Once Upon A Time

Journal #4: How You Shaped & Produced the "Impact Activity?"

2011-05-26T04:37:00.000-07:00

I am first going to make a PowerPoint Presentation that includes a more detailed explanation of all the research that I had done, like the different brushes and eye shadows that I used. This will show that I clearly understand the techniques more than I ever did before. I will also include some of the looks that I had done on my “models” Shannel and Shaneika. Each of the looks will be different both appearance wise and occasion wise. For example, one look will be for parties, one for photographs, one for performances, etc. This will exemplify the fact that I know how to complete different looks for different occasions showing that I have really grown as a make-up artist. Afterwards, I will make a video tutorial showing how to do an “Everyday Look”. This really proves to the audience that I know what to do now and that I have really learned throughout all the workshops and mentoring I’ve been through.

The process of coming up with this impact activity was not too difficult but not too easy. At first, I actually wanted to make a book compiling all of the looks and tools that I have. But then I decided to change it and make a PowerPoint Presentation and Video Tutorial instead so that they can both go on the same DVD.

Journal #3: Addressing and Answering the Essential Questions

2011-05-26T04:36:00.000-07:00

Throughout my life, I’ve always been passionate about fashion and style. I like being creative and being able to participate in hands-on activities, which is why I really like anything that has to deal with the arts, whether it is make-up/fashion design, media communication, and even photography. I feel as if I am most passionate about expressing my creativity through different things. In this project, I was able to express my creativity through make-up. I just love being able to take a hold of that brush and sweeping that vibrant color unto a face. It may require a lot of hard work and time, but I still find it really fun! I feel most motivated and inspired when I look through magazines and watch the television. I feel as if I want to be able to achieve that look and to be able to learn how to do those make-up techniques. Fortunately for me, I’ve been to many make-up workshops and tutorials since I was about 9 years old. It was a requirement for us to know how to do make-up. Back then, knowing the application of make-up was a requirement and not much of a passion or hobby, but now I’m starting to think that it is starting to be a really great hobby. Lately, I’ve been getting inspired by many things. It is really fortunate for me to have developed getting inspired a lot because I am able to enhance my work and try to get on the level of the work that I was inspired by. The point of school is to teach us how to express ourselves through our talents and capabilities. I think I like coming to school because I come across many students and teachers who are just so different and inspiring. Some have made a huge impact on me since many seem to be my mentors in life. They motivate me to go out a chase my dreams and goals and to never hold back and do everything to my best ability.

Journal #2: Data/Information Gathering: Cosmetology

2011-05-26T04:35:00.000-07:00

Many think that all you have to do to put on make-up is take a brush, dip it in some colorful pigment, and rub it unto your face. But there’s way more to that. Make-up is used for many reasons. Like enhancing features and even transforming your image. I’m still a novice at applying make-up, and since transforming your image is much more complicated that enhancing your features, enhancing my features is what I focused on.

Fortunately, my aunty Christy is a make-up artist and is very informed with make-up. So, she was my mentor throughout this project. The first thing she told me when I asked her about make-up was “It’s great to have brown eyes!” When I asked her why, she told me that you can wear any color eye shadow and it’ll still match and look great. I then asked her about the use of eyeliner. Black, brown, and navy blue are colors that go well with dark colored eyes since it gives the illusion of dilated pupils making your eyes seem bigger. Bold colors don’t really work well with brown eyes, but they do look great with gray, blue, or green eyes. As far as mascara, black is obviously a good choice for all types of eyes. If you want to mix things up a little, pick out a pleasant navy blue. Some really nice eye shadow options for everyone include metallic colors like bronze, silver, copper and champagne. A metallic pink is another fabulous choice for brown eyes. If metallic really isn’t your thing, try a matte beige, brown, green or grey.

To contour or broaden a wide nose to make it slimmer, apply a color two shades darker than your skin tone to the outside of the bridge of your nose and keep the center two shades lighter than your skin tone. To reduce a double chin, this contouring trick will work great. Sweep bronzer under your jawline to make the area diminish. Light makeup colors highlight an area; calling attention to it and making it appear more protruding, so only use light colors on areas you’re your brow bone or cheek bones. Dark shadows create the illusion of a shadow and make areas of the face appear to recede.

After people apply lipstick, they later find out that the color accidentally went on their teeth. To make sure that the color doesn’t go on your teeth, take a napkin and place it between your top and bottom lip. The excess color has now been removed. When applying lip-gloss, the center of your top lip should be the glossiest part, which helps in achieving pouty lips. To get really pretty, plump lips, apply a highlighting color, like a shimmering white, on your cupids bow, the “v” at the top of your lips. Lip liner is very important. The lip liner should match your own lip color, or choose a shade a bit darker than the lipstick you are using. Using a liner will boost the fullness of your lips, and prevent the lipstick from bleeding into the lines around the mouth.

But it’s all up to you. Choose any look you want. Just be sure to have fun and feel fabulous!

Parent Post for GLO Portfolio

2011-05-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Mom! So since you've already viewed my GLO Portfolio, here are a couple questions I would like you to answer for me please (:
Love, Czarina

Glo portfolio czarina

View more videos from heyczarinax3

What did you like best about my portfolio and portfolio conference?
What would you like to see me improve on in my portfolio?
From your point of view, which of my attainments of the 6 general learner outcomes is of most value?
Please explain why you feel it is important and what about my documentation of it impresses you.
Which of the GLOs would you like me to focus on in the coming year(s)?

Reflection Questions: Holocaust Video, Chapter 1

2011-04-28T03:44:00.000-07:00

After watching the first chapter of the video of Oprah and Elie Wiesel at Auschwitz, answer the following questions on your own blogs:

1. What details about the Holocaust experience became clearer or more vivid for you because of the video?
After watching Chapter One of the video, I was able to understand more about where the prisoners went and how they were treated. Some of the details that I remember were that there were large amounts of prisoners inside one small cart. Many of the people were not aware of the burning and thought that they were only going to take showers. I also learned about the specifics about how they burned the prisoners with the gas and flames.

2. Describe the video techniques used to tell this story:
[Camera angles
Graphics
Interviewing
Excerpts from the book]
I noticed that the audio was only their voices. Usually, this would not be very good for a documentary because it would make the package “silent” and “boring”. But since they used a lot of pictures of the Holocaust, their voices made the documentary seem so sad and depressing. Whenever they would make references to the book “Night”, they used a “Typewriter text” that I thought made it look neat. A lot of the pictures were moving across the screen slowly rather than quickly to make it seem sad. There were camera pans of the camp in present day and it cross faded into b-roll of the camp in the past, which shows a comparison on present to past.

3.What is the "madness" the Oprah and Elie Wiesel speak of at the end of this section?
I think what they meant by “madness” was “inhumanity”. It was inhumane for them to do that to the prisoners. It was really unnecessary for them to treat them like that and they did not accomplish anything but death, death, and more death.

Journal #1: Learning and Research Process

2011-04-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

TOPIC
Make-up

PASSION & STRETCH
Been playing around with make-up since I was a little girl
Do my own make-up for stage performances
I know some of the basics, but I want to learn all about using the right techniques to make you look better in pictures due to lighting. to make your eyes stand out, etc.

RESOURCES & RESEARCH
Youtube videos (MichellePhan)
Make-up workshops at SpaHalekulani
Tutorials at MAC, Macy's, and Sephora

PROCESS & PRODUCT
I would go to different workshops, make-up tutorials during the duration of the project.
Create a portfolio displaying my work.
As a result, I would want to start putting make-up on others for photographs and performances.

OR CARD QUARTER 3

2011-03-05T19:23:00.001-08:00

3.5-My conflict and resolution both sum the book up very well and you can understand what the book is about just by reading it. My color schemes work together just right and the text and picture are easy to see and is pleasing to the eyes. My quote matches because it shows how she depends on her boyfriend and that she is extremely shaken by him passing away.

This, I Believe Essay

2011-03-02T20:21:00.000-08:00

You Never Know Until You Try
Czarina C. Caberto

Everyone has their own way of expressing themselves. Some choose painting to depict a story. Some choose playing an instrument to convey their feelings. Some choose writing to say what’s on their mind. But for me, I passionately use dancing as a tool of expression. But I never would’ve found this out about myself if I never took that first dance class back in the 4th grade.

“Mom, I’m bored”, was the statement that was frequently heard by my younger self. I’m an only child, so I never really had anybody to play with when my parents were away at work. My elementary school days were basically composed of staying home, doing homework, watching TV, and reading. You can’t even imagine how bored I got trying to entertain myself by watching the same TV shows or reading the same books daily. My mom had noticed my frequent boredom and offered to take me to dance classes a couple of days of the week. I was also a very anti-social kid back then, so the idea of dancing in front of others came at a shock for me. “No. It’s okay. I’d rather not take dance classes.” was my response to my mom’s offer. “Why not? You always seem bored at home. Dancing will give you something to do.” I didn’t even think twice about considering dance classes. I really did not want to go. But in the next couple of days, I found myself standing in the middle of a dance studio, trying to catch up with the choreography that was being thrown at me. My first dance class was one of the most horrific experiences of my life. I made a total embarrassment out of myself because I kept doing the “isolations” wrong, the “leaps and turns” without proper technique, and I did not really have the best dance etiquette. I went back home thinking, “Maybe dancing is just not my thing”. I sat in my room and thought about the next class in the next couple of days. I really did not want to make another fool out of myself, but since I was already enrolled, I could not do anything about it.

The next class came at an instant and I was not as nervous as I was before only because I knew what was coming my way. But I was still unwilling to take the class and it showed through my actions. My moves and facial expressions weren’t full out as it was supposed to be. At the end of the class, a couple of girls approached me and started socializing with me. Before I knew it, we became friends and exchanged phone numbers. I felt as if I were enjoying dance class a bit more only because I felt more comfortable dancing in front people since I knew them more.

After the next couple of dance classes, I started to see only the finer points in dancing and I just fell in love with it. That was when I started using it as a form of self-expression. It’s been 6 years since my first dance class and I’ve never gotten tired of it since. Without dance, I would be a completely different person than how I am now. I am now more confident and sociable, unlike how I was before. I wouldn’t have evolved into a better person if I didn’t attend that one class. You never know what will happen until you try. This, I believe.

Allusion Final

2011-01-28T00:06:00.001-08:00

*Reflection posted as a comment*

Life's Cycle

I gaze at my surroundings.
I see laughs, smiles, and joyfulness.
I feel a sudden rush go through my body.
I perform a mindless reaction and
I jump up, run to the top of the mountain.
I see the land and the people before me.

Triumphant.

Happiness, courage, and glee fill my soul.
Family, friends, and folks gather around.
The ones I care most about,
The ones closest to my heart,
The ones I cherish.

Loving.

People look up to me and see me as,
A brave one, wiling to stand up for what I believe in.
A kind-hearted one, choosing what’s best for all people.
A playful, energetic one, ready to pounce at what’s ahead of me.

Heroic.

Although, there are times when…
I forget my responsibilities.
I put play before work.
I become insouciant.

Carefree.

And sometimes,
The smallest thing can tear me down.
The tiniest detail can break my heart.
The littlest action can bring me to tears.

Sensitive.

Things may seem good at first.
But with every up, comes a down.
And with every down, comes an up.

That is, the circle of life.

Life's Cycle.

2011-01-19T02:10:00.000-08:00

[Based on Simba's life from the Lion King]

I gaze at my surroundings.
I see laughs, smiles, and joyfulness.
I feel a sudden rush go through my body.
I perform a mindless reaction and
I jump up, run to the top of the mountain.
I see the land and the people before me.

Triumphant.

Happiness, courage, and glee fill my soul.
Family, friends, and folks gather around.
They…
The ones I care most about,
The ones closest to my heart,
The ones I cherish.

Loving.

People look up to me and see me as,
A brave one, wiling to stand up for what I believe in.
A kind-hearted one, choosing what’s best for all people.
A playful, energetic one, ready to attack what’s ahead of me.

Heroic.

Although, there are times when this happens…
I forget my responsibilities.
I put play before work.
I become insouciant.

Carefree.

And sometimes,
The smallest thing can tear me down.
The tiniest detail can break my heart.
The littlest action can bring me to tears.

Sensitive.

Things may seem good at first.
But with every up, comes a down.
And with every down, comes an up.

That is, the circle of life.

OR CARD (2nd quarter)

2010-12-17T17:16:00.000-08:00

Parent Conference (6 traits portfolio)

2010-12-16T02:54:00.000-08:00

MOM. PLEASE POST COMMENT IN REPLY TO THIS BLOG ENTRY. THANK YOU (:
Anyway, hello mom! This is where it is YOUR turn to speak your mind about the work that has been shown to you during our conference. I am glad to know that you now understand the reason why I've been "on the computer" majority of my time. It is because of the assignments given to us. But, at least you know that I'm using the computer for educational purposes (: Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my small portfolio conference. Now, please feel free to express your thoughts and ideas about my learning this semester. Answers for these next four questions are also needed.

1. What piece of writing did you like best in my portfolio and why?
2. What did you like about my portfolio and sharing and what would you like to see me improve on?
3. Which of the writing traits (ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency) do you feel was most successful for me?
4. Which of the traits of writing would you like me to improve on in the coming semester?

