Advantageous Anna

Ms. Lahaise’s class is one of the most different class i have personally been in at SOCES. Not only is it different, but it has been extremely productive and i have surprising learned a lot (compared to my previous years of english classes). I was one of the few people in Dr. Grekov’s class in 10th grade who decided to take a step up into an AP class (my first AP class). Mr. Nomachi did not want me to take this class but look at me now! This class was both challenging but fun. I learned a tremendous amount and i will personally never forget about this class. When i first walked into the class, i was a moderately good reader, i just rarely came across a book i read all the way. When i read a good book, i feel as if i could never find a book similar to it and i do not bother trying to look for another one. So i go months without reading a single book. But Ms. Lahaise has proven me wrong. Native Son was a terrific book and i never expected myself to read it. Not going to lie, being forced to read sometimes helps to improve my reading (fat paragraph assignment). My reading has changed, thanks to Ms. Lahaise. I am a better reader than ever and i love to challenge my reading. I have changed in the ways of wanting to always have a book in my hands this whole year. Being forced to do assignments that result in reading a book helped me. Reading columnist’s article and infamous speeches encouraged me to try harder and write as well as them one day.

Writing has been something that always came naturally for me. If someone handed me a paper and told me to write about absolutely anything, i would be happy to. But the kind of writer i am now is phenomenally better. I am faster, layout my information better, and am more confident writing than ever before. Writing a great number of essays has contributed, doing AP lang. practice testing has helped like crazy, and doing vocabulary. I am proud to say that i have improved my writing and am confident for the future.

This has been my first year in Room 503 with Ms. Lahaise. Besides the work being tedious (as this is normal for a student) i cannot complain with the work load or assignments. They have all, in some way or another, contributed to improving my reading and writing skills. Obviously i say, again, as a student i am not satisfied with every learning unit. Some of my least favorable units would be Reader Responses because if i have already read the book, why in the world would i want to do extra work on it that i already know? It was personally a dull assignment. But we never did a handful, maybe a couple this year, so there is really no reason of my whining. Another learning unit i did not like was the AP lang. vocabulary (in the black and yellow striped book). Some of my favorite learning units are the vocabulary tests, the TEDs, the Speech and Columnist annotation assignments, the silent reading in the beginning of the class, and the rhetorical devices book. I enjoyed the book Native Son (read as a class) and independently i liked The Ya-Ya Sisterhood. They all, in their own unique way, well-prepared me for the AP test in May and i do not regret doing any of the work. For those entering her class as juniors or seniors will understand this.

The type of student that i perceive myself to be is hardworking, dedicated, strong willed, and intelligent (in the most non-cocky way possible). As a person, i am smart, somewhat wise, mindful, aware of my surroundings, respectful, devoted, and loving. I have grown from this class by knowing what my position is in a higher level class, what people’s expectations are from me especially in challenging classes (which is helpful for college), and i have also grown by getting closer to what my passion is and how i want to make it effective when i am an adult. I have learned that i am a person who can help themselves to things in life. I want to be independent growing up and i want to challenge myself in life. I do not want to take classes in colleges  that are easy, but rather taxing and that force me to learn.

I loved the experience of having my very own blog and to talk about what is happening in the world. It makes me feel connected and i am actually thinking of having a blog as a i grow up. I have also learned how to be safe on the internet and how what i put on my blog everyone online is capable of seeing my work. Kind of a scary thought, but one needs to learn these things in order to be aware of what is going on and how to prevent accidents. For next year’s new students, i would advise them that this class will be different compared to their other classes. There is a heavier work load, there are higher expectations, and this is a class one is going to have to step up their game and be on top of the class, because one they slip and are behind, it is awfully hard to catch up. But at the same time, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Everyone around you will be in the same position as you. This class is definitely worth all the work and you will come out a student like i am: more confident in reading and writing and ready for more challenges the world has to offer. Good Luck!<3

For some, it takes a simple request to learn their lesson. For others, it takes life experiences (or in Eddie’s case, death). The movie (which was originally a book), The 5 People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom, is about an old man named Eddie. Eddie dies on his 83rd birthday working for a magical place called Ruby Pier. While his death was some-what herioc, it lead towards visiting 5 people in heaven. With these 5 people came life lessons.

The first person Eddie met was the Blue Man. The Blue Man taught Eddie that everything happens for a reason and everyone who we come across is in our life has meaning to share. Personally, i do not believe that everything happens for a reason. One of the reasons i say this is because people say this to have the easy way out. They also say it because they having absolutely nothing else to look up to. Do not get me wrong, i completely believe that there are specific things that happen that eventually lead up to a better and greater things. But besides this not everything happens for a reason. In the movie, the way the Blue Man describes his story and sets it all up seems as if each action his done for a reason, which in this case, it did happen for a good cause. But overall, life simply is not like this. 

