The Things I Carry

I carry a baby blue digital watch around my left wrist because time is crucial for me. So many deadlines. On my right wrist I carry a ponytail holder or two so that I am prepared to put my hair up when the time is necessary. A lot of the time I carry a bandana tied to one of the belt loops on my jeans if it's not already on my head to hide the frizzy hair, shelter it from the rain, or just to match my outfit.
Around my torso I carry a messenger purse to keep the most important things close. In this purse I keep my cellular phone so I can communicate without wasting two quarters in some machine. I keep my glasses in my purse to improve my vision of things I want to see. I only wear my glasses when they are necessary to identify people and things. I carry my house keys on a keychain with a small graduation teddy bear on it. I carry my wallet in my purse though I mostly remains rid of cash. In my wallet I carry my UH cougar one card and my driver's license though I don't have a car and rarely ever drive. In the zip part of my wallet is wear I keep change. I usually carry 1 quarter, 1 dime, 1 nickel, and 1 penny because almost every day for lunch I have a 20. oz angel smoothie from Smoothie King ; it costs $3.41 and I like to carry exact change. Even if I don't have $3.41, I always make sure to carry some pennies because I don't like wasting two quarters on something that costs 34 cents. I carry in my purse a bottle of Aleve with 7 tablets left and a bottle of Advil with 12 tablets left due to my problems with headaches and migraines and "everythingelseaches." The Aleve bottle always has an odd number of tablets because I usually only take one at a time, while I usually take 2 Advil at a time. I carry an almost-empty bottle of non-perfumed lotion in im my purse just in case my skin gets dry while I also carry 2.25 oz of deodorant to make sure that I stay dry and don't smell bad.
I carry at least one piece of gum to make sure I don't offend anybody with my breath. I've always carried a lot of things for my lips to moisturize and color them. It used to be ten lipsticks, glosses, and chapsticks...all completely different, but now there are seven. I also carry a comb just in case my hair needs fixing. I carry two pencils and two pens in my purse for while I am in class.
On my right shoulder I carry a large fire-engine red messenger bag. In the small part of that bag I carry more pencils and pens, highlighters, and a pencil sharpener. Int he larger part I keep my folder, my assignment journal, and my textbooks for whatever classes I have on a particular day.
With my physical form I carry my ancestry through the pigment of my skin, the texture of my hair, and the geometry of my features. I carry the burden of being the "smart one,"the one who always does academically well. I carry the burden of being the "baby" and being described as spoiled and feeble. I carry the stress of my dysfunctional family. I carry the depression brought about by the memories I carry in the back of my mind. I carry overbearing emotions to be unpacked only when alone. Unfortunately, I sometimes carry pessimism.
I carry myself in the way that I act, dress, and in the way that I treat others. I carry respect for myself, but much more for others. I'm always fully dressed because I carry myself like a lady. I carry kindness to everyone and generosity to those in need when I can.
Though I sometimes carry stress, depression, overbearing emotions, and pessimism, I still manage to carry on. I get motivation whether it is from myself or my older sister and I carry on. Even when I'm not motivated, I carry on. For example, I did not really want to go to college, but I'm here because it's a goal I have to accomplish. Everyday I mark through another day on my calendar and carry on.
I carry what is necessary, I carry myself with kindness, and though I sometimes carry negative things, I somehow manage to carry on.



The End

Hateful Things Exercise-Blog 8 (Week 11)

Hateful Things

When you tell your family that you set your alarm clock for 8:20am yet they still come in your room to wake you up at 8am and you don't get to enjoy those last 20 minutes and of course you can never fall back asleep.

When someone wakes you up to ask "When are you getting up?"

You use your last bit of money in the vending machine and watch your snack get stuck up against the glass. Oh, how I hate that!!!

In school someone flips you the bird and when you "return the favor", the teacher only catches you!

When you try to publish a post on blogger.com and it doesn't go through, but you lose evrything you just wrote and you can't remember all of it!!! Now that's what I hate!!!

