When I look at the horizon ahead,
As the sun dips to touch the water's edge,
I see children worn out ready for bed.
The seals fall asleep on the rocky ledge.
The sand is finally cold between toes,
The reflection of the rays shine so bright,
Distant, the sound of waves crashing in rows,
The house that floats on water gleams it's light.
Fisherman pack away their smelly bait,
Tomorrow morning will begin new days,
Plenty of fish to go around just wait,
With dreams of fish his hopes again will raise.
Soon the beach will be crowded and all fun
But for tonight its day's duty is done.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Power to Strive Forward
In our world, there are many people facing powerful forces and obstacles. Some can be life changing, such as losing a close family member or friend, or not having enough money to get by. Others face small daily challenges, such as waking up late, losing a game, and being shunned from people. Although these obstacles are challenging, and sometimes unpredictable, we can get through them if we keep trying, as if you are trying to catch a fish that won't be captured. In the novella The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway, Santiago faces many obstacles while trying to catch the Marlin.
Santiago has a hard time dealing with being out on sea for so long, but he is patiently awaiting the perfect time to catch the fish. Santiago develops a compassionate relationship with the young boy and struggles being away from him. “If the boy were here, he would wet the coils of the line. Yes, if the boy were here” (83). There are a lot of people in the world who feel lonely at certain times. Some people chose to be lonely, simply because they don’t have the courage to keep trying to escape from the loneliness. Others don’t know what to do because they have never experienced being alone before, there were always people there to lead them in the right direction. Although people become lonely, they find a way to make it through the day.
Santiago faces another problem when his left hand begins to cramp at a critical moment while he is holding the line on his back. He always thought that his left hand was the one with the bad luck. “Why was I not born with two good hands” (85)? People often face injuries, big or small, that effect what they are trying to do, and in this case Santiago’s hand cramping affected him fishing. Although, Santiago’s hand cramping wasn’t an injury as drastic as someone breaking a bone, but this was a big deal for him, because he would have a much more difficult time catching fish. Often times, people become pessimistic by giving up on what they have set out to do because they feel they can't do anything with their injury. If people are determined enough to get what they’ve always wanted, they will fight through the pain, because in the end, it will be worth it.
After eighty four days of no fish, Santiago's first and perhaps greatest catch was stolen from him by an agressive series of shark attacks, “The old man could hear the noise of skin and flesh ripping on the big fish” (102). Many people, struggle with what could’ve been or what should’ve been. Santiago wished he never caught the marlin so it wouldn’t have had to struggle with being eaten. In our world, people wish they could do things differently, but what they don’t realize is at one time it made them happy. People should not have regrets, if at one time it is exactly what they wanted. They need to learn from their mistakes and move on, even if it isn’t easy.
Ernest Hemingway creates a character that wisely takes on determination and perserverence to achieve his goals. In this novella, Santiago shows great passion for what he likes to do, even if it isn’t easy. He struggles with being detached from someone he is close to, being old and away on sea for so long, and what he set out to do was harshly taken away from him. Everyday people struggle and have obstacles; they must face these because it will make them more ambitious people. Never giving up can go a long way in life, even if it is a small obstacle, it will teach you how to deal with even bigger problems down the road.
Santiago has a hard time dealing with being out on sea for so long, but he is patiently awaiting the perfect time to catch the fish. Santiago develops a compassionate relationship with the young boy and struggles being away from him. “If the boy were here, he would wet the coils of the line. Yes, if the boy were here” (83). There are a lot of people in the world who feel lonely at certain times. Some people chose to be lonely, simply because they don’t have the courage to keep trying to escape from the loneliness. Others don’t know what to do because they have never experienced being alone before, there were always people there to lead them in the right direction. Although people become lonely, they find a way to make it through the day.
Santiago faces another problem when his left hand begins to cramp at a critical moment while he is holding the line on his back. He always thought that his left hand was the one with the bad luck. “Why was I not born with two good hands” (85)? People often face injuries, big or small, that effect what they are trying to do, and in this case Santiago’s hand cramping affected him fishing. Although, Santiago’s hand cramping wasn’t an injury as drastic as someone breaking a bone, but this was a big deal for him, because he would have a much more difficult time catching fish. Often times, people become pessimistic by giving up on what they have set out to do because they feel they can't do anything with their injury. If people are determined enough to get what they’ve always wanted, they will fight through the pain, because in the end, it will be worth it.