The second person Eddie came across was his former war captain from WWII. Eddie’s captain brings back memories for old Eddie, which distinctly remembers well. One of Eddie’s horrible memories is when he was just a prisoner of war and he finally is broken free ferom the chains and burns down huts for revenge. While burning the huts, he swears he saw a small, dark shadow moving about. He screams for the name and is somehow mesmerized by the flames. He is shot in the leg in order to distract himself by his captain, which leads to being crippled the rest of his life. Having these memories all lead up to a reason later in Eddie’s life. The lesson the captain taught Eddie was sacrifice. Sacrifice is when one is completely selfless and does one thing for another person for the better. I have always been taught to make sacrifices, but nothing close to what the captain did for Eddie. I would not have any courage to do what he did. But doing one sacrifice followed by another eventusally leads to something greater in life that one may not see, but other’s especially appreciate.

The third person Eddie met with was the one and only Ruby, named from the infamous Ruby Pier. Ruby teaches Eddie forgiveness. She tells him that forgiveness leads to no anger or quarrels and settles the hardest things in life peacefully. She states that “Hate is like a curved blade,” and how it never results in peace, quiet and happiness. One will always be unhappy and this is not how one should live. In life, forgiveness plays an extremely huge role. One who does not rorgive will never be eternally happy or pleased with anything they do in life. Forgiveness might not mean that everyone played fair, but it simply means that one was willing to drop everything bad or harm that has happened and never bring it up again, only because they want peace within their own life.

The fourth person Eddie was looking forward to see was his love, Margurite. They both met at Ruby Pier and eventualy got married and sadly, Margurite died, with Eddie feeling lost and alone for the rest of his life. Margurite aslways loved Eddie and nothing would change that. Their relationship was special. Margurite teaches Eddie that love is the most powerful thing in the world and nothing can defeat it. Even if one might pass away does not mean their spirit or soul has left. Love has no weaknesses. It takes people from experience to believe that love has no weakness and is the most powerful thing in the world. Most of the people i know have learned this lesson through having love and being loved. It is virtually impossible for one to right off the bat understand the complexes of love.

The last person Eddie was sent to was a little filipina girl named Tala. SHe was found in a river with other children washing themselves. When Eddie got closer, the girl also approaches and then appears having a burnt face. She explains to Eddie that she was the dark shadow in the hut that he burnt down. She was as innocent as one could get and yet was hurt for Eddie’s selifish games. While Eddie cries, Tala tells him to pick up a rock and wash her face from the flaws. In doing this, it shows that Eddie is capable of loving children and keeping them safe. Tala then tells Eddie that he was sent to earth to work at Ruby Pier and keep the children safe. This was the most emotional scene only because Eddie accepted that he had done wrong but that he understood what his main purpose in life was. People today might not always think that they belong on this earth for any reason and that there is no meaning to life. People may  not see this but everyone has a point to living on this earth and they just have not experinced their life calling yet. As tough as life may get, we will make it through. All we need to do is experince and listen.

Not only have i heard great comments on the book from friends and teachers, an old librarian woman advised this book and told me it was one of her genuine favorite books to read. She loves the book so much, that she reads it every summer. When a librarian comes and personally tells someone that Tuesdays With Morrie is one of her favorite books, they dare to set the book down and walk out of the story empty-handed. I have yet to hear at least one bad thing about the book and i strongly suggest this book for simple, challenging and young to old readers. It will be a book one will never forget they read.

Tuesdays With Morrie is a story about a professor and a student’s relationship, and how it takes only one great and wise person to teach one the meaning life. Morrie Schwartz is Mitch Albom’s former university teacher. Mitch’s life goal was to have a career as a sportswriter, and just before her goes in for an interview with the infamous Nightline, he gets the urge to go and find his inspiration, Morrie. Finally reaching contact, Morrie is deathly sick. But even with a sick body, can come a sagacious mind. Morrie then explains to Mitch that the glamours of society, with shine and sparkle, has a strong force and which tells him which direction to lead his life. Mitch then realizes that being a sportswriter is only glamourous because society tells him so. But this is not the true happiness in life and does not even matter. Mitch follows up the inspiring talk with asking questions of Morrie’s health. Morrie says that if he was healed of his disease, he would explore and enjoy the beauty and natures of life. He would also dance with his neighbors and eat delightful food. Mitch realizes that Morrie does not have expensive taste, but values the little things in life. This is true happiness.