Annoying Things

Watching a movie at the theater and someone keeps talking to you, this is even more annoying when they're telling you what happens because they've already seen it (MOM)!

Standing in line at the grocery store with only a few items, but the person in front of you is taking long because they need price checks or they all of a sudden need to switch something.

The same person keeps asking you out when you've already said no! No means no.

You're telling someone about something really interesting that happened to you, but they don't seem to be paying attention. They say they are, but when you ask that person the simplest question about what you've just said....they don't know.

You're trying to have a conversation with someone and some child decides to mock you and repeat every single thing you say while you're saying it.

People gossiping about gossipers and don't even realize that they're doing the same thing.

Listening to a friend go on and on about her relationships when you don't really care.

Embarassing Things

Spilling something in the car of someone you don't know well.

When you tell a joke and noone laughs, especially when you know that the only reason they did not laugh is because they weren't intelligent enough to undestand the joke!

Hateful Things Exercise-Blog8(Week 11)

"Hateful Things"
-When you tell your family that you set your alarm for 8:20am yet they still come in your room to wake you up at 8am and you don't get to enjoy that last 20 minutes and of course you can't fall asleep again.
-When someone wakes you up to ask "What time are you getting up?"
-You use your last bit of money in the vending machine and watch your snack get stuck up against the glass!
-When someone gives you the bird in school and when you "return the favor" the teacher only catches you.
-You try to publish a post on blogger.com and it doesn't go through, but it deletes everything you just wrote and you don't remember all of it!!!"Oh, how I hate that!"

"Annoying Things"
-Standing in line at the grocery store with only a few items, yet the person in front of you is taking so long because they need a price check or they need to exchange something at the last minute.
-Watching a movie at the theatre and your friend won't stop talking , this is especially hateful when he/she is telling what's going to happen (MOM)!
-The same guy continues to ask you to go out with him, despite your frequent negative responses!"No now, no later!"
-Telling someone a story that you think is interesting, but they seem to not be paying attention. When you mention this they say they are paying attention, yet when you ask them a simple question about what you have just said...they don't know.Is it really that hard to listen?
-Listening to a friend talk about how much some guy likes her when you know the truth is actually the opposite.
-When you are trying to have a conversation and some child decides to mock you and repeat everything you are saying.

"Embarassing Things"
-Spilling something in the car of someone you don't know well.
-You tell a joke and nobody laughs, especially when you know it was funny and the only reason they did not laugh is because they weren't smart enough to understand it.

Blog 6

Although I agree with Gatto on some of the problems with the school system,
I disagree with a lot of the other points he makes in his article. First off, I do not agree that the school system is unnecessary. I think that it would have been a better argument if Gatto suggested that the school system needed reform rather than questioning its whole existence. I believe that it just needs to be reformed for the benefit of the students as well as the teachers. Gatto makes a statement implying that he trusts home schooling to be as efficient as the public school system, but he fails to back this argument up. He provides no proof in comparing the intelligence or even the level of literacy of people whom have been home-schooled to people educated in the questioned school system. Also, I disagree that this does not make for a good argument because if the school system did not exist, not everybody would have the opportunity to be home-schooled. On the other hand public schools allow for everyone to have an equal opportunity to receive a formal education. Also, if we were to do away with the school system, I believe the literacy rates would drop and less people would even get any education at all which, in turn, would lead to higher unemployment rates and other social problems.

1.This is an important paragraph because it starts the transition from where I agreed with Gatto to where I disagreed with Gatto. Also because one of my peers review mentioned that this part of my paper does not give much information or opinion.
2. The main point of this paragraph is that I disagree with Gatto that the school system is unnecessary. It shows why I feel the school system is still necessary even though it does need some reform.
3. This main point is stated in the beginning of the paragraph; more specifically: in the second sentence of the paragraph.

Main Point: I disagree with Gatto that the school system is unnecessary.

