all. She's seen people being killed rapidly and also her town being completely destroyed. I think after all of this she would choose a pleasant background to say that she's okay and things are peaceful. I drew flames on her phone case because she's considered 'Katniss-the girl on fire'. I think this would be important to her because she was on fire. She won the games once and got out alive the second time. She was on fire and she should want to remember that and be proud of herself.

This project was fun and creative. It's interesting to put yourself into a character's shoes to see what they would be into and use in their daily life.

Writing Reflection #4

I think overall the six word memoirs were very fun to write! You never think of these little projects as connected to professional writing or anything, and I realize I like that we’re exploring different types of writing. I think for me it was an easier project than most because I like strict rules of how long something should be or some sort of structure. There are so many categories and under the categories are so many topics. It’s very easy to think of things to write. Through creating these pieces of writing, I learned that you need to word things differently I guess sometimes to tell the whole story. These pieces are obviously very short, so the challenge is to try and express a memory or part of your life through such few words. I learned that from just six words you can learn a lot about not only the most important things about yourself, but also the most meaningful things in other peoples’ lives. The one thing that surprised me about this project was how much variety you get in the outcome of it. Everyone has such different stories being told through these six words on a picture, and I find it very intriguing. I believe I preferred writing the words over making the visuals. Writing the words is the first thing so you can kind of choose whatever you want to, but the pictures have to be connected. Therefore, since I like variety and wandering off into different topics and such, I like writing more. From doing this project, I learned that I like to take time to create writing and visuals. It’s not easy for me to be contained in a class or school to think of my life and to capture it. I like to carry these projects throughout my week to really get a better result. I’m enjoying this course so far, although I am a bit confused I guess about personal additions and how they are marked. Do we need a certain number of them, or whatever works for us?

Reading Reflection #4

Tuesdays With Morrie

Mitch Albom

Pages 1-71

I recently started the book Tuesdays With Morrie, and so far I’m pretty connected to it. I've found some comments, questions and many text connections from reading these first few pages.

I picked this book for a change because I usually judge books by their cover, not going to lie. This book has no pictures or colors to judge it by, just a simple tan hard cover engraved with the title. As I began to read I noticed that it goes back and forth from when Mitch, the writer, was taking university courses with a professor named Morrie, all the way to when Mitch is grown up and has been going to visit Morrie while he is ill. I like this style because there are very short sections which definitely hold your attention and you can read these sections whenever because you won’t be ending off in the middle of a chapter. The downside to this type of writing is that at the beginning you need to get a hold of two separate stories which can be confusing at times.

As I began to read I had many questions because of the fact that there is a past and future being told, and it takes a bit of time to wrap your head around each time period. Mitch starts to talk about his old professor teaching him so much about love, work, community, family, aging, forgiveness, and death. I was wondering who this professor was and what kind of relationship they shared. I was also wondering what he learned about all of these deep topics.

This professor that is mentioned, Morrie, seems like an extraordinary person. He has great traits and great advice. Morrie became ill, and he could barely do anything for himself, but he still went to teach his classes. Mitch writes, “The idea of quitting did not occur to Morrie.” I admire people who don’t complain or ask for sympathy. Morrie explains how he cries in the morning out of sympathy for himself and then moves on right away. He also explains how he sees himself as lucky for many reasons even if he knows he is going to die in a short period of time. This shows how honorable and grateful this professor really is, and I think everyone should have this attitude before the point that Morrie is at. This kind of strength that Morrie demonstrates is what I look for in people and also look up to.

Along with Morrie’s awesome personality traits, he tells a lot of lessons. One of those lessons was about people having meaningless lives. Morrie explains that this is because we are so busy with the things that we think are important, which are usually the wrong things. I think this is very true because nowadays we have so much technology to focus on that nobody shares as much time with loved ones or the community. You would have way more memories and precious moments with real people rather than Siri. Another lesson that Morrie taught Mitch was, “The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don’t buy it.” I interpret this as if he’s saying ‘if culture doesn't make you happy or contribute to your life or further you in life, make your own culture and follow it’. I think this is a very good quote, and it makes you think about what culture you buy in to. Another lesson Morrie taught that connected to me the most was about silence. He asks why people are so embarrassed by silence and also what comfort people find in all the noise. I think this is a very interesting topic, and I myself would ask the same things. Morrie tells Mitch that Mitch reminds him of himself when he was younger because they both kept things to themselves. I feel exactly the same, and the writer, who is also the student in the book, seems closely linked to how I act and feel.

I found as I was reading, I felt connected to this story from the beginning. Morrie is this teacher to Mitch through school, but turns out to be so much more. I also had someone like that in my life. They were a teacher/leader for me through something organized, but they taught me so much more. After Mitch had graduated, he lost touch with his teacher, and I feel a connection to that because I lost touch with this amazing person in my life too. My future however, doesn't go as far as Mitch’s yet, so I hope I can meet this person again just like in the book. Mitch talks about being in class with Morrie and I understand that class doesn't always have to be within school. You can learn all you need in life through one person who has already gone through it. Mitch says, “I knew what he was saying. We all need teachers in our lives. And mine was sitting in front of me.” I know how it feels to be hit with this wall of realization of how important someone is and what this person has taught you and will teach you. People who are not relatives can be very valuable to you if you let them.

Seeing as how I had many questions and text connections with this book, and I just started it, I’m sure this is going to be a book that I finish quite quickly and stay interested in. Can’t wait to read on!