One of my favorite quotes is, “Forgive yourself before you die. Then forgive others.” (p.164). I especially like this quote because it taught me that in order to make changes and correctins in your own life, you need to heal and give attention to your own.

My second favorite quote was, “… we’ve had thirty-five years of friendship. You don’t need speech or  hearing to feel that.” (p.71). This quote is significant because people may, for the rest of their life, feel as if they need to prove something, prove a point, to even the closest people we know. Truth is that with true friendship, one does not need to prove anything but only to show how they care through actions, or even showing up to the show.

I loved this entire book. I have heard only good about it and I am relieved i am finally in the loop and have read the book. Again, I would suggest this book to every reader: young, old, simple, intense. I learned that even if one is only or unhealthy, does not mean their minds follow.

Everyone has decisions to make. Easy decisions. Difficult decisions. It takes only a wise man to make the right one. Throughout everyone’s life, whom i know, family and friends have had to make tough commitments to keep the people they love from any forms of harm, whether it is moving across the country because they got offered a job, or to work three jobs just to put food on the table. Every decision needs great time and thinking. For my Biweekly Reader, i decided to change it up and instead of writing about a piece of writing or news, i am writing about a picture. In this emotional picture, there is a man who looks as if he had one enormous and serious decision to make.

Struggling is an appropriate title for this piece. In this picture, there is a Vietnamese man with a concerned, morose face, standing among his two children who look too immature to realize what their father is being put through. With one child picking his fingernails and the other daydreaming while scratching his innocent head, the father’s eyes read hopeless. The setting of this photograph looks as if it is taking place in their home, which does not look extravagant or in the least a first priority. The poorly dressed children are the man’s main concern and focus, and shows that love can seize any evil in its path. It is an extremely moving picture, even with the first glance.

Looking at this photograph, i immediately knew nothing about this family, whether they were secretly rich or if the mother has past away, but after, when reading the descriptions of the photo, i was not far off. This picture is from a village in Cam Tuyen, Vietnam. This man is the biological father of these, not only two, but four children. He lives with his sons and wife. What i did not know (which adds to making enormous decisions) was that all four of his children have physical and/or mental disabilities. None of his children can even talk. For a parent, this is unexplainably strenuous. i personally could not even begin to imagine myself taking care of my own disabled children. It takes a brave a strong heart to keep moving forward and to have hopes high. These people look as if they live in an easy lifestyles, but little does the viewer know that they do not. Just like many others across the world. People need to know that with love, guidance, and a helping hand, many problems that seem impossible to untangle everything will turn out okay in the end.

People will go through enormous sacrifices and exceedingly huge measures to make money. Dangerous? Who cares. As long as we look good doing it. Some people like taking risks and are willing to give up their lives for theft. It is sad to overcome the fact that there are thieves in this world and they do it for pleasure and because they personally think they are not capable of being a normal person and working for money. This could be one of the reasons, but another reason could be because they want to “spice” up their life, as if everything else is boring without risks. I could understand this feeling, but i do not have enough faith in myself to steal the rest of my life to make money and get away with it. My whole identity would be a secret for the rest of my life and i would not know the words, “Good ol’ fashion fun!” At first, i was looking forward to write my blog about an art piece, and suddenly i came across “art theft”.

Art theft is when art is robbed. The type of art that is commonly stolen is valuable and worth a bunch of money, and the reason why this art has to be worth something is so that the thief could make money by selling it, either by auctions or pawn shops.  The sad part for the thief that is selling the stolen artwork is that people are unable to know about the artwork being real, because they would obviously get caught and thrown into jail. So their profit could be as little as 5% of the total value for the artwork. Being interested in this specific topic, i looked up the art theft statistics. It is shown that an estimate of $6 billion worth of artwork has been stolen annually, a shockingly high amount. It is a fact that art theft is the third highest grossing criminal endeavor in history all over the world. The first and second place are arms trafficking and drugs. An extreme amount of art criminals are located in Italy, stating that there are 20,00-30,000 reports of stolen artwork every year in Italy. Doing my crafty research i found the top seven most expensive and valuable pieces of art:

1) $300 million stolen within 81 minutes: “Storm on the Sea of Galilee”, “Self Portrait”, and “A Lady and a Gentleman in Black” by Rembrandt. “Chez Tortini” by Monet

2) 170,00 art pieces were stolen from an art museum in Baghdad.