I agree with Gatto that the school system needs some reforms, but I disagree that the school system is unnecessary. The school system needs to be reformed to make sure that the students are learning better. For example, teaching methods could be improved to make it fun for the students and in turn, help them learn. To suggest that the school system is unnecessary though is going too far. I feel that the school system is still necessary even though it is not perfect. If the school system that we have today did not exist, not everyone would have the opportunity and the resources to be educated by home-schooling because you have to have someone that will be there to educate you on a regular basis and you might have to purchase required textbooks. The public school system on the other hand, provides an opportunity for everyone to receive a decent education. Plus, Gatto seems to suggest that home-schooling does a better job of educating than the public school system, but he does not provide proof for this. He does not provide a comparison of students educated by home-schooling and students educated by the public school system. There is no measure provided in his article to prove that home-schooled students are more or even equally intelligent as students in the public schools. Also I believe that if the school system did not exist then there would be a chain of bad consequences. For example, if the school system did not exist, some would not have an opportunity for a formal education. This would cause the literacy rates to decrease and unemployment to rise. All these things could also lead to other social and economic problems.

After comparing my original paragraph to the new one, I see that I gave more detail and explanation in the second one. For example, I discussed why not everyone might have the opportunity and resources to be home-schooled. The second paragraph also seems more organized than the first. What I have learned that might help me revise my original is that I could use more detail and explain my thoughts with "how?" and "why?"

Summary and Thesis

Summary
In John Gatto's article "Against School", Gatto questions the belief that a forced school system is necessary to ensure an education .Surely the works of such people as Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln,etc. are remarkable, yet they were never educated in a school system. He stresses that education is a definite necessity, but the deadly routine of "six classes a day, five days a week, nine months a year, for twelve years" is not 'education', but rather 'schooling'. To give students a better education Gatto suggests that school be more flexible and allow kids to learn through their curiosity and adventure. He discusses the reasons why America claims a school system is important which are"1) to make good people, 2) to make good citizens, [and] 3) to make each person his or her personal best,"but he believes that the schools don't quite achieve this mission. He discusses his belief that the reasoning for why schools are the way they are today is because the government is trying to suppress our intellect rather than encourage our genius to be sure that we remain like children, manageable.

Thesis
The school system does need to be more flexible and allow kids to receive an education in a more interesting way than just consuming information from the teachers, but a school system is the only way that we can ensure that all get at least an equal opportunity for education.

Blog 5

Much of the Caribbean is considered all about sex and beaches and that is part of the reason why Jamaica has so many visitors each year. One of the reasons people may have these misconceptions is because of how Jamaica is portrayed in various ways. For example, in the movie How Stella Got Her Groove Back, a 40 year old stock broker and single mother who has forgotten how to have fun goes to Jamaica and has a fling with a 20 year old Jamaican man to get her groove back. I also know that this misconception exists because being from a Jamaican family, I have heard a lot of comments and questions about Jamaica. A few of my mother's friends whom were divorced or widowed have talked about wanting to go to Jamaica to find a temporary lover. They all seemed to be big fans of that same movie when it came out as well. Another reason why people may have these conceptions may be because of the propaganda such as advertisements used by the airlines and cruises to Jamaica. For example, an advertisement for a villa rental for tourists states that "known for its friendliness, beauty, and laid-back lifestyle, Jamaica is the perfect island getaway"(About).

1. This is an important paragraph because it discusses one of the misconceptions about Jamaica. It explains how I know that there exists a misconception that Jamaica is all about sex and beaches and where this misconceptions may be coming from.
2. The main point is that because of media and other representations of Jamaica, some people think of Jamaica as all about sex and beaches.
3. The main point of this paragraph is stated in the first one or two sentences.

Main Point: Because of media and other representations of Jamaica, some people think of Jamaica as all about sex beaches.