Your post serves two purposes:
It is an opportunity for you to comment on my learning.
It is part of Mrs. Sueoka's assessment of my attainment of General Learning Outcome #5, "Effective Communicator." My sharing of the portfolio should enable you (parents/guardians) to reflect and respond to the four questions above.

-Czarina

Being Monitored While Using Technology

2010-11-25T01:05:00.000-08:00

The media provides us with a wide variety of entertainment, from social networking sites to chat rooms and from texting to sending videos online. But the number one concern of many parents and guardians is the danger that is exposed to the adolescents. Dangers on the Internet, through texting, etc. have affected a great number of kids and teens all over the world and the number never stops growing. To help resolve this problem, parents/guardians should monitor their child’s use of technology at all times in all areas to help keep them safe and away from harm.

Admittedly parental guidance is needed, although the child’s privacy is invaded. Many of my peers have agreed to the fact that their privacy is not being respected. Many have also been saying that the real reason why they do not want their parents snooping around reading their messages on their phones or online is that they are trying to hide personal things from them. This arouses a non-trusting relationship between the guardian and the child. Furthermore, kids may think that being monitored is a bad idea, however they shouldn't be worried about it if they haven't done anything wrong and so, you should not have a problem with having people look at your profile or text messages. There are those teens that also say that there shouldn’t be a reason for parents checking in on them because they are not doing anything that could harm them or someone else. They feel as if their parents are being overprotective and what not. Although, overtime as parents start to notice that you are being safe on the Internet, a trust bond will grow. Therefore encouraging them to lay off on the overprotective parenting.

Approximately 42% of kids have been cyber-bullied while being online. One in every four has had it happen to them more than once. And the things that have been said to them do not only cause hurt feelings and tears. Cyber-bullying has led to big, serious situations such as suicide. Pornography and sexual predators have also been a great issue leading to horrible things such as early teen pregnancy. While cyber-bullying, pornography, and sexual predators are one of the biggest concerns out there, they may not be the only ones. Other dangers include areas that foster hate crimes, sites that teach children how to make harmful weapons, forums discussing way to commit suicide, sites encouraging people to take drugs, and videos that show people actually taking drugs. Apparently the Internet opens doors of danger to the youth, therefore parental guidance helps keep children safe from exploring sites that can harm them. The initial duty of a parent is to protect and keep his/her child out of danger. Not monitoring their child while using technology can greatly put their child in a difficult situation.

Statistics show that 58% of kids who have been cyber bullied have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online. It is very important for a minor to tell their parent/guardian when something like this happens because it is almost 100% guaranteed that it would not happen again. If the parent fails to take action, taking the situation to a trusted adult or straight to the police would be good alternative solutions.

Parents will always be there to see if there has been someone harassing you and they will most likely do something about it. Unless you want to be in the “danger-zone”, have a trusted adult to be with you while using technology. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
-----------------------------

Bibliography
-Statistics on Cyberbullying
http://isafe.org/channels/sub.php?ch=op⊂_id=media_cyber_bullying
-Privacy being invaded
http://www.parentingadolescents.com/assert-self.html
-Statistics+Reasons why Parental Guidance is good
http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Cyberbullying---A-Dangerous-Trend/139711
-Opinions from others
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080411140912AAeRWLE
-If you're being safe, you've got nothing to worry about...
http://isafesoft.com/blog/internet-dangers-and-how-to-keep-your-kids-for-staying-safe.html)

OR CARD (THE LAST SONG)

2010-09-29T02:46:00.000-07:00

I would rate myself as a 3/4.
The color schemes go very well together making the pictures and text easy to see, read, and understand. I have wrapped up the main idea of the book in small parts/sentences. Although, I think it could've been a bit shorter. My quote is very significant and it matches the conflict/resolution very well.

College Essay-Critique Ready

2010-09-15T01:24:00.000-07:00

UH MANOA doesn't require an essay, but I chose a topic to do my college essay on.
------------------

“And now we welcome, Czarina Caberto. The class of 2017’s Valedictorian.”

I rise to my feet, staring blankly at the people around me, with cameras in their hands. I see the crowd of people opening and closing their mouths, with smiles on their faces. Some of the people’s palms slap together so quickly. While others grasped their camera’s and pointed them at me, shooting bright, white and yellow flashes towards my direction. But why is it that there are no words to be heard? No sound to be listened to? Nothing. I can’t function correctly; knowing that what is happening now is just unbelievable. I lifted the hem of my dark colored gown and adjusted my graduation cap as I stepped onto the stage, feeling my heart beat faster and faster. I moved my mouth towards the microphone as it made a loud sound. Suddenly, I feel the vibration of cheers going into my ears and I see everyone clap and scream my name as I proceed on to say my speech.

“Good evening parents, staff, friends, family, and graduates of UH Manoa. My college years have been indescribable. The obstacles I’ve gone through, the people I met, and the things I’ve learned are just so amazing. But there’s one day that I will treasure the most for the past years. And that would be… the day I got accepted.”

I turn around and look at my parents in the very front row staring at me with watery eyes and sincere smiles on their faces. I turn and look at my professors and give them a smile saying “Thank You”.

“Knowing that UH Manoa was going to be my school, I was in for a ride. I was ready to face what the school had to offer me. But most importantly, I was ready to start my life.”

I stopped for a moment and felt the tears rush through my eyes. As much as I didn’t like crying in public, it didn’t matter to me anymore. All that really mattered was this very moment.

“There really isn’t anything to regret. My time here has truly been the experience of a lifetime. Thank you, all.”

The loud thunder of clapping and cheering roared throughout the Stan Sheriff Center. I give a small nod of my head and walk off the stage, proudly.

Suddenly, I hear the sound of an alarm clock ringing. Everything turns black and there’s nothing to be seen in sight. The crowd has disappeared. The clapping and cheering was gone. I open my eyes slowly and see the sun peeking through the curtain hanging from my window. I feel the warm covers of my bed, the soft, fluffy white pillow under my head, and the wind blowing through the window. Coming to realization, it was all just a dream. A dream that will, without a doubt, come true.

-----------
The topic was: "How do you imagine your graduation ceremony to be like?"

PRO/CON REVISION

2010-09-02T00:02:00.000-07:00

LINK TO ARTICLE: http://www.khon2.com/content/education/story/Kaa-awa-residents-fight-to-keep-elementary-school/bxKKls5CPUeMXGjUTxmgrQ.cspx

PROPOSITION: Elementary schools shouldn't close down if it does well academically and has high standards.

2 gives 2 gets (COA)

2010-08-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

COMING OF AGE POSTER-ROUGH DRAFT

2010-08-29T21:33:00.001-07:00

Coming Of Age (Critique Draft)

2010-08-29T01:14:00.000-07:00

Sitting on my couch, I looked around my living room and inhaled the vanilla-like aroma of my home, thinking abut how I’m not going to be hanging around here for a whole entire weekend. That means, no mom and dad for three days! Sure it may seem like a really short time, but since it was my first time being away from home, it felt like I was going to be gone for a whole century! “Precious, did you pack all your things? We’re leaving for the airport soon!”, I heard my dad say from the bedroom. “Yeah, almost done!”, was my reply. Looking to my left, i saw my mom peeking over at me with a slight smile. She came closer to me and pulled me into a warm hug as she said “I’m going to miss you. Take care okay? Make sure you open those envelopes I gave you. One for every day you’re at the Big Island”. We pulled out of the hug and I returned a smile to her saying “Yes, I will. I’m going to miss you, too, mom.” Then my dad called for a cab and we were on our way to the airport.

We all jumped out of the cab and I heard my mom ask the taxi driver if he could wait a little while in the parking lot so that my parents could drop me off at the front doors of the airport, where my dance friends and I were supposed to meet. My mom, dad, and I waited patiently for my instructor and my dance mates to arrive. All of a sudden, my instructor, Ms. Angie, says that it’s almost time to depart. I looked at my mom and dad and I suddenly feel a verge of tears striking my eyes. I let go the handle of my luggage and ran towards my mom and dad asking if I could stay with them. I looked graciously at them as they nodded their heads side to side. I gave them the tightest hug one last time and I finally followed the other dancers to the gate.

I sat in my seat next to my friend, Kapua. I thought about my home. My parents. My friends. And how I wished I were at my house. The tears kept falling and falling and Kapua looked at me and tried to cheer me up. “Don’t worry, Zee. This trip is gonna be so much fun! Ms. Angie said that we’re gonna go camping!” In my head, I thought, "This trip does sound like fun. Maybe I’ll give it a chance." Suddenly, Kapua asks, “So what do you say?” Without a doubt I reply, “You had me at camping!”

We finally arrived at Ms. Angie’s new home in the Big Island. I looked around and said to myself, "This does not look anything like my house." It was a two-story house with a media room, two kitchens, five bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and a whole lot of space. Sure, my house was way smaller but, for some reason, I didn’t feel too home-y here. Everyone made me feel really welcomed, but it just wasn’t MY home. “Now, everyone is going to stay in the upstairs living room. Make sure that you guys feel at home. We’re all family here”, Ms. Angie said with a smile. We all dragged our things up the stairs and settled in. We had dinner in their upstairs kitchen and I suddenly remembered that I had an envelope from my mom to open. But I couldn’t leave the table just yet, because that would be really rude. So as soon as dinner ended, I opened up a small envelope that said Day 1. Inside, there was a note that said: “Hi Precious! You’ve only been gone for a couple of hours, but your dad and me already miss you! Have fun and smile! Love, Mom and Dad.” At the bottom of the note, there was a quote that said: “Be happy. It's one way of being wise”. I held the note to my chest and kept it safe in the very back of my luggage. The clock strike 8pm and it was time for bedtime. I snuggled into my sleeping bag imagining that I was at home. Before I knew it, I fell into a deep slumber.

*Riiiiiiing*. “Wake up! Performance day, girls!” said Ms. Angie. We all took our turns taking a shower and then it hit me. "How am I supposed to put on my make-up? My mom usually puts it on for me on performance days", I said in my head. “Ms. Angie, I’m not really sure on how to put on stage make-up. Can you help me?” She looked down at me and said, “Of course, I’ll help you. But it is a dancer’s responsibility to know how to apply make-up. How ‘bout I demonstrate it on me first, and you try to follow along. Sounds good?” I thought about it for a while and nodded my head. She then gave me a little tutorial and my make-up turned out pretty decent! Wow. I said to myself. I know how to put on make-up, now! Cool. Ms Angie examined my make-up and said that I did a good job.

It was finally time to go to the first performance of the day and we all stepped up on stage and performed our number. Usually, my mom would be backstage helping me dress up, but I had to take responsibility for myself and change on my own. It was kind of a struggle to be changing from outfit to outfit on my own, but I still changed just in time to be ready for the next number. Then it was time to head to the mall for the second performance of the day. Once again, I didn’t have anyone there to help me through my changes. But this time, I was quicker. "Ha, I’m getting the hang of this". Third performance of the day was right around the corner. But we had to go get lunch first. We went to the nearest McDonalds and I took out my wallet as I handed my lunch money to Ms. Veronica. Being my first time handling money, I made sure that I had enough money to pay for lunch the next day. So we ate lunch and we headed off to the School of Performing Arts. There, we performed our last dance of the day. When we got to Ms. Angie’s house I had to organize my outfits and fold them all so that my luggage was neat. I made sure that everything was in place and that I didn’t leave any of my outfits lying around. It was 5pm and it was time to eat dinner. We all had a part in cooking dinner. My job was to separate the carrots and the celery. This was my first time helping out with a meal. And it was pretty fun! So we put everything together, ate it, and all felt like big balloons filled with chilli. Heh. Anyway, I opened the envelope in my luggage that said “Day 2” on the front. Inside, the note said: “Hi Precious! I hope you are doing fine. Make sure to call me before you go to bed. Your dad and I are very proud of you for being so responsible. Love you! Mom and Dad”. At the bottom a different quote from the last said: “You learn something knew and useful every single day.” I took out my cell phone and called my mom. We told each other how much we missed each other even if I’ve been away from home for only two days. Then it was time to hang up and go to bed. Day two complete.

Day three has come and I looked out the window and saw the sun rise out behind the mountain realizing that it was 6 in the morning. My friend Lauren walks over to me and sings “We’re going camping! Uh, uh. We’re going camping. Woot Woot.” On our way to the camp, everyone in the van was singing “We’re going camping! Uh, uh. We’re going camping. Woot Woot” repeatedly until we got tired of it. When we first got there, we had breakfast. It was the regular Cheerios cereal and milk. But for some reason, it tasted even better since we were outside. Anyway, we played a little bit of games and sang a couple of songs. We made some burnt marshmallows and, you know, the usual camping stuff. Then we had to head back home so that we could pack up our things so we’re ready for the flight back home tomorrow. At Ms. Angie’s home, I opened the last envelope from my mom and it said: “Well, I know you had a problem with going on this trip in the first place. But I bet you had fun. See you tomorrow, Precious! :)” And as usual the quote at the bottom said: “It is only because of problems that we grow mentally and spiritually.”

This whole trip to the Big Island helped me to conquer my fear of leaving home, to do things that I’ve never done on my own for the first time, and just believe in myself. I faced many situations in which I had to learn how to take responsibility for myself and that is the key element to coming of age. I was like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon. I became, me.