3) “Blossoming Chestnut Branches” by Van Gogh and “Poppies Near Vetheuil” by Monet

4) $66 million- “Maya with Doll” and “Portrait of Jacqueline”: two oil paintings by Pablo Picasso

5) $65 million- “Madonna of the Yarnwinder” by Leonardo Da Vinci

6) $30 million- “View of the Sea at Scheveningen” and” Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen” by Vincent van Gogh

7) $30 million- “The Scream” and “Madonna” by Edward Munch

I distinctly remember when my bicycle was stolen. I was 7 years old and i was terrified and had no clue as to what my next action would be. I hate thieves and pity them. But reading these different columns has opened my eyes as to what people steal next to make the most money. It’s astonishing how much money of art is stolen and how much it could actually be worth. It is also ludicrous how criminals actually believe they can get away with such a mysterious, great crime. Most of the masterpiece listed above were recovered.

After reading a love story (A Walk to Remember) that, come on folks, is not relatively real or imminent, I was seeking out for a book that was some-what relatable towards. I then stumbled across a book in Ms. Lahaise’s library called Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, by Rebecca Wells. This book is about the struggling relationship between a daughter, Sidda Lee Walker, and her mother, Vivi. Sidda Lee is a New York Playwright, while the mother is more of a house wife. Even in the first chapter of this book is when Vivi is bashing heads with Sidda Lee, ironically not fighting back because she is apologetic. To the press and other important news stations, Sidda Lee expressed to the world of her troubling childhood, literally making her mother look awful in public and putting her to shame. Vivi holds this against her daughter for most of the book, but this made me devour the book. I was looking for something relatable and something that is more realistic than high school love birds from completely opposite groups loving each other, then having one die (not that it is not a good book).  I have bashed heads with my mother plenty of times and it is not even half of it! But this is life and everything happens for a reason (to most). The denouement of the book (without giving it away) is having Vivi’s closest friends for the past 60 years from the Ya-Ya Sisterhood reunited and rekindle the beloved daughter’s and mother’s relationship, with only a scrapbook, three friends, hope, and love.

One of my favorite quotes that I personally made sure to “sticky note” is, “I am sick of fighting! And, I am sick to death of this whole center of the universe, holier than thou, nothing is ever enough. Oh, how I’ve suffered, nobody understands me. Somebody fix me a drink and hand me a Nebutol, worn out Scarlett O’Hara… thang!”(p. 321) I love this quote because we ALL have feelings of tiredness and just wanting to simply give up. But we hold in there and try our hardest to make the toughest situations work out for the better.

Another quote that I found rather interesting is, “I am SICK AND TIRED OF HER TANTRUMS AND DRUNKEN RANGES! I HEARD THE ICE CLINKING IN THE GLASS MOMMA! SOUNDS OF MY HAPPY CHILDHOOD!”(p. 243) This quote was hard for me to reread because in some children’s lives, this is the real deal. But the way Rebecca Wells put it, she made it fit perfectly and made the book have a bit more stronger taste.

I absolutely loved this book and recommend it to those who are looking to read something that is pragmatic and hopeful.

Every single, little, puny human being has their own, maybe not creative, but unique way of expressing themselves, whether it is from a musician sharing their drumming skills on the streets of Third Street Promenade or hanging up pictures of strangers in one’s basement. Either way, it is a form of art and is personally being expressed in one of the most distinctive ways possible. In my blog, i will be writing about famous artist’s studios and how they conveyed the universe in one single room.

In the collage of popular artist’s studios to the left, there is one specific one of Pablo Picasso’s studio. Picasso’s studio consumes of art on the wall unevenly and some-what crooked, along with two what it seems to be as mandolins (one large and one smaller). There are piles of “masterpieces” a.k.a. junk (to people who do not digest art as well as others. These piles of junk are in every corner one would turn, but it is the special and extremely idiosyncratic Picasso manifest’ himself. It is brilliant. To see what one can come up with with the small room he or she has is a masterpiece, itself.

One of my personal favorite artists is Norman Rockwell. His style of art catches my eye and i immediately scrutinize a piece of art done by Rockwell because there is always a hidden meaning. But does anyone ever think of where artists get their inspiration or how they push themselves to continue what they love doing? Inside the precious and miraculous studio of Norman Rockwell, one will witness that it is more of a wide open space. What also contributes to the illusion of the “roomy” room is the huge windows, on the wall and ceiling. Rockwell was probably the type of artist who needed to stare and examine everyday life. He probably enjoyed being exposed to the world with the whole world being capable of watching and judging. In Rockwell’s studio, there is also art materials on the walls, along with painting previously done by he, himself.