One of the many misconceptions about Jamaica is that it is all about sex and beaches. Actually, many people hold this misconception about the Caribbean as a whole, but Jamaica seems to be the most popular island to sort of "pick on." These misconceptions are spread because of the way Jamaica is represented by the media such as in movies or shows. For example, on the sitcom Martin, the main characters Gena and Martin got married and had their honeymoon on the beach in Jamaica. In fact, Jamaica is known as one of the most popular honeymoon spots for newlyweds hence proving that people think of it as sex and beaches. An example of a movie that conveys this image of Jamaica is How Stella Got Her Groove Back. In this movie, a 40 year old single mother and stock broker has forgotten how to have fun because all she knows is hard work. She takes a vacation to Jamaica and ends up having a fling with a Jamaican man that is 20 years younger than she. This movie was also a true story that happened to the writer of the book. After seeing this movie, a few of my mother's widowed and divorced friends made comments about wanting to go to Jamaica to find a lover. I think such media as I have discussed helps to keep this misconception about Jamaica alive.

What I have learned from this rewrite that might help me revise the original is that the quote that I put in the original paragraph does not really go well with the paragraph as a whole and I actually know of a better place to put it in the paper that will make it work. Also I actually came up with another example and a whole other idea that people think of it as about sex and beaches because that's one of the most popular honeymoon spots too. I had never thought of that before, but I think that would be beneficial to that paragraph to help prove my point.

Essay Prewriting

My topic will be misconceptions about Jamaica. The assumption that I will counter is that it is legal to smoke marijuana in Jamaica. To prove that people have this assumption I will discuss the fact that many people have commented on it and also that people get these assumptions from Jamaican musical artists such as Bob Marley, Sean Paul,etc. Basically almost everybody who either is not from Jamaica or never has been to Jamaica have that assumption; especially tourists. My audience is everybody who doesn't know Jamaican law....so almost anyone. I think that I will have to explain to the audience that marijuana plants are naturally abundant in Jamaica, but it's not actually legal to smoke marijuana in Jamaica. I think I could also throw some other laws in there to show that there are a lot of other things we don't tolerate. For example the law that prohibits profanity in public...u get fined and sometimes sent to jail. My evidence that this assumption is wrong is that the government of jamaica has a law that prohibits marijuana use. Also police pull cars over to check and make sure the people don't have any marijuana in their possession. To make it engaging I think I might start off talking about all the good things on Jamaica, reasons why the country gets so many tourists, the sunshine, the palm trees, the white sand on the beautiful beaches and the water. Then take it to the point that a lot of tourists come to Jamaica and try to buy marijuana. Then I think I will let the audience know that THEY CAN END UP IN JAIL , BUDDY!!! Also I could actually look up what the consequences are like how long they have to stay in jail, how much in fines do they have to pay,etc. For this reason i think i might hold the thesis for closer to the end.

(Can I use this quote as part of my introduction?):"From each glorious morning sunrise to the setting of the sun, Jamaica presents a kaleidoscope of beauty that has made the island the most precious jewel in the caribbean. It is a land of unique experiences, inspiring scenery, and a warm, welcoming people." The country gets most of its revenue from tourism every year, and many of those tourists not only bring their luggage, but their misconceptions as well. :)

Fairy Tale Angle of Vision

Gingerbread Man

NOW you shall hear a story that somebody's great-great-grandmother told a little girl ever so many years ago:¹

There was once a little old man and a little old woman,² who lived in a little old house³ in the edge of a wood.⁴ They would have been a very happy old couple but for one thing -- they had no little child, and they wished for one very much.⁵ One day, when the little old woman was baking gingerbread,⁶ she cut a cake in the shape of a little boy,⁷ and put it into the oven.⁸

Presently she went to the oven to see if it was baked. As soon as the oven door was opened, the little gingerbread boy jumped out,⁹ and began to run away as fast as he could go.¹⁰

The little old woman called her husband, and they both ran after him. But they could not catch him.¹¹ And soon the gingerbread boy came to a barn full of threshers.¹² He called out to them as he went by, saying:

I've run away from a little old woman,
A little old man,
And I can run away from you, I can!¹³

Then the barn full of threshers set out to run after him. But, though they ran fast, they could not catch him. And he ran on till he came to a field full of mowers.¹⁴ He called out to them:

I've run away from a little old woman,
A little old man,
A barn full of threshers,
And I can run away from you, I can!