PRO/CON ASSIGNMENT

2010-08-10T22:17:00.000-07:00

OKAY YOU CAN COMMENT MY BLOG NOW :)

HOMEWORK: DUE FRI 8/13/10
Find an article about an issue that interests you. It should be controversial, a topic that will provoke argument and debate.

On YOUR OWN BLOG post the following:
a summary of the article, and
a link to the article, and
a proposition about the issue, like the one we did for the New
Hampshire cheating issue.
Comment on two other blogs, indicating whether you agree or disagree with the proposition.

This assignment is a formative assessment of your skills in pro con thinking and writing. Level of thinking is evaluation.

Summary: The United States, according to the 14th Amendment, currently grants citizenship to anyone born in the country. Senator Lindsey Graham has considered changing or revising the Amendment so that it states that children born to illegal immigrants in the U.S. do not automatically become citizens. House Minority Leader John Boehner said that birthright citizenship encourages illegal immigration and that he believes that we should continue to speak about revising this Amendment so that we can secure our borders. However, Jon Feere, legal policy analyst for the Center for Immigration Studies, is against Graham and Boehner. "The energy spent on ending birthright citizenship might be better spent reducing illegal immigration through a commitment to immigration law enforcement generally. If illegal immigration is ended, the problem of birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens disappears," Feere said.

Link: http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/09/60000-babies-born-to-non-citizens-in-texas-every-year/

Proposition: The 14th Amendment should be revised in a way that would explain that children of non-citizens born in the US should not become American citizens, but should be deported back to the country where they originally reside in. The parents should go through the proper channels if they want to live here like the immigrants before have done and then the entire family can become legal citizens of the US.

Coming of Age

2010-08-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

Scientifically speaking, maturity would be a point in life where you have physically grown in full development. However, maturity also reflects on how a person takes up one's own personal responsibilities and actions. I remember being such a little girl who always depended on her parents for, well, basically everything! I never really did care much about the type of clothes that I wore, the way I responded to others, and other things that people who have reached adulthood cared about these days. Honestly, all I really ever truly cared about was my toys. I also did not really talk much to those who are older and wiser than I was. I usually threw lots of tantrums and didn't care about what people thought of me. But over the past few years, I have noticed such a big change in maturity in my life.

To me, "Coming of Age" really took place during my freshman year. I came from a small private school that only contained about 40 people in the eighth grade graduating class. And now, my entire sophomore class has about five hundred students. The first day of freshman year was a really big step up from the year before. I remember having my first CAP class and learning about how high school is the time when you are supposed to be thinking about what you want to do in the future. That first CAP class of mine, in a way, lit up the bulb that was in my head. And at that moment I knew that I had to start maturing.

Then, as time went by, I noticed that in the process of maturing, I started dressing, speaking, thinking, and even typing on the internet differently. The way I dress really shows how I have matured because when I was younger, my clothes did not match at all! For example, I wore a purple shirt along with a blue skirt. And now I wear color schemes that go together right. The way I spoke when I was little was barely understandable. Sometimes, I didn't speak at all. But now, I have learned to socialize more with others and speak in complete, thoughtful sentences. Before, I didn't really have a main focus in life. All I ever wanted to be when I grew up was a princess. But, now that I am mature enough, I have learned to use my concentration, time management, and visualizing skills to ensure a bright future. As I have mentioned before, I used to throw tantrums. But now, I have learned how to control myself. For example, if somebody does something I don't exactly agree with, I just let it go. As you can see, I have matured in many ways. It's as if I was a whole knew upgraded person.

As of right now, I am not at the full extent of being mature. I have many other things to learn, and other things to discover. Sure enough, not everything I will do in the future will be easy as pie.

Parent Reply on GLO Website

2010-05-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

Hello mom! This is where you have to post a reply to the following questions. Since I have already shown you my General Learner Outcomes Portfolio, you can now see what I have been doing on the computer all day long. Haha.

I have learned so much things this year and everything I learned was very useful. Oh, and if you would like to see my portfolio again, you can visit it here.

HERE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE TO ANSWER:

1) What did you like best about my portfolio and portfolio conference?
2) What would you like to see me improve on in my portfolio?
3) From your point of view, which of my attainments of the 6 general learner outcomes is of most value? Please explain why you feel it is important and what about my documentation of it impresses you.
4) Which of the GLOs would you like me to focus on in the coming year(s)?

Your post serves two purposes.

It is an opportunity for them to comment on your learning and
It is part of my assessment of your attainment of General Learning Outcome #5, "Effective Communicator."
Can't wait to hear your reply!
-----------------------------------------------------

Hi Czarina. This is your mom, and I am sorry that I am not able to post a comment because I am here at work right now, but for some reason your blog is not letting me post a comment. Instead, I decided to reply on your original blog entry.

1) Your portfolio was very organized and easy to look through. The colors were really beautiful and unique. Also, your website looks like you have worked very hard on it. Now I know why you were on the computer for so long. Hehe.

2) Your explanations should be a little bit longer. I would like to hear more about all of them more.

3) All of them, actually. I am very proud of you because you work very hard in all areas. I especially think that you did good on GLO #6. I noticed that you really like working with technology and you seem like you are very satisfactory when it comes to this GLO.

4) You should really work more on GLO 2. I noticed that you usually do all the work when you're in a group. So I advice you to give tasks to your other group mates.

All in all, you did excellent on your portfolio! I am so proud of you. Keep up the good work.

Love, Mom

SCI FI FINAL

2010-04-27T01:12:00.000-07:00

Science fiction is a type of writing that must involve a huge range of imagination. It can be about almost anything! Including romance, war, comedy, drama, or even a mystery, such as the blockbuster movie ET. If you were to take any form of literature, add in some type of technological or scientific breakthrough, you would have your sci-fi. Many science fiction plots include both a balance of what we know and what we do not know yet, which is what makes a sci-fi so interesting. Not only do we get to learn more about the upcoming future but also about what may or may not be happening during the present. A good science fiction is able to portray a story that contains real-life situations, but also questions that remain unanswered. Science fiction stories can lead to many new discoveries in the future that can possibly change our lives.
A story with some element of possibility in it is always a plus. It should contain something that’s so outrageously strange that it is easy to laugh to, but something that could actually happen. Science fiction must bring to mind a sense of wonder. In my experience, that is what draws and leers me into the genre. It shouldn’t have overly complex plotlines because the story can end up being confusing and hard to follow through. Something that can also make a sci-fi interesting is inclusion of new technological breakthroughs. Having this specific element can broaden the amount of discoveries that can come up in the future. These new discoveries can lead to many advantages for us humans such as a cure for cancer, which is a scenario found in the movie “I Am Legend”. If the sci-fi story includes something about a new type of technology that can come up in the near future, we can benefit from it not only in the future, but also now, in the present. We can benefit from it by broadening our imagination so that we, too, may come up with new things. How cool would it be to travel in space? Communicate with aliens in outer space? Time travel? All of these are fun to think about. They may not be real just yet, but with our wide imaginations, we can make them happen. Good sci-fi provides the forum in which we can do these things.
All this talk about sci-fi makes me feel that technology is always and will forever be good. But now that I think about some of the movies falling in this genre, I have come to realize that technology can sometimes be a bad thing. One form of literature that portrays how technology is bad is the story “There Will Come Soft Rains.” In the story, the beginning talks about how technology is somewhat good because it helps us wake up in the morning (talking alarm clocks) and even make breakfast. But there is a turning point where technology is suddenly bad because it basically kills us all. The type of technology used is a nuclear bomb. The minds of us humans are getting brighter and brighter each day. It is possible for us to build greater more destructive nuclear bombs in the upcoming future. These bombs can lead to the death of our human race. Now, this type of science fiction gives out a message to us. This is another element that can make up a good sci-fi. The message “There Will Come Soft Rains” is portraying is that technology can be very harmful to man. These types of messages can change the views that people have toward sci-fi stories, which is what makes the story good.
Another type of science fiction that explains how technology is bad is the movie entitled “Wall-E”. This movie exemplifies what the point of living was. Living is a time for us to experience the world and what is in it. We all fall into our bad habits and routines, consciously or unconsciously to avoid “living”, the part of life where you have to actually get up off your seat and do work, that is. That's why we tend to develop a habit where we base our lives on technology so that we don’t have to deal with all of these “chores”. We should not depend on only technology on everything we do, but we should do some physical activities to get through the day so that we do not end up as living bums. This message can also change the way the audiences think about technology. Let’s put it this way. A sci-fi that is somewhat like a puzzle and has some type of turning point will most likely be an interesting story.
Stories that make you want to know more even though you have read the entire book already is definitely a good science fiction. Not only does this case refer to books, but it can also refer to movies. In the movie “X-men: The Last Stand” A fictional character named Magneto loses his powers. But towards the ending, it shows him moving a chess piece without his fingers touching it, meaning that his powers will soon return. Sci-fi that ends with a “cliffhanger” always makes the audience want for more. Those stories that end with “Happily ever after…” do not really grasp their interest.
To me, science fiction is somewhat like a base for the future of our society. The things, scientific and technological breakthroughs, which come up in sci-fi stories, movies, etc. can evolve into real things that we may or may not use later in the future. Looking at the messages and signs that these movies and stories are telling us, technology will probably be bigger than it is right now in the present time. Who knows? Technology can solve some of the issues we are having today, like diseases, or it can do the total opposite, like increasing diseases. But that’s the future, which we cannot foretell at the time. The way I see it, sci-fi is used to tell a story about our society today and in the future. If we change the way that we live today, it is possible we will most likely change the future, also.

Essay Rough Draft: "The Elements of A Good Science Fiction"

2010-04-26T22:47:00.000-07:00

Science fiction is a type of writing that must involve a huge range of imagination. It can be about almost anything! Including romance, war, comedy, drama, or even a mystery, such as the blockbuster movie ET. If you were to take any form of literature, add in some type of technological or scientific breakthrough, tell about it's positive and negative consequences, you would have your sci-fi. While everything may seem so realistic, you have to make sure that it is still also a fictional story. Many science fiction plots include both a balance of what we know and what we do not know yet, which is what makes a sci-fi so interesting. Not only do we get to learn more about the upcoming future but also about what may or may not be happening during the present. A good science fiction is able to portray a story that contains real-life situations, but also questions that remain unanswered. Science fiction stories can lead to many new discoveries in the future that can possibly change our lives.

A story with some element of possibility in it is always a plus. It should contain something that’s so outrageously strange that it is easy to laugh to, but something that could actually happen. Science fiction must bring to mind a sense of wonder. In my experience, that is what draws and leers me into the genre. It shouldn’t have overly complex plotlines because the story can end up being confusing and hard to follow through. Something that can also make a sci-fi interesting is inclusion of new technological breakthroughs. Having this specific element can broaden the amount of discoveries that can come up in the future. These new discoveries can lead to many advantages for us humans such as a cure for cancer, which is a scenario found in the movie “I Am Legend”. If the sci-fi story includes something about a new type of technology that can come up in the near future, we can benefit from it not only in the future, but also now, in the present. We can benefit from it by broadening our imagination so that we, too, may come up with new things. How cool would it be to travel in space? Communicate with aliens in outer space? Time travel? All of these are fun to think about. They may not be real just yet, but with our wide imaginations, we can make them happen. Good sci-fi provides the forum in which we can open up our imaginations so we can develop new discoveries to help us in doing these things.

All this talk about sci-fi makes me feel that technology is always and will forever be good. But now that I think about some of the movies falling in this genre, I have come to realize that technology can sometimes be a bad thing. One form of literature that portrays how technology is bad is the story “There Will Come Soft Rains.” In the story, the beginning talks about how technology is somewhat good because it helps us wake up in the morning (talking alarm clocks) and even make breakfast. But there is a turning point where technology is suddenly bad because it basically kills us all. The type of technology used is a nuclear bomb. The minds of us humans are getting brighter and brighter each day. It is possible for us to build greater more destructive nuclear bombs in the upcoming future. These bombs can lead to the death of our human race. Now, this type of science fiction gives out a message to us. This is another element that can make up a good sci-fi. The message “There Will Come Soft Rains” is portraying is that technology can be very harmful to man. These types of messages can change the views that people have toward sci-fi stories, which is what makes the story good.

Another type of science fiction that explains how technology is bad is the movie entitled “Wall-E”. This movie exemplifies what the point of living was. Living is a time for us to experience the world and what is in it. We all fall into our bad habits and routines, consciously or unconsciously to avoid “living”, the part of life where you have to actually get up off your seat and do work, that is. That's why we tend to develop a habit where we base our lives on technology so that we don’t have to deal with all of these “chores”. We should not depend on only technology on everything we do, but we should do some physical activities to get through the day so that we do not end up as living bums. This message can also change the way the audiences think about technology. Let’s put it this way. A sci-fi that is somewhat like a puzzle and has some type of turning point will most likely be an interesting story.

Stories that make you want to know more even though you have read the entire book already is definitely a good science fiction. Not only does this case refer to books, but it can also refer to movies. In the movie “X-men: The Last Stand” A fictional character named Magneto loses his powers. But towards the ending, it shows him moving a chess piece without his fingers touching it, meaning that his powers will soon return. Sci-fi that ends with a “cliffhanger” always makes the audience want for more. Those stories that end with “Happily ever after…” do not really grasp their interest.