Every person, whether an artist or not, reveals his or her feelings through different signs and ways. It is always a good thought to keep in mind how artists even began to express who they portrayed themselves to be and to see where the creativity and imagination started. Not all ways of expression are through decorating a room with their own art and imagination, but it could be taken place in how they treat people and the way they communicated, what kind of music one listens to, or through interpretive dancing. There are many innovative and distinct ways one can reveal themselves to the world and it is our own job to find our own.

1) 14 Techniques to Legitimately Love Reading

http://lahaiseslair.com/annap/2010/02/02/14-techniques-to-legitimately-love-reading/

2) WARNING: Read Before Entering an Interview

http://lahaiseslair.com/annap/2010/03/16/warning-read-before-entering-an-interview/

When i turned 9 years old, i was given the great opportunity of achieving me first job in voice overs. Voice overs is when someone records one’s voice and uses it on the radio or television shows. My drama teacher, Ms. Mullins, believed in me and i was thought to be given a natural gift and art of speaking. Having her as my “hook up” into the business made me big for a short while. There was one audition where i had to say (in a little girl’s voice), “Cool!” So, as an employee, i went it, said my one, strange line, and instantly received $2,500.00. It was a true achievement. But now that i am older and moving on to my next duties in life, one by one, i only now come to realization that it is by far more difficult to get a job as a “bus-boy” and the antithesis of obtain a well-paid job when one is nine years old.

Even though i had the blessing of not going in for a interview for my current job at a bakery, i know that in the future, all of this will change. In my freshman year of high school, i took a class for one semester called Life Skills. Life Skills was a class that taught upcoming teenagers about real life, and what it is and means to get a real job and how to approach it. This all seemed ten times more confusing only because the class was young and did not think this class would come into action. I, Anna Prewett, am now standing (figuratively) saying to LISTEN AND PAY ATTENTION. At the end of the semester, the biggest and most important project crept upon us. The objection was to dress as if someone were actually going into a real interview for a job, and have a resume to provide for the (fake) managers. It was an extremely helpful routine and it has worked for mine future so far. On this website, called The Oatmeal, which provides humorous comics and fun facts, i cam across a comic titled, “The Ten Types of Crappy Interviews”. “The Ten Types of Crappy Interviews” shows a slightly explains the interviewer’s position in the interview:

1) The Over-dresser

2) The Under-dresser

3) The  Nervous Twitcher

4) The Talker

5) The Mute

6) The Stench

7) The Bullshi**er

8 ) The Trash Talker

9) The Apologizer

10) and The Appeaser.

I have met at least one person that fits each category of interviewer, and it sometimes hurts me to see them risk themselves for a job, needing to be ready for chagrin. My favorite type of interviewer would be the Bullshi**er only because with this dirty and naughty act, one can seemingly get away with it and succeed in getting the job. But if not a good bullshi**er, it is like watching a train wreck. When one goes in for an interview, my advice would be with whatever job, they need to act confident, with looks and attitude, they need to know at least some of the background of the business and position wanted, the need to come prepared, and looking and smelling their best.

It does not take much color, action, nor people to explain the beauty and quality of a single picture. There are many pictures of the world that describes the depth of real life. Some pictures may be depressing, tough, beautiful, glorious, or chipper, but any one can show a simple image that does not show much. The picture above is by a talented man named Rarindra Prakarsa with his photographs originally taken place in Asia. Here I am going to describe a picture that seems so simple yet complex. While describing it along the way, I want you, the reader, to look deeply into the picture and see if there is a hidden meaning that it meant to be found.

In this photograph called “I Can Do It Too,” there are two young boys seemingly looking Asian in a setting of what looks like a jungle. There is sunlight shining upon them as if they are happy and nothing can get in their way. With only a few clothes on their backs and toy airplanes, they do not look as if they are asking for anything else in life. Simple pleasures are one of the world’s greatest gifts and people, who might not be mindful, do not need high heel shoes, Gucci bags, or the latest trends.  All they really need is the natural gift that the world has to offer and no more complexity that this. Sometimes, people need to sit back and take in the gift of simply living and be thankful for their surroundings and who they are. They need to soon realize that maybe the only pleasures in our life is a toy airplane, or your family.

This photograph has completely and entirely opened my eyes to the greater good. It has opened my eyes to the simple things in life that are not expensive, nor are they gaudy. This picture looks absolutely non-selfish and seems as if it is only giving back to the people scrutinizing it. I am truly more thankful that i was a couple of days ago and feel as if i need to experience more in life and live it too the fullest. Finding peace within myself helps me spread the news to others, creating a better and more tranquil lifestyle.