Then the mowers began to run after him, but they couldn't catch him. And he ran on till he came to a cow.¹⁵ He called out to her:

I've run away from a little old woman,
A little old man,
A barn full of threshers,
A field full of mowers,
And I can run away from you, I can!

But, though the cow started at once, she couldn't catch him. And soon he came to a pig.¹⁶ He called out to the pig:

I've run away from a little old woman,
A little old man,
A barn full of threshers,
A field full of mowers,
A cow,
And I can run away from you, I can!

But the pig ran, and couldn't catch him. And he ran till he came across a fox,¹⁷ and to him he called out:

I've run away from a little old woman,
A little old man,
A barn full of threshers,
A field full of mowers,
A cow and a pig,
And I can run away from you, I can!

Then the fox set out to run. Now foxes can run very fast, and so the fox soon caught the gingerbread boy and began to eat him up.

Presently the gingerbread boy said, "Oh dear! I'm quarter gone!"¹⁸ And then, "Oh, I'm half gone!" And soon, "I'm three-quarters gone!" And at last, "I'm all gone!"¹⁹ and never spoke again.

Citation: Heiner, Heidi. "SurLaLune Fairy Tales: The Annotated Gingerbread Man." SurLaLune Fairy Tales. Jan 1,2004.SurLaLune Fairy Tales. September 9, 2004.

Angle of Vision: Scared Gingerbread Man

There once lived a little old man and a little old woman in a cottage in the woods, which is where they chose to live so they could isolate themselves. They would have been happy, but the fact that they never had a child made them bitter and desperate. One day while the old lady was baking gingerbread she came up with the sick and twisted idea of cutting the gingerbread into the shape the body of a young child. She stared at it for a while and then became so angry that she had no child that threw it into the blazing oven as if it were a voodoo doll.

The gingerbread boy could not stand the torture of his captivity; being locked into an inferno with no way out. As soon as the old lady opened the oven slightly, he escaped for he knew his life was in danger! He ran as fast as his little legs could take him because if he had stayed he thought he might be mutilated and eaten alive!!

When the little old evil woman saw him run away she called her husband for backup and they chased after the gingerbread man because they didn't want to let him get away, but the gingerbread man ran as fast as he could to get away from them now that there were two people chasing him .When the gingerbread man came to the barn of threshers he called out to them "I've run away from a little old woman, and a little old man," people were still chasing him though and by this time he was frightened and sweating from fear, but he motivated himself and kept telling his chasers "I can run away from you, I can!"

Angle of Vision: Little Old Lady

There once was a little old lady and her husband who lived in a small house in the woods. They chose to live there because they wanted to live where not many children lived, for it would be torture to them because they were never able to have their own. Not having children was especially hard on the little old lady and so she always wished that one would be brought into her life. So one day while she was baking gingerbread, she decided to lift her spirits a little by cutting the gingerbread into the shape of a little boy. She treated it as if it were a real live son of hers. She even dressed him in a red jacket with buttons made of gumdrops and gave him all the features of a real person...eyes, nose, mouth,etc. With joy she was anxious to finish so she quickly put her little gingerbread boy into the oven. She was so excited and eager that she kept checking the oven to see if he was ready yet. Finally when she thought it was ready, she opened the oven , but to her shock her little gingerbread child ran out the door. Well after all the hard work she had done and all the joy it had given her, she was heartbroken , but she didn't give up. She called her husband to help her and they ran after her little gingerbread child, but he was too fast for the old couple. He was gone. The little old woman wept because she knew that someone out there would capture him, kill him, and eat him especially since they were in the woods. She watched worriedly as the gingerbread boy passed by a barn of threshers. She worried that they would catch him.