To me, science fiction is somewhat like a base for the future of our society. The things, scientific and technological breakthroughs, which come up in sci-fi stories, movies, etc. can evolve into real things that we may or may not use later in the future. Looking at the messages and signs that these movies and stories are telling us, technology will probably be bigger than it is right now in the present time. Who knows? Technology can solve some of the issues we are having today, like diseases, or it can do the total opposite, like increasing diseases. But that’s the future, which we cannot foretell at the time. The way I see it, sci-fi is used to tell a story about our society today and in the future. If we change the way that we live today, it is possible we will most likely change the future, also.

Journal #32

2010-04-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

When you're here at Disneyland, you feel as if you are someplace other than the real world. As you walk down the streets of the happiest place on earth, the same line goes through your head: "This place is astonishing!". The smell of the buttery popcorn arouses your senses as you walk past the amusing, colorful rides and shops that leer you in from all directions. Train bells and the whistles of a steamboat echo from afar as they pass by. As you look back, you see a huge roller-coaster ride with a large Mickey Mouse symbol right in the middle. The smiles and loud screams of those on the ride are obviously contagious as you feel your own lips form into a slight grin revealing your pearly, white teeth. Looking down, you see the tall, green palm trees and an intimidating, heart-pounding water ride reflecting in the clear blue water. Even though the park is extremely packed, it's easy to forget the thousands of other people, smiling, holding cameras and taking pictures of their family and friends, that surround you.

Invitation...

2010-03-24T22:50:00.000-07:00

Click the image above to view it in full size :)

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE LINK: Poetry Website
Leave a comment below.
Please and thank you!
-Czarina :)

Metaphor Project Reflection

2010-03-11T15:39:00.000-08:00

Doing this project has enhanced both my poetic and videography skills. Not only were my skills enhanced, but I was given the chance to get in touch of my inner feelings. Writing poetry is not just throwing random words onto a piece of paper, but rather a way to express yourself, which is one of my favorite things to do. I think that was the best thing that I have gotten out of this poetry project. I also had the chance to learn about other people, my classmates. As I watched their metaphor video, I got to understand more about their feelings and personalities. In some of the lines in their poems, I was able to relate to what they were saying, which also helped me to get in touch of my inner feelings.

The very first thing that I did to write a poem was observe other poems. The exercises we did in class, such as evaluating a poem using the five step process, helped me to create my own. When I started writing my poem, I first used the technique of imagery. I pictured all the elements of the star and physical abilities. Then I moved away from that and started taking what I found out about stars to what I could do. My poem was born as just a line about something that just popped into my head. After that, I decided to elaborate more and finish up the rest. Whenever I were to get stuck, I usually just jotted down nouns, verb, and phrases that could help me. As soon as I knew it, another line was written down on my paper.

Writing poetry is about YOUR idea, not anybody else's. So I wasn't afraid to put ALL of my ideas down. This is poetry, and what you are required to do is voice your exact feelings out into words. Emotions are what make poems, and if you lie about them, you can sense it in the poem. Through my past work, I've learned that if you think about something for a long time, you will start to doze off into another topic. So when I write, I like to write something that I thought about as soon as possible so that I will not forget it. Who knows, that certain idea might be the spark of the poem. After I wrote down all of my ideas, I decided to analyze on what I wanted to achieve in my poem. I wanted to just let people know who I am in my poem, giving them a little information about my personality. I seem to be more comfortable with people who know me better, that is why I like expressing myself. I also wanted to get a god grade on this project. So I thought about who my intended audience was, the class, then I proceeded in writing my poem from there.

I like writing when my surroundings fit the scene of the poem. So, I liked writing when it was nighttime because you can see the stars. The stars that I looked up to gave me inspiration to write. Once I was finished with my poem, I went back to make sure it had no mistakes and had my peers critique it. Feedback is a good thing. It helps me to become a better writer, which is why I love the fact that we have to have two people comment on our blogs every time we have an essay/poem up. So once I fixed everything up, I was finished!

Now, with the story boarding of my poem, I had quite a hard time. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to act everything out. I had suggestions from my family an friends coming here and there. The suggestions were tremendously great so I used their ideas, combined them with mines, and I started my video. I then started finding people who could act in my video. I decided to use most of my menemac classmates in my video. For my voice overs, I decided to use a mellow type of tone because my poem is mellow. The way a poem is read really enhances the poem. Editing takes time and process. So, I sure used lots of my time editing this. Trying to make it as best as possible.

Revised Metaphor Poem: "Czarina, A Star"

2010-03-09T18:37:00.001-08:00

I am like a star
I shine brightly
so that others may choose to follow me
and my bright example of righteousness and justice
I throw my little light beam so far
that I outshine the bad deeds in the world
and as that beam shines into the minds of others
it overcomes them with the need to strive for excellence
and just like stars
I am brighter once nighttime comes
because throughout the day I learn the lessons that have been taught to me
There are other forces that try to break me
but I use my strength to keep everything together
People look at me and say that I am like the others
but once you gaze at and start to explore me
you'll come to find that I am much different in many ways
I may come across you as you hold in a wish
and I'll do what I can to make that wish come true
I am like a star

Journal #31:

2010-02-25T01:18:00.000-08:00

The five pieces I will be putting up on my blog are as follows:

1. My metaphor poem
2. Song: Crawl (Chris Brown)
3. Song: Just Stand Up (Various Artists)
4. Poem: "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou
5. Poem: "Loving Yourself" by Anonymous

Self Metaphor Poem (Rough Draft)

2010-02-23T21:42:00.000-08:00

I am like a star, i shine brightly,
so that others may choose to follow me,
and my bright example of righteousness and justice,
I throw my little light beam so far,
that I outshine the bad deeds in the world,
and as that beam shines into the minds of others,
it overcomes them with the need to strive for excellence,
and just like stars,
I am brighter once nighttime comes,
because throughout the day I learn the lessons that have been taught to me,
People look at me and say that I am like the others,
but once you gaze at and start to explore me,
you'll come to find that I am much different in many ways,
I may come across you as you hold in a wish,
and I'll do what I can to make that wish come true,
I am like a star.

Metaphor Brainstorm (Journal #27)

2010-02-09T01:40:00.000-08:00

I think I would like to compare myself to a book. Many people usually like judging a book by its cover. Many people look at me and say "Oh, she seems like a very shy girl." But the truth is, I am nowhere near shy. Once you get to me (once you start reading a book), you discover their real identity. A book also has some of its good, happy parts and some of its sad, gloomy parts. That can explain my moods. There are times when I can be very happy and there are times in my life when I can be the total opposite, gloomy or sad. Sometimes, I am very hard to understand. In other words, people seem to be unable to read my mind or tell what I am thinking about, yet I imply it by my actions. Same goes for a book, sometimes, you may read something and it might be some sort of mystery that the author does not want to shoot out right away, so they put in some "context clues" that'll help you understand it better.

Journal #20: "Hittin' the Restart Button to a Whole New Year"

2010-01-11T22:41:00.000-08:00

As I sit in my room reading blog posts on tumblr.com about how everyone is going to miss 2009, I pause for a slight moment and reminisce on the times I've had throughout the year. I think about the days at St. Theresa School, the funny moments at dance, the ti-- "Czarina! Auntie Charie! Come down now, we're going to eat, now!". A loud voice of a child suddenly interrupts my train of thought. As I look towards my left, I see my mom getting her "bingo kit", as I like to call it, out. "Let's go, anak." Anak in English means child. Slowly, I begin close my white laptop and walk towards the door. But before I left, I noticed a small change in the way the kitchen looked. I tried to find what was different, but I just couldn't put my finger on it. Suddenly, I noticed 13 different fruits on the table! I jerk my upper body towards my mom and say, "Mom, why do we have so much fruits on the table? We usually keep a couple out." My lips curl up and my right eyebrow goes slightly lower than the other making me have a confused expression on my face. "Didn't you know that it's lucky to have 13 fruits on the table before New Years?", my mom says. I scratch my head a little. "But why 13??", I say with a slightly confused tone. "To me and my family it is a very lucky number. You see, having round fruits signifies coins so having a lot will bring luck and prosperity this coming 2009." I nod my head up and down a couple of times reassuring to my mom that I get what she's trying to say. The voice once again screams, "Auntie Charie! Czarina! C'mon!" My mom and I turn towards the door and make our way down the wooden stairs that lead to two other houses right below us. As I walk towards the table, I can already smell the warm, pink salmon that melts in your mouth like hot butter. My 11 year old friend, who I look to as my little sister, Jessica walks toward me and gives me a warm bear hug and says "Hi Zee! Oh my gosh, I'm going to miss 2009." Her face then drops and her eyes face the ground. "It's okay Jess. It's going to be a whole New Year! Let's make the best of it!" A grin then forms on her face as she and I go to the table and say our grace. The smell of the salmon, baked chicken, and spaghetti make it's way into my nostrils and down to my stomach. A soft, quiet grumble comes out of my tummy and by that very moment my taste buds started kicking. Nobody had noticed, but I was already imagining the taste of the food in my mouth. "Name of the Father, Son, Holy Sprit, Amen. Let's Eat!", Isabelle yells. I grab the nearest white, plastic plate by me and grab a spoonful of the baked pink salmon that was smothered in onions, one piece of the baked golden chicken, and a scoop of the spaghetti and meat sauce. My eyes examined which I should eat first. My fork did the same. It was as if I was painting something in mid -air using my fork. All of a sudden, I feel an urge to dig my fork into the salmon, and so I did. I stuck it in my mouth and my taste buds danced around like the smoke that was blowing to us from our neighbors' house. I hear footsteps walking closer and closer to us. I wondered who it was. I swallowed the salmon that was in my mouth and took a close look at the shadows that appeared on the stairs. The shadows finally disappeared and what appeared were four bodies standing at the top of the stairs. "Surprise everyone!" My eyes open widely and a big smile forms across my face. I run to hug my two little friends, practically siblings, Hannah and Jonas with their mom and dad. We haven't seen each other in a while so we missed each other very much. Everyone started hugging each other and tears of joy dripped out of some of our eyes and down our cheeks. So a couple hours have passed and now, the adults are all playing their usual bingo and us kids are playing with the fireworks. I grab a couple of the morning glory and a lighter. As I turn the lighter on, a small orange an gold flame appears. "Zee! Zee! Light up mine!", yells out the very excited looking Jonas. I move the flame towards his morning glory and all of these sparks start to appear. The rest of the kids, including me, grab our morning glories and point them towards Jonas' so that our would have those colorful sparks that looked like miniature shooting stars bunched up altogether. I look up at the clock to see that there's 5 minutes left of 2009. "Hey, everyone! Come drink hot cocoa! It's cold!", says Isabelle's grandma. "Nanay! (Grandma in filipino) everyone! 5 more minutes!", I screamed so loud that even the neighbors heard. I look next door and saw all the men clank their beer bottles together for the last toast of 2009. As I sip the sweet, warm, hot cocoa, I look at the clock to start a count down. "Ready everyone? 10... 9... 8..." By this time, basically, everyone in Kalihi was counting down. "...3...2...1! HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!" All the kids jump up and down on the couch messing up all the neatly put pillows. I flopped down on the couch and watched everyone hug each other thanking them for all the memories from 2009. All of a sudden, there's a warm feeling in my heart. The feeling you get when you're home and everything is so peaceful and all you can think of is happy thoughts. My thoughts are once again interrupted by the vibration coming from my phone one after the other as I get loads of text messages saying, "Happy New Yrs! Thnx 4 da memries!". I do a quiet little squeal thinking about how great I know 2010 will be. 2010, here I come!

Parent Reflection

2009-12-16T01:32:00.000-08:00

-Now that I look back at my essays in the past (one's that I have written before entering high school), I have improved my writing skills by a landslide. This only happened because of what I have learned in the past two quarters. What we focused on this semester were the six traits. Four of them are mentioned in my online portfolio. My online portfolio consists of information on what I have done this semester in my menemac classes. On the "english page", I have put examples of some of my work that best describe four out of the six traits.

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Your post serves two purposes

It is an opportunity for them to comment on your learning and

It is part of my assessment of your attainment of General Learning Outcome #5, "Effective Communicator." Your sharing of the portfolio should enable your parents to reflect and respond to the three questions above.
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Please answer the following questions after reading and looking through my portfolio:

What did you like best about my portfolio and portfolio conference? What would you like to see me improve on in my portfolio?

From your point of view, which of my attainments of the 4 traits of writing is of most value? Please explain why you feel it is important and what about my documentation of it impresses you.

Which of the traits of writing would you like me to focus on in the coming semester?

Interdependence Rough Draft

2009-12-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Interdependence
*I will come up with a better title for my final [:*
By: Czarina Caberto

Have you ever felt like you couldn’t complete a task without people by your side? As if, doing something would be totally worthless if you were to do something all alone and you the only way to fulfill something is by depending on others? Well, that’s called interdependence. This word is usually mistaken by “independence.” If you were to be “independent”, then you can do everything by yourself without even a little it of help. In life, many of us depend on others. Whether it is at home, school, etc.

Interdependence involves lots of cooperation. For example, in English class, we have a project called KC3 in which we all have individual responsibilities and subtopics. If none of us did not complete our task or did our research for our subtopic, there would be nothing to put on our webpage, nothing to talk about in our video, nothing to show on the slides of our Power Point, etc. Basically, there would be no info to talk about! What a disaster! Luckily, we all did our research. So now, we DO have something to talk about and we can all finish up our tasks.

If one person were to be interdependent on another, it affects that person greatly. Their outcomes would go up or down together. Whenever they are in a situation in which there is a positive accomplishment among their outcomes, the chance among their outcomes are enhanced radically. Many of us test for interdependence by asking ourselves this question: “Is assistance really necessary”?

According to my little cousin, milk doesn’t come from cows but they come from stores. She’s never seen a cow being milked, but she has been to a store with her mother to buy milk, so in her world, milk does come from stores. Purchasing is a major activity in our daily lives, especially in adults. In fact, if there were to be some sort of crisis in our world that would prevent us from being able to purchase daily necessities, such as toiletries and food, then that would be one unsettling experience because we are the consumer of these goods, not the producers. So mainly, we are interdependent toward these things to keep ourselves content.

Whenever I undergo interdependence, things that happen usually go under “positive interdependence.” That is because I usually depend on those who I feel closer to, like my family. Those that are closer actually KNOW what we want and what we need. This is important in understanding interdependence because if someone were to depend on just anybody, then they wouldn’t really understand what they desire. Their outcome would most likely go under “negative interdependence” because what they get is probably not what they wished for.

Since interdependence is such a huge thing in our lives, it has helped in bringing us closer to each other. The relationships we develop are molded through interdependence and the use of it. We should bring interdependence to our advantage because of the positive outcomes it has brought us.

kc3 Final essay!!!

2009-11-19T01:36:00.001-08:00

The Sun’s Magical Abilities
By: Czarina Caberto

Electricity is something that is very essential in many of our lives. The only bad thing is that we are using too much of it that it's killing our Earth! Mother nature is sure not happy about that! Yet, there is a solution to this problem. We can all start using solar energy. Solar energy is basically using energy, light, or heat that comes from the sun. Solar energy can be used in a tremendous amount of ways. The heat that makes us hot while playing outside on a summers day, the heat that gets the inside of a car hot while it is parked outside, the energy that makes a solar calculator to work, the heat that sets a blade of grass under a magnifying glass on fire is all from solar energy. Using solar energy has changed our environment in a multiple number of ways. Its powerful uses have kept many people satisfied.

Solar technology dates back all the way to 1839 when French physicist Antoine-Cesar Becquerel observed that shining light on an electrode mixed in a type of solution would create some electricity. In 1941, an American, Russell Ohl, invented what is called the silicon solar cell. Years later, in the United States, Swedish-born John Ericsson came up with more ideas to harness solar power. He made the “parabolic trough collector,” a type of equipment, which functioned more than a hundred years later on the same basic design. Yet, this technology was far too expensive. In the 1970s, many people were hoping that through large investments in financial support for the people and research, solar energy costs could drop and become competitive with fossil fuels. By the 1990s, this thought became a reality, which is why solar power is used now more than it was used back in the day. Solar power is also encouraged today because of the following reasons.

Many years before, people started to notice the dramatic change of our universe's ozone layer. The cause of this change is the over use of electricity, especially by many Americans. In order to generate electricity, you would need to use oil. Another way to make electricity is by burning firewood. The process of using oil to make electricity is much more common and easier than burning firewood. Yet, they both contribute to the damage of our precious ozone layer. Oil is something that is extremely scarce in our world today. If we keep doing this, we will eventually run out of all the oil that our planet Earth has. Besides burning firewood, which takes a really long process, then electricity would not be made. Aha! Solar power to the rescue! Solar power does not use oil or firewood. Using oil releases carbon dioxide, a dangerous greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Burning firewood can cause air pollution, which causes great damage to our ozone layer. It can also cause deforestation, which means cutting down our trees. Burning wood does not only arise issues in the environment, but it increases the risk of people, specifically, those who burn wood, to gain one of the respiratory illnesses ever!

People have been coming up with some ways to reduce the use of fossil fuels. In Hawaii, the federal government has been coming up with ways to promote using solar power to homeowners through tax credits. Other state's in the United States have supported this by passing over three billion dollars in similar processes. Hawaii is one of the top solar power users in the US. Our state is totally making it foolish not to go with solar power! Governments in many states, not including Hawaii, are most likely to promote useless changes in our society via the amount of money that people have in their bank accounts by the rules they pass. In other words, do what the government tells you, then you'll save money and if you fail to do so, then your money goes down the drain. Hawaii has taken it to an all-new level, in a good way, of course.

To promote the use of solar power in our state by homeowners, Hawaii has been using some great techniques to lure people in. Those who convert their residences to solar get a tax credit of up to $5,000, which is by far much more valuable than a tax deduction because it is going to the amount of tax you owe rather than your gross income. So basically, solar wipes out any state tax bill you would have. Wow! Now that the state is using solar to their advantage, it has offered tremendous tax credits to commercial property owners, too. If a commercial property is converted or changed to solar in our state, the owner can get between $250,000 and $500,000 in tax credits. Two thumbs up for Hawaii's government! Lucky for us, Hawaii is a state with sun all year round. Now homeowners can enjoy it at almost every part of the year and on their tax return! According to the Hawaiian Electric Company, solar power only works when direct sunlight hits the solar panels. So, sadly, during the night, solar power cannot be generated. Nighttime is usually when homeowners who have installed solar panels use the process of making electricity with oil. Yet, if you were to compare the electricity bills of these “solar panel owners” and those who depend on oil, the amount they would have to pay is way different.

Even though solar energy is obviously very helpful, why aren't many of us using it? Well, some people do not like using new things. Sometimes, it is hard to use a new system once you have a new system working already. Although, solar energy technology is improving each and every single year, so many of us might want to use it more. Our generation can encourage people to start using it. If we all decide to use it, our lives would definitely change for the better!

Revised Thesis Statement

2009-11-15T03:56:00.000-08:00

-Main Topic: Renewable Resources
-Subtopic: Solar Power

Because of the overuse of electricity in homes and other areas, solar power can help in solving that problem by nurturing the environment and lowering the cost of electricity bills of many people.

KC3 Essay Draft (Solar's Magical Works)

2009-11-13T13:45:00.000-08:00

Electricity is something that is very essential in many of our lives. The only bad thing is that we are using too much of it that it's killing our Earth! Mother nature is sure not happy about that! Yet, there is a solution to this problem. We can all start using solar energy. Solar energy is basically using energy, light or heat, that comes from the sun. Solar energy can be used in a tremendous amount of ways. The heat that makes us hot while playing outside on a summers day, the heat that gets the inside of a car hot while it is parked outside, the energy that makes a solar calculator to work, the heat that sets a blade of grass under a magnifying glass on fire is all from solar energy. Using solar's energy has changed our environment in a multiple number of ways. It's powerful uses has kept many people satisfied.

Years before, many people started to notice the dramatic change of our universe's ozone layer. The cause of this change is the over use of electricity, especially by many Americans. In order to generate electricity, you would need to use oil. Another way to make electricity is by burning firewood. Oil and firewood are two things that are extremely scarce in our world today. If we keep doing this, we will eventually run out of all the oil and wood that our planet Earth has. Then, electricity would not be made. Aha! Solar power to the rescue! Solar power does not use oil or firewood. Burning firewood can cause air pollution which causes great damage to our ozone layer. It can also cause deforestation, which means cutting down our trees. Burning wood does not only arise issues in the environment, but it increases the risk of people, specifically, those who burn wood, to gain one of the respiratory illnesses ever!

People have been coming up with some ways to reduce the use of fossil fuels. In Hawaii, the federal governments has been coming up with ways to promote using solar power to homeowners through tax credits. Other state's in the United States have supported this by passing over three billion dollars in similar stimulants. Hawaii is one of the top solar power users in the US. Our state is totally making it foolish not to go with solar power! Governments in many states, not including Hawaii, are infamous for promoting changes in our society via people's bank accountants. In other words, do what the government tells you, then you'll save money and if you fail to do so, then your money goes down the drain. Hawaii has taken it to an all new level, in a good way, of course.

To promote the use of solar power in our state by homeowners, Hawaii has been using some great techniques to lure people in. Those who convert their residences to solar get a tax credit of up to $5,000, which is by far much more valuable than a tax deduction because it is going to the amount of tax you owe rather than your gross income. So basically, solar wipes out any state tax bill you would have. Wow! Now that the state is using solar to their advantage, it has offered tremendous tax credits to commercial property owners, too. If a commercial property is converted or changed to solar in our state, the owner can get between $250,000 and $500,000 in tax credits. Two thumbs up for Hawaii's government! Lucky for us, Hawaii is a state with sun all year round. Now homeowners can enjoy it at almost every part of the year and on their tax return!

Even though solar energy is obviously very helpful, why aren't many of us using it? Well, some people do not like using new things. Sometimes, it is hard to use a new system once you have a new system working already. Although, solar energy technology is improving each and every single year, so many of us might want to use it more. Our generation can encourage people to start using it. If we all decide to use it, our lives would definitely change for the better!

Journal #14 Thesis Statement

2009-11-04T00:22:00.001-08:00

-Main Topic: Renewable Resources

-Subtopic: Solar Power

Because of the overuse of electricity in homes and other places (which damage the environment) used to heat water or bring warmth to places, solar power can help in going green and can benefit our economy by lowering the cost of electricity bills because of the fact that solar power is free and the only thing that would cost is the equipment and the installation which is somewhat expensive yet is much cheaper than paying for electricity every month.

Journal #13

2009-11-04T00:21:00.001-08:00

-turned in as a rough copy.

Journal #12: Fire and Ice

2009-09-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

Fire:

Ahhh, my head is starting to hurt. There's too much work to be done. I have to make new journal entries, write essays, and do other things. At the same time, I have other classes to deal with and I also have dance class on Friday night and Saturdays! So, my only "resting" day is Sunday. Yet, I'm not home most of the day. I have confirmation and church to go to. The weekends are supposed to be the days when you 'bond' with your family members. But instead of that, I'm busy doing homework, studying, running errands, or doing activities WITHOUT my family members. It's so hard to keep my head on ONE thing when you have so much things to do.

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I don't like how people call/text/email late at night (sometimes at 12am or after that) and ask me to help them with their homework. I mean, I've got my own work to deal with too. I don't mind having people asking me about homework and stuff, but not at night! There's tutorial, lunch, recess, and after school to ask questions. I usually don't get enough sleep or I finish my homework late at night when I'm helping people. So this is one thing that really irritates me.

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For the Querencia essay, I really didn't like it when I got the comments on my drafts late. Before I do my final draft, I want to know what people think of the rough draft so that I know what corrections to make. But I can't do the corrections if I don't know what to correct! I sometimes have to force my team members to post their comments, and usually... they post them up really late at night. Imagine rewriting an essay at 11 PM. How stressing! I’m actually very sleepy during that time, so I can't concentrate on my final draft. Say I finish my final draft around 12:30 am and then I go to sleep around 12:40 am. Then, I have to wake up at about 5:45 am! How much hours do I have of sleep? 5 hours and 15 minutes! Teens my age are supposed to have AT LEAST 8 1/2-9 hours of sleep. Having very little sleep can cause anemia, which is what I have right now.

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I don't like how sometimes it's super noisy in English class (especially when we are at the computers). Writing an essay is easier when there is no noise and when it is peaceful and quiet. I can't write an excellent essay if the people around me are all making noise.

Ice:

I love how the classroom has AC. It cools me down when I come from a hot class.

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I like how we write on blogs. I hate writing in pen or pencil. It makes my hand hurt ): Anyway, for some weird reason, I write essays better when I type. Probably it's because I'm not writing on paper and I'm not constantly thinking about my aching hand.

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I also like how we can email the teacher during the day. If we have questions when we're at home, we can easily just talk to her through email.

Journal #11: Comment on Two (2) Querencia Drafts

2009-09-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

Kevin: okay so first of all...

-first paragraph-
in the first sentence.. you said that it is the best and coolest room in the house. tell us WHY it is... and how its unique. a way that would help is by doing this... (i know we discussed about the memories you had, like the sleepovers), be more descriptive about those "memories". [yeah, i think it would be best if you talked about the sleepovers, it would give the story some 'razzzzmatazz'.] (that's the way i say "life" haha)

okay, now second paragraph... in the last sentence... you said that it's the "coolest" room.. do you mean 'cool' as in 'not humid' or 'cool' as in 'hip or awesome'? if you meant cool as in not humid, it would really help the readers to 'feel' how your room is.

3rd paragraph... Okay, to me... this is the most descriptive and specific paragraph out of the four. Because it really describes how your room smells and what sounds you could hear. I really like this paragraph. But i noticed that in your "Journal entry #8' you said that you listen to music and watch tv, you didn't mention anything about those two. i recommend you to talk about them in your final.

Kay, last paragraph.. you talk about how you go to your room when you have all these different emotions... tell us how and why your room settles you during these times. What do you do to help? Do you listen to music, write, read, etc.
We know that your room is tidy and stuff, but how can you describe tidy. Like, are all your clothes in one place (the closet, supposedly), are all your books put away nicely? Saying things like that can REALLY help us to see your room in our heads. Uhm, what else is there to say...? OH! Make sure you capitalize the important words... like "Pearl Harbor" and "Waikiki".

*Indentation of the paragraphs is important, too kev-o!

It seems to me as if you really love hanging out in your room, that it would be hard to part from it if you ever move because you've been there for quite a while.

Now, I'll critique you on the six traits.

Ideas-I can really see that you know a lot about your room and some parts are very interesting. I can kinda, sorta picture your room right now... yet, its not really clear. Specify your nouns and adjectives more often.

Organization-Your sentences don't really finish the topic. Like for example... "My room is a place where i go when i'm feeling depressed, mad, or excited." That's all you said. You need to continue on about that.

Voice- I like how you make the essay so calm and peaceful. It makes the readers so relaxed. But, it doesn't really answer some questions that are running trough my head. What I'm trying to say is... SHOW us, DON'T TELL us.

Word Choice- Some words are very common like.. 'best'. Try to come up with new adjectives.

Sentence Fluency-The third paragraph has the most rhythm, make the other ones like that and your essay will be AWESOME!

Conventions and Presentation-Capitalize important words, Add indentations, and... use the right punctuation marks in the right places.

Phew, finally finished. (;

.... Ps: Good job, kev-o!

-Czarina Caberto

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Brittany: Your essay made me cry! Its very touching, especially the last part! You did a good job of making the readers feel the emotions and message you tried to portray. I can tell that you really love that house and that it was very hard to part from it knowing that you lived there for quite a long time..

Although, there are some errors.
I will now critique you by paragraphs.

First Paragraph: Very specific. But there were some spelling mistakes.. like 'dining'... you put 'dinning'. And make sure you put the apostrophes in the right place, like for "can't".

Second Paragraph: Instead of "all us cousins" you should put, "My cousins and I". Uhm, I like how you added the part where you guys hid in the back of the car. It adds some razzzamtaazz (life) in your story.

Third Paragraph: I think this paragraph should be just a bit more specific. Describe the special memories you had during the holidays, that would help.

Fourth Paragraph: Ahh, this is where your story gets more memorable. The mood changes. This is a good thing because it helps the reader to understand the story more. It really shows how much you can relate to the house.

Fifth Paragraph: AHHH! The most emotional part of the essay! This is the paragraph that made me cry. The way you described everyone slowly moving out made it sound so sad. You did a good job on this paragraph.

Now, I will comment you by the six traits:

Ideas: Your paper is very clear and easy to understand. Yet, I noticed that you don't talk about smell, taste, or feel. That would help us to picture what you are saying more.

Organization: Very easy to follow. Everything is in chronological order.

Voice: I can see alot of personality. I know that it is YOU who wrote it not someone else. For example... the part where you called the police really shows its you because of your sillyness. Haha, typical britt. Just kidding ;P

Word Choice: Nice choice of adjectives and verbs. It helps to tell the story more. Like, I said before. Be more specific on some stuff. SHOW don't TELL.

Sentence Fluency: Nice clear sentences. Some are short and some are long, which help it to have a rhythm.

Conventions and Presentation: Some capitals aren't in the right places. No Indentation... One grammar error in the second paragraph. Spelling... Last Paragraph "Slat Lake.. it's SALT Lake." There was only a few errors, fix them all and your paper will be PERFECT! :)

-czarina (:

Journal #7 Comment on Two (2) R&R Drafts

2009-09-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

Brittany: Your essay makes me want mango cream cheese pie, seriously! But you wanna make sure you check some of the spelling. You've got some typos in there, haha. Oh, make sure the beginning of the first words of the sentences are capitalized. It would help a lot if you used more sensory details, though. For example, in one part you said that there was a "huge mess". How can you describe huge mess? Remember, you want to make the reader "see the picture". Also, make sure you capitalize your i's. I have a tendency of doing that, too. Other than that, good job on your essay!

Kevin: The way you describe it makes me want cassava bibingka now! :D haha. Your essay includes some sensory details, but i think you should add just A LITTLE more. like for example: you said "desirable dessert" that's a good

adjective, but it doesn't SHOW how desirable it is. (notice how i put SHOW in capital letters) also, when you said "dry and liquid ingredients" you didn't say how "liquid-y" or "dry" it is. describing them would help a whole lot. your purpose isn't just to tell the story, you have to "show" it too, in other words, the reader can see the picture of what you are trying to say. Uhm, try to make your essay a little longer, perhaps? Hmm, some of your i's aren't capitalized... so make sure you do capitalize it in your final essay. In the second to the last sentence you wrote the word 'till, i guess its okay to write that... but if i were you, i would've wrote the word 'until'. i like how you added the filipino phrase "ma sarap" in there, especially in the last sentence :) other than that, AWESOME JOB, kev-o! ;]

Final Draft- Querencia

2009-09-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

The Grand Place for Expressing

By: Czarina Caberto

Sitting on the couch, being very still and quiet, waiting for Isabelle to tell me that we’re leaving, I look at the digital clock that flashed neon green numbers, finding out that it was already 8:45am. I look up at the ceiling and close my eyes for a bit. Only one thing was running through my head, “Ugh, I’m so tired!” I feel my body tilting toward one side of the couch as I nearly fall into a deep slumber. Isabelle, my best friend, starts knocking at my door looking at me with tired eyes, as I jerk my body upward from the thunderous knocking. “Zee, c’mon we’re going now.” I rub my eyes with my hands feeling the dryness of my tear ducts, which made my eyes slightly itchy. I yell out to my dad, who was in the other room, “Bye dad. I’m going… love you!” I step out of the door and felt the sun’s ray’s hit me like a ball against a baseball bat, nearly blinding me. I went into the white, Toyota Venza and took in a sniff of the “new car smell”.

We’re just about a couple seconds away from the building. As we approach the driveway, I feel the car shake as it drives past a coarse road. My Uncle Cesar, Isabelle’s dad, pulls up into a tiny parking space as Isabelle and I try to keep our selves awake. My hand searches for the door handle, for the reason that my eyes were half way closed. I finally find it and I step out of the door as I say goodbye to my uncle. My feet start to walk towards the mirror-like, double doors as Isabelle and I suddenly talk about something totally out of the ordinary. Still, very sleepy, my eyes were still half way closed and as my hands search for the door, Isabelle suddenly tells me, “You look like a zombie!” I open my eyes to realize that I was already inside the building. Isabelle had already opened the door for me. I felt the cold air of the air conditioner blow past my body giving me shivers. Usually, that would wake me up, but that didn’t work, considering how tired I was. The pure white walls and doors that surrounded me made me feel like I wasn’t in reality, like I was in a dream where everything was white and the only thing that had color was me. Isabelle see’s me gazing into thin air and looks at me with a strange look… “Czarina? Hello?” I snapped back into reality and said “Huh?” as she lets out a small giggle. Not noticing, I was already standing in front of the navy blue elevator that had the feel of a carpet on its walls. As I pressed the small, round “up” button that was on the right side of the elevator, I saw it open slowly. I stepped one foot in and purposely left the other foot outside just to get on her nerves. I laugh a bit and entered the elevator with my entire body inside. Surprisingly, laughter actually woke me up a little.

The elevator brings us up to the 4^th level and as the door opens, we see five and six year olds running around the open area. To me, those little kids are like my sisters. They can be so sweet and loving, but still yet, they can be a pain in the buttocks. They all see me come out of the elevator. Two of them run up to me and grab me by the waist and one jumps onto my back. I scream to the top of my lungs and my eyes grow larger as the kids harass me in a joking matter. The assistant on duty, Emily, comes walking out of the studio, nicely telling them to behave while class is going on. They laugh as they let go of me. All the little rascals look at me with those bubbly eyes of theirs and I look at them saying “Good morning, kiddos!” I walk into the room and hear the loud, dance music that made the inside of me stir! I feel the sudden urge to dance. The loud bass of the music made the floor shake, which definitely woke me up. It’s funny how it takes such a small thing just to wake up. Music is so effective in a dancer’s life! Listening to the loud music felt as if I was not able to control what I was feeling. But, this feeling of wanting to dance, was the best feeling ever. “Excuse Me!” said a large, tall man behind me. “May I ask you to please turn down the music? I don’t mind hearing a little music, just make sure it’s not very loud. Thank You”. Then he walks out of the studio with a contented face.

I walk up to the small, front desk to sign myself in for the three classes that I was going to be taking. The voice of the choreographer, yelling out the numbers 1 through 8, made me grin a little, knowing that there are people who actually take the time to help us. My body automatically walks to over to the small, circular “team table”. The “team table” is where only team members put their bags, shoes, and other important items on. My dance mate, Kaylee, sits there, quietly, listening to her sister’s iPod Touch. To us, the dance studio is like our home. It’s a place to hang out, do homework, and of course, DANCE! The dance studio is where my heart is located. I can be who I want to be and no one will judge me. It would be extremely heartbreaking if I ever part from it. It’s been my second home ever since I was a nine. As I watch the activities going on inside the studio, I start to think of my actual home, like the way everyone is just so comfortable with each other. The laughter that I could hear behind me cut off my train of thought. I looked back to see my friends Natsumi and Taylor laughing because of a tiny roly-poly that they thought was a bug. I laughed along with them. Minutes have passed and the class that was before mine has already ended. Time really does go by fast when you’re having fun. I hear my teacher yell out “Jazz-ers! Class is starting! Did everyone sign in?” I see a big group of people rush over to the sign in sheet because they forgot to sign in. Everyone comes back to the center of the floor so they can start warming up. I feel the tightness of my knees stretch apart as I reach down to touch the floor and the energy coming out through my fingers as I reach my hands up to the ceiling. Then, we start to dance, which makes me feel at my best. It doesn’t matter if I look silly. The main thing is I can express myself. As I do a ‘six-step’ across the floor, I could feel the wind from the fan right across from me blowing through my hair. I felt my hair go out of place as I do turns, and the feeling of my feet getting blisters from being barefoot on the beige, wooden floor felt uncomfortable and aching, yet it’s all worth it. We learn the choreography, which makes me feel so anxious to get it perfect, and every time I get something wrong. After a few minutes, my first class comes to an end.

I go back to the team table to grab my soft, comfortable fleece pants that I use to dance hip hop with. I secretly hide in the storage closet, which by the way is restricted to us, dancers, so I could change comfortably. Once I get out, everyone is busy doing something else and they don’t notice me. What a relief! My second class is starting. My teacher, Kent, yells out “Girls! Let’s Go!” Everyone fools around in this class, probably because our teacher is pretty chill with us and doesn’t mind if we aren’t perfect for him. I slip my soft, white low-cut socks and my worn-out converse shoes on and I run toward the front line. There’s just something about being in the front line, which makes me feel so calm and relaxed. Now, in this class I’m really hyped up. Once I start dancing, I can’t stop! My body is uncontrollable when I’m in Hip Hop class. I look towards the front door and I see people pouring in waiting for their class to start. I see one of my friends, Alex, say hi to me and I say hi back. Kent tells me to pay attention and I do what he says. We start dancing and my body just goes with the flow. It’s as if my body can feel the music. Hot and sweaty, I feel an adrenaline rush go throughout my entire body. I start to dance to the highest level and everyone else does the same. Finally, the class was done. I was back to my calm self. I run outside to the metal, water-fountain that supplied us with cold, refreshing water. A tiny drop of water falls unto my chin and then trickles down my neck. Running back inside, I see that my third class has started. I hesitate to get my dance paws on so I can join the rest of the class. We start dancing contemporary. The dance makes me forget about all the technique, but I start to think of an image in my head. I basically just explore the energy and emotion that my body is telling me. I feel like closing my eyes during this piece, because it makes me so relaxed. The lights go off, and the disco ball spins slowly. As I look at it’s reflection on the floor, I think of how good it feels to be a dancer, how it was so easy to just let myself go, and how I could express my self even without word usage. Suddenly, I feel a muscle cramp and I inhale deeply to help calm me down and get rid of the pain. I also smell some Papa Johns’ pizza. Kaylee comes with a box for all of us. Dance class has finished and we all head to the team table to get a slice of pizza each. Oh, how rewarding.

Journal #4: Response To Writing Experiences and Goals Commentary

2009-09-23T01:16:00.001-07:00

Hey mrs s, Thanks for the comment! First of all, Tumblr is a really good blog site, but at times it may get kind of confusing... so i like Blogger better (: Hmm, I've noticed that I tend to tell the story rather than "show" it too much, I will absolutely try to work on that more this year. Czarina :]

Journal #10 Querencia Rough Draft

2009-09-17T04:28:00.000-07:00

The Dance Studio

By: Czarina Caberto

Sitting on the couch, being very still and quiet I looked at the digital clock that flashed neon green numbers, finding out that it was already 8:45am. I looked up at the ceiling and closed my eyes for a bit. Only one thing was running through my head, “Ugh, I’m so tired!” I feel my body tilting toward one side of the couch as I nearly fall into a deep slumber. My best friend starts knocking at my door looking at me with tired eyes, as I jerked my body upward from the thunderous knocking. “Zee, c’mon we’re going now.” I rub my eyes with my hands feeling the dryness of my tear ducts, which made my eyes slightly itchy. I yell out to my dad, who was in the other room, “Bye dad. I’m going… love you!” I stepped out of the door and felt the sun’s ray’s hit me like a ball against a baseball bat, nearly blinding me. I step into the white, Toyota Venza and take in a sniff of the “new car smell”.

We were just about a couple seconds away from the building in which the studio was located. As we approach the driveway, I feel the car shake as it drives past a coarse road. My uncle pulls up into a tiny parking space as my best friend and I try to keep our selves awake. My hand searches for the door handle, for the reason that my eyes were half way closed. I finally find it and I step out of the door as I say goodbye to my uncle. My feet start to walk towards the mirror-like double doors as my best friend and I suddenly talk about something totally out of the ordinary. As I opened the door, I felt the cold air conditioner slap me in the face. Usually, that would’ve woken me up, but that didn’t work, considering how tired I was. The pure white walls and doors that surrounded me made me feel like I wasn’t in reality, like I was in a dream where everything was white and the only thing that had color was yourself. My friend see’s me gazing into thin air and looks at me with a strange look… “Czarina? Hello?” I snapped back into reality and said “Huh?” as she let out a small giggle. Not noticing, I was already standing in front of the navy blue elevator that had the feel of a carpet on its walls. I pressed the small, round “up” button that was on the right side of the elevator and saw it open slowly. I stepped one foot in and purposely left the other foot outside just to get on her nerves. I laugh a bit and entered the elevator with my entire body inside. Surprisingly, my laugh actually woke me up a little.

The elevator brings us up to the 4^th level and as the door opens we see five and six year olds running around the open area. To me, those little kids are like my sisters… They can be so sweet and loving, but still yet, they can be a pain in the buttocks. They all see me come out of the elevator. Two of them run up to me and grab me by the waist and one jumps onto my back. They laugh as they let go of me. They all look at me with those bubbly eyes of theirs and I look at them saying “Good morning, kiddos!” I walk into the room and hear the loud dance music that makes the insides of me stir! I feel the sudden urge to dance. The loud bass of the music makes the floor the floor shake. It felt as if I weren’t able to control what I was feeling. But, this feeling of wanting to dance, was the best feeling ever.

I walk up to the front desk to sign myself in and see the assistant smiling at me as we start a small conversation. The voice of the choreographer who was teaching the class that was going on made me grin a little, knowing that there are people who actually take the time to help us. My body automatically walks to over to the “team table”. The “team table” is where only team members put their bags, shoes, and other important items on. My dance mate sits there, quietly, listening to her sister’s iPod Touch. To us, the dance studio is like our home. It’s a place to hang out, do homework, and of course, DANCE! So, as I watch the activities going on inside the studio, I start to think of home, like the way everyone is just so comfortable with each other. The laughter that I could hear behind me cut off my train of thought. I looked back to see my two other friends laughing because of a tiny roly-poly that they thought was a bug. I laughed along with them. Minutes have passed and the class that was before mine has already ended. Time really does go by fast when you’re having fun. Anyway, I hear my teacher yell out “Jazz-ers! Class is starting! Did everyone sign in?” I see a big group of people rush over to the sign in sheet because they forgot to sign in. Everyone comes rushing back to the center of the floor so they can start swarming up. I, myself, start warming up, too. I feel the tightness of my knees stretch apart as I reach down to touch the floor and the energy coming out through my fingers as I reach my hands up to the ceiling. Then we start dancing across the floor in groups of fives. When I dance, I feel like I can just be myself. It doesn’t matter if I look silly or not. The main thing is I can express my self. As I do a jazz six-step across the floor, I could feel the wind from the fan right across from me blowing through my hair, I felt my hair go out of place as I do turns, and feeling of my feet getting blisters from being barefoot on the beige, wooden floor felt uncomfortable and aching, yet it’s all worth it. We learn the choreography, which makes me feel so anxious to get it perfect! We dance it over and over again, in groups, and sometimes we free-style in a circle at the end of class. The first class has ended.

I go back to the team table to grab my fleece pants that I use to dance hip hop with. I secretly hide in the storage closet, which by the way is restricted to us, dancers, so I could change comfortably. Once I get out, everyone is busy doing something else and they don’t notice me. What a relief! My second class is starting. My teacher yells out “Girls! Let’s Go!” Everyone fools around in this class, probably because our teacher is pretty chill with us and doesn’t mind if we aren’t perfect for him. I slip my soft; white low-cut socks and my worn-out converse shoes on and I run toward the front line. There’s just something about being in the front line, which makes me feel so calm and relaxed. Now, in this class I’m really hyped up. Once I start dancing, I can’t stop! My body is uncontrollable when I’m in Hip Hop class. I look towards the front door and I see people pouring in waiting for their class to start. I see one of my friends say hi to me and I say hi back. Kent (teacher) tells me to pay attention and I do what he says. We start dancing and my body just goes with the flow. It’s as if my body can feel the music. Hot and sweaty, I feel an adrenaline rush go throughout my entire body. I start to dance to the highest level and everyone else does the same. Finally, the class was done. I was back to my calm self. I run outside to the metal, water-fountain that supplied us with cold, refreshing water. A tiny drop of water falls unto my chin then it trickles down my neck. Running back inside, I see that my third class has started. I hesitate to get my dance paws (jazz shoes) on so I can join the rest of the class. We start dancing contemporary. The dance makes me forget about all the technique, but I start to think of an image in my head. I basically just explore the energy and emotion that my body is telling me. I feel like closing my eyes during this piece, because it makes me so relaxed. Suddenly, I feel a muscle cramp and I inhale deeply to help calm me down and get rid of the pain. I also smell some Papa Johns’ pizza. My friend comes with a box for all of us. Dance class has finished and we all head to the team table to get a slice of pizza each. Oh, how rewarding.

The dance studio… is where my heart is.

*In progress*

Journal #9 Wild Meat and Bully Burgers

2009-09-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

On your own blog, tell why your novel relates to cultural/ethnic roots and identity. Give specific examples from your reading.

Brief Summary of Story:

Wild Meat and Bully Burgers is about Lovey Nariyoshi, a young girl who is trying to find her own identity. She lives on the Big Island of Hawaii with her Japanese family. They aren't like those rich families who own a huge business or anything, in fact... they are the total opposite. Lovey is just a typical girl who goes to school, follows the demands of her parents, and has a best friend named Jerry. In other words, Lovey has lived out her culture for the past years of her life and changes everything up just to find where she's at.

"Specific Examples"

I don't tell anyone, not even Jerry, how ashamed I am of my pidgin English. Ashamed of my mother and father, the food we eat, chicken luau with can spinach and tripe stew. The place we live, down the house lots in the Hicks Homes that all look alike except for the angle of the house from the street. The car we drive, my father's brown Land Rover without the back window. The clothes we wear, sometimes we have to wear the same pants in the same week and the same shoes until it breaks. Don't have no choice. Ashamed of my aunties and uncles at baby luaus, yakudoshis, and mochi pounding parties. "Eh, bradda Larry, bring me one nada Primo, brah. One cold one fo' real kine. I rey-day, I rey-day, no woray, brah. Uncap that sucka and come home to Uncle Stevie."

Ashame too of all my cousins, the way they talk and act dumb, like how they like Kikaida Man and "Ho, brah, you seen Kikaida Man kick Rainbow Man's a** in front Hon Sport at the Hilo Shopping Center? Ho, brah, and I betchu Godzilla kick King Kong's a** too. Betchu ten dollas, brah, two fur balls kicking ass in downtown Metropolis, nah, downtown Hilo, brah."

And my grandma. Her whole house smells like mothballs, not just in the closets but in every drawer too. And her pots look a million years old with dents all over. Grandma must know every recipe with mustard cabbage in it. She can quote from the Bible for everything you do in a day, Walks everywhere she goes downtown Kaunakakai, sucks fish eyes and eats the parsley from our plates at Midnight Inn. And nobody looks or talks like a haole. Or eats like a haole. Nobody says nothing the way Mr. Harvey tells us to practice talking in class.

Mother smokes Parliaments. We're not to point at the cigarette machine and say, "That the kine Mommy smokes," if Grandma is around. I like when Mother and me sit on the porch to pick fleas off of Melba and Spam, the two black poi dogs we found in the ditch by Grandma's house.

The macadamia nut picking comes easy when we first get there. I stand up and bend over easily for each unhusked nut that I drop into the bag. Picking nuts standing up and bending over. Easy when you first get there.

"View"

This novel relates to cultural/ethnicity roots because it shows what Lovey and her family do during the day. For example, she says that she picks macadamia nuts in the field and pick fleas off of the dogs. It cleary shows they're personality and where they come from.. Like the way they talk, what they eat, and how they dress. The specific details really show that they are a very close family who likes to spend some quality time with each other. Doing so, they all act alike, for instance.. they all speak pidgin. She is ashamed of her culture because she likes to compare herself to the haoles. Her English teacher, Mr. Harvey, wants the best for his students. That is why he forces them to speak in proper sentences. He continuously tells them that if they keep on talking in crooked sentences, then they won't get anywhere in life. Lovey doesn't want that to happen to her so throughout the story she tries to become a little bit more haole everyday, which upsets her best friend Jerry because he thinks that being yourself is the number one policy.

Overall, Lovey wants to be a different person. She wants to be a haole.

Journal #8 Special Place

2009-09-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

The Dance Studio:

I see...

The mirrors surrounding me on three sides, the front, left, and right.
The loud speakers that are at all four corners.
The dancers, in their baggy black and gray fleece pants.
The little kids in their small pink leotards, tights, and ballet shoes.
The parents watching with smiles on their faces.
The choreographer helping a student.
The large disco ball that hung from the top and looked awesome when it's turned on and the lights turned off.
The sweaty dancers rushing to water fountain outside giving cold, refreshing water.

I hear...

The loud music making the studio shake... and the people outside complain ;P haha
The choreographer yelling out the numbers 1 to 8 throughout the entire dance.
The students grunt as they make a mistake.
The dancers laugh after the end of the dance, knowing how hard and tricky it is.
The siblings of the dancers waiting outside the hallway, making all the noise.
The assistant helper calming the kids in the hallway down.

I feel...

The wooden floor giving me blisters on my foot.
The sweat going down my face.
The body heat surrounding me.

Scrumptious Banana Lumpia (Revised Essay)

2009-09-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

Scrumptious Banana Lumpia

It was a bright Sunday morning. I was restlessly rocking in my chair, knowing that my mom was going to be making banana lumpia today. I saw her rip the thin, delicate wrap apart, cut the golden banana in half, sprinkle the brown, sweet sugar onto the banana, and lie one small slice of jackfruit onto it from where I was sitting. Attempting to read a novel, I was getting distracted by the way my mom made the banana lumpia, as I heard the clock that hung on the wall go tick-tick-tick. I couldn't stand it anymore! I was so impatient that I couldn't even read the words in the novel anymore. I ran to the kitchen to see if my mom was close to finishing the lumpia. I asked her as quickly as I could, "Are you almost finished?" She glanced at me and smiled her big, million dollar smile. She then continued making the lumpia, drizzling a couple of the crunchy peanuts on top, wrapping it up neatly and laying it into the hot pan filled with canola oil as it sparked as if they were fireworks. I looked at her with a confused face. I actually wanted an answer from her. In my head, I said, "Why is she smiling?" I asked her a second time, "Uhm, is... it... cooked... yet?" She just laughed at how I was so anxious to take a bite out of the banana lumpia. She answered simply "Be patient, anak." Anak is the Filipino way of saying “child”. But my patience was quickly rushing away like sand in an hourglass. I walked back to my chair and started reading the novel again. I read a couple of lines, but I still couldn't get the picture of the warm banana lumpia out of my head.

After a couple minutes of thinking and pondering, I saw my mom use her tongs to pick up one cooked banana lumpia and lie it onto a plate. Sprinting into the kitchen, I saw my dad, hungry as a mountain lion, standing there, reaching for that one banana lumpia as if it were a million dollars. The pupils of my eyes began to grow larger and larger, my knees began to shake uncontrollably and I felt my head turn flaming hot. His fingers were just inches away from it. I ran as fast as I could and grabbed it in a quick move. I flashed him a smile and he looked at me with a ticked off face. I bit into it quickly and felt my tongue burn from the heat. Honestly, I didn't give a flying hoot about my burnt tongue. My teeth just kept grinding the delectable banana lumpia down. I could feel the crunchy peanuts and wrap collaborate with the soft banana and the jackfruit bursting with a sensational flavor that is just too good for words.

As I took the last bite, I was certain that I wanted more! I looked to my left and saw that a tremendous amount of lumpia’s was already made! I tried to grab one more but my mom's fast acting hand moved it away. "Ai, this isn't for us. It's for the guests at the party tonight." said my mom. I looked to the other side of me and saw another plate that had a little bit less banana lumpia on it. "Oh! Who's this plate for?" I asked my mom kindly. "Sa atin ang platong yan." which means that the plate was for us. My head began to spin at how happy I was. I grabbed another lumpia and started prancing around the room, accidentally hitting almost everything around me.

It was 5:30 PM and lots and lots of guests started coming into our house. I watched the ecstatic facial expressions of the guests and traced where their hungry eyes were gazing at, and guess what? They went straight to the banana lumpia. Each person grabbed a plate and started taking some other food, like chicken, barbecue, and spaghetti. They only grabbed small portions of those, but once they reached the banana lumpia they absolutely knew they had to grab a handful. Each guest bit into it and slipped a compliment out of their full mouth's saying stuff like, "Ang sarap, sarap naman ito!" which means, “This tastes really, really good!” in Filipino. In other words, every guest was satisfied to the fullest.

Slowly, guests started pouring out of the house with smiles on their faces and some leftover banana lumpia in their hands. They thought it was so good, they decided to take some for the road. I would've done the same. I mean, come on, it's just too hard to resist. I walked over to my mom and grinned at her. She looked at me and asked "What?" I responded by saying, "Good job, mom. You did it again."

Rough Draft (Banana Lumpia) Journal #8

2009-09-02T23:06:00.001-07:00

It was a bright sunday morning. I was restlessly rocking in my chair. Attempting to read my novel, I was getting more distracted by the sweet smell of the lumpia going into my tiny nostrils, as I heard the red, circle clock that hung on the wall go tick-tick-tick. I couldn't stand it anymore! I was beyond impatient. So impatient, I couldn't even read the words in my novel anymore. I ran to the kitchen to see if my mom was close to finishing the lumpia. I asked her as quick as I could, "Are you almost finished?!" She glanced at me and smiled her big, million dollar smile. I looked at her with a confused face.I actually wanted an answer from her. In my head, I said "Why is she smiling? Is there something on my face? How about my teeth?" I asked her a second time, "Uhm, is... it... cooked.. yet?" She just laughed at how I was so anxious to take a bite out of the sweet, crunchy, yet soft, banana lumpia. I whined loudly, "Mmmmom... I'm not kidding. I really want to know!" She answered simply "Just be patient, hun." But my patience was quickly rushing away like sand in an hour glass. I walked back to my chair and started reading my novel again. I read a couple of lines, but I still couldn't get the picture of the warm banana lumpia out of my head. I wanted the warmness of the banana lumpia inside of me right then and there. I’d kill for it! Well, not literally, but you know what I mean.

Since reading didn't calm my anxious self down, I decided to watch some TV. "Ugggh!", i said angrily as if I were to rip all of my dark brown hair out. It was as if nothing could overcome the anxiousness that was stirring inside of me. I quickly grabbed the TV remote and turned the TV off. I just sat there listening to the sound of the banana frying in the pan. I glanced at my mom checking to see if the banana lumpia was cooked. My eyes looked away and my lips started to form a frown that almost looked like an upside down 'u'. My mind kept thinking of it and my mouth started to water instantly! After a couple minutes of thinking and pondering, I saw my mom lay one golden, cooked banana lumpia onto a plate. My lips went from a frown into a smile that went from ear to ear. Sprinting into the kitchen, I saw my dad, hungry as a mountain lion, standing there, reaching for that one banana lumpia as if it were a gazillion dollars. The pupils of my eyes began to grow larger and larger, my knees began to shake uncontrollably and I felt my head turn flaming hot. His fingers were just inches away from it. I ran as fast as I could and grabbed it in a quick, swift move. I flashed him a large smile and he looked at me with a ticked off face. I bit into it quickly and felt my tongue burn from the heat as it turned as red as a tomato and as hot as the sun in the summer. Honestly, I didn't give a flying hoot about my burnt tongue. My teeth just kept grinding the delectable, dulcet banana lumpia down.

As i took the last bite, I was certain that I wasn't satisfied. I looked to my left and saw that a tremendous amount of lumpia's, almost piling up to the ceiling, was already made! I tried to grab one more but my mom's fast acting hand moved it away from it. "Ah, ah, ah... this plate isn't for us. It's for the guests at the party tonight.", said my mom. I looked to the other side of me and saw another plate that had a little bit less banana lumpia on it. "Ooooh! Who's this plate for?", I asked my mom kindly. "That plate... is for us, of course!" My head began to spin at how happy I was. I grabbed another lumpia and started prancing around the room, accidentally hitting almost everything around me, like a little toddler.

It was 5:30 PM and lots and lots of guests started coming into our house. I watched the happy over joy-ed facial expressions of the guests and traced where their hungry eyes were gazing at, and guess what? They went straight to the banana lumpia. Each person grabbed a white, styrofoam plate and started grabbing some other food, like chicken, barbecue, and spaghetti. They only grabbed small portions of those, but once they reached the banana lumpia they absolutely knew they had to grab a handful. My mom watched the guests with a smile on her face. She was happy to know that she did a good job at making the banana lumpia. Each guest bit into it and had to slip out a compliment out of their full mouth's saying stuff like, "Yummm!" or "Mmm, this tastes good!" In other words, every guest was satisfied to the fullest.'

Slowly, guests started pouring out of the house with smiles on their faces and some leftover banana lumpia in their hands.They thought it was so good, they decided to take some for the road. I would've done the same. I mean, come on, it's just too hard to resist. I walked over to my mom and grinned at her. She looked at me and asked "What?". I responded by saying quickly, yet meaningfully, "Good job, mom. You did it again."

Journal #6: Recipe

2009-09-02T00:05:00.000-07:00

One whole banana serves 2 people:

Ingredients:

1 cooking banana
one pack of spring roll shells/wrap
one pack of jackfruit
1 tea spoon of white sugar
1 tea spoon of brown sugar
fresh strawberries
chocolate syrup (preferably hershey's)

Directions:

Boil the cooking banana in a pot at medium heat.
Check to see if the banana has turned brown (this is a sign that the banana is ready) Pic
Peel the banana and cut it in half. Pic
Lay the half on a spring roll wrap.
Sprinkle half a teaspoon of brown sugar and half a teaspoon of white sugar on top of the banana. Pic
Lay one slice of jackfruit onto the top of the banana. Pic
After doing that, fold the right and left side of the wrap to the center. Pic
After folding all sides to the center, roll it up Pic to make it look like this: Pic
Pre-heat the stove to medium heat.
Pour 3 table spoons of oil (preferably canola) into a non-stick pan.
Lay one banana lumpia onto the pan. Pic
Keep checking the lumpia every 3 minutes to see if it has turned golden brown. Pic
When finished frying, lay it on a plate and lay 3-4 strawberries and sprinkle a couple (5-6) peanuts on the plate. (This gives the dish a design & it balances the taste. -lumpia=sweet/strawberries=sour-) Pic
Drizzle some chocolate syrup on top of it. Pic

BON APPETITE! :]

Journal #6- Interview Transcript

2009-09-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

What ingredients were used?

-special banana (cooking banana)

-spring roll shells/wrap

-brown & white sugar

-chocolate syrup

-strawberries (fresh)

Special Ingredients?

-unsalted peanuts

-jackfruit

Is this a family tradition, is so who started it?

My great grandmother (Emilia) weirdly, people say my mom looks like my great grandmother. So she probably got her cooking abilities from her too.

How long have you been making banana lumpia?

Ever since she was a freshman.

What is the best part of making banana lumpia?

Knowing that I am making it for my family fills me with joy. Since I usually make it w/ my daughter and sometimes my husband, I enjoy it even more because we all get to bond.

Did you always like it?

Of course I did! Its also my favorite dish to cook.

When was the most memorable time you made it?

When I taught my daughter (me) how to cook it.

Personal opinions?

I heard it makes your head spin because it is crazy good! The way the peanuts and wrap crunch , the banana slowly melts and the way the creamy chocolate syrup stirs in your mouth makes you beyond contented.

Is a banana lumpia healthy?

Actually, yes, the peanuts are good for the brain and the banana has potassium.

Is it hard to make?

Extremely easy! Although, you make it with love and care (:

Usually, how long does it take to make?

Around 30 minutes.

Is it better to make it with company or alone, just so you can concentrate more?

I like making it with family because, like i said before, it's bonding time!

Do you have a special way to make it?

People keep telling me that mine is very unique because usually, people make banana lumpia with just banana's and the wrap. But I add lots of special ingredients. Like, chocolate syrup, peanuts, jack fruit , and strawberries.

Do you like experimenting with it?

Yes. That's why I came up with adding all of the special ingredients i mentioned.

When you clean up, does it take a while?

Uhm, not really. But on occasions it may take a while, but at the end it's all worth it.

Is it a main dish/dessert/snack?

It can be a snack or a dessert.

Was it difficult to learn?

Yes, just a little. Only because of all the wrapping. When i helped your (me) great grandmother before, my lumpia always turned out so messed up.

When is the most appropriate to prepare the dish?

Usually during christmas because the weather is cold and lumpia warms you up. But anytime is fine :)

--Journal #5

2009-08-29T00:57:00.000-07:00

What is a menemac student? Give three traits.

A menemac student’s number one goal is to succeed in high school. The education we receive in school, and the attitudes we develop, will guide us menemac students for the rest of our lives. To become a successful menemac student, you must require certain skills, but these are skills that can be learned. A menemac-er must prioritize their life. Doing well in school MUST be their top priority. They should study. Studying is absolutely NOT a substitution. The student must always attend class, do all the homework and assigned reading, develop self-discipline, and manage their time. Menemac-ers manage their time by creating a good habit in their selves. Examples of these “good habits” are like doing homework/projects ahead of time, instead of last minute. You should not take more than you can handle. Also, they should wisely estimate the time required to perform each of the tasks at hand and actually do what needs to be done. Menemac students are responsible, cooperative, and hard-working. Overall, there is one basic trait that distinguishes a menemac student.

Menemac students force themselves to understand.

They don’t simply go through the motions of attending class, reading text, expecting these actions to necessarily meet the requirements. Rather, they keep asking, "Do I really understand what's going on here?" They ask this question to themselves honestly, applying an internal test formed from experience to try to find the slightest lack of understanding, whether it’s ignorance or confusion. If the answer is "No", then the situation is viewed as unacceptable, and the response would be to put in more effort.

--Journal #3: Due 8/25/09, Tuesday

2009-08-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

1. Name of the food you have chosen and several specific detailsabout your experience with it.

Banana Lumpia; My experience with banana lumpia includes, of course, making it. I have been helping my mom make banana lumpia for quite a long time now. To me, my mom's banana lumpia is the best! I tried the one's that other people make but they're NOTHING compared to the one's my mom make. They're just so tasty and... MAGICAL! :)

2. Make your appointment to interview a family member who can share the recipe (preferably teach you to make it via demonstration) and stories about the food and family and include the person's name and your interview date in the blog.

I will be interviewing my mom either August 28, 29, or 30.

3. Questions for your interview.

The following questions will be asked during the interview. [I will try to ask more than the one's below]

-What ingredients were used to make this?

-How about some SECRET ingredients?

-Is it a family tradition? Who started it?

-How long have you been making it?

-What is the best part of making banana lumpia?

-Did you eat it as a child?

-Did you always like it?

-Where/Who did you hear the recipe from?

-When was the most memorable time you made banana lumpia?

-Any personal opinions?

-How about some special memories with other family members?

-Tell me about your experience with making banana lumpia.

-To you, is it hard or easy to make?

-Is it better to make it with company, or alone?

-Do you have a special way to make it? If so how?

-Do you like experimenting with this recipe?

-Is it your favorite to cook?

-Why do you like making this?

--Journal #2: Roots and Recipes Brainstorming Due: 8/21

2009-08-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

Answer the following questions for your essay. You may decide to change your topic later, but I would like you to start thinking about it now

1. What food will you be describing?

I will be talking about my mom's traditional banana lumpia :)

2. What are some special memories it has for you?

One day, my mom wanted to surprise me with some banana lumpia. She kept it a secret that she was going to stay home and cook banana lumpia while I was at school. So school finished and right when I opened the door I spelt the yummy-licious smell of the lumpia! The first thing that popped into my head was "My mom is home! :)" I rushed to the kitchen to see that lying there, on top of the table, was BANANA LUMPIA! Anxious for a bite and not thinking that it was still very hot, I bit into one of them and burnt my tongue! But honestly, I didn't care. I kept on biting and chewing.... then at the end, i remembered that my tongue was burnt, haha.

3. What are some sensory details that will help bring the food “to life” for your readers?

Yummm, too good for words! Right when you smell it, your mouth instantly waters. The collaboration of the crunchy outside wrap and the soft banana inside makes you want more and more! Just one bite of a banana lumpia makes you feel like you're on cloud nine :) In other words, it's just too hard to resist!

4. Who will you be interviewing about your food?

I will be interviewing my mom.

--Journal #1

2009-08-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

Writing to me is not just words on a piece of paper or words that you type. Writing is like expressing your inner feelings and everything that's inside of you. It's basically just like talking, although, you don't get interrupted. My experiences in writing include making plays, researching, making bio's, writing reports, poems, multiple essays, and blogging on the internet. (tumblr.com, blogger.com) Out of everything I've done, I like blogging. Honestly, I don't consider myself as a "great" writer but I do enjoy it very much! I understand that nobody in this world is perfect. Just because you're a perfectionist doesn't mean you're perfect, right? Yet, every time I write, I try my best to reach "perfect". My goals in writing is to have a smooth flow in my story and to have them in the right order. Doing this can lead to my second goal...from experience, I've learned that people get mesmerized or drawn into the story when it portrays a special message to them. When I say "special message", i mean something like a lesson. Some other goals in writing are to make the people who read my work feel the MAGIC! :) But, my purpose is to entertain myself first, then the others second. Just so I could enjoy my own writing, too. I want to work on using the six traits. Maybe if I do that, I will be able to write my own novel/book, or at least see my work end up in the paper or magazine!

-- For me, writing is exploration; and most of the time, I'm surprised where the journey takes me. [Jack Dann]