After eighty four days of no fish, Santiago's first and perhaps greatest catch was stolen from him by an agressive series of shark attacks, “The old man could hear the noise of skin and flesh ripping on the big fish” (102). Many people, struggle with what could’ve been or what should’ve been. Santiago wished he never caught the marlin so it wouldn’t have had to struggle with being eaten. In our world, people wish they could do things differently, but what they don’t realize is at one time it made them happy. People should not have regrets, if at one time it is exactly what they wanted. They need to learn from their mistakes and move on, even if it isn’t easy.
Ernest Hemingway creates a character that wisely takes on determination and perserverence to achieve his goals. In this novella, Santiago shows great passion for what he likes to do, even if it isn’t easy. He struggles with being detached from someone he is close to, being old and away on sea for so long, and what he set out to do was harshly taken away from him. Everyday people struggle and have obstacles; they must face these because it will make them more ambitious people. Never giving up can go a long way in life, even if it is a small obstacle, it will teach you how to deal with even bigger problems down the road.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Third Quarter Outside Reading Book Review
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen. Penguin Books, 2006 Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Annabel Greene is a popular teenage girl that seems like she has the perfect life. She is a model and has the perfect family. Things start to change when she goes back to school because her best friend, Sophie, accuses her of sleeping with her boyfriend, when really he raped her. Annabel doesn’t tell anybody about this, so everybody thinks she’s a horrible person for doing that to her best friend.
“This is a believable work of fiction about learning to face complications by telling the truth,” a review states. “An outstanding book on how awful it can be to hold in your feelings, and how good it can feel once you set them free.”
At the same time Annabel is dealing with the painful losses of her friends, she is also dealing with family complications. Her sister, Whitney, is suffering from an eating disorder which is causing a lot of stress on her parents. Also, Annabel wants to quit modelling, since she has been doing it for a while, but can’t find the strength to tell her mom because she is afraid her mom won’t have anything else to make her happy.
Everybody ignores Annabel when she gets back to school because Sophie has told them what happened. She eats lunch by herself, but there is another outcast named Owen that eats lunch near her. Annabel always wants to know what his deal is because she always seems him with his iPod in his ears. One day, when Sophie causes a big scene about what happened over the summer, Owen talks to Annabel and offers to take her home. Annabel keeps all her emotions bottled up inside of her, which always makes her feel sick to her stomach. Over the course of the book, her and Owen starts a relationship by Owen helping her connect with her feeling through music.
While I was reading Just Listen, it reminded me of the book Someone Like You because they both are about teenage girls who are trying to get through the battles of high school drama. These girls both happen to find boys who help them through these struggles and they develop a relationship.
“Music is a total constant. That's why we have such a strong visceral connection to it, you know? Because a song can take you back instantly to a moment, or a place, or even a person. No matter what else has changed in your or the world, that one song says the same, just like that moment.” (319)
This book has made me realize that telling the truth, even if it scares you, will feel good once you finally find a way to say it. Holding things in, won’t make any situation better. I love Sarah Dessen’s writing style because she writes about everyday situations that girls face everyday. The way she creates her characters and uses the right amount of detail throughout the book makes me enjoy reading her books.
Annabel Greene is a popular teenage girl that seems like she has the perfect life. She is a model and has the perfect family. Things start to change when she goes back to school because her best friend, Sophie, accuses her of sleeping with her boyfriend, when really he raped her. Annabel doesn’t tell anybody about this, so everybody thinks she’s a horrible person for doing that to her best friend.
“This is a believable work of fiction about learning to face complications by telling the truth,” a review states. “An outstanding book on how awful it can be to hold in your feelings, and how good it can feel once you set them free.”
At the same time Annabel is dealing with the painful losses of her friends, she is also dealing with family complications. Her sister, Whitney, is suffering from an eating disorder which is causing a lot of stress on her parents. Also, Annabel wants to quit modelling, since she has been doing it for a while, but can’t find the strength to tell her mom because she is afraid her mom won’t have anything else to make her happy.
Everybody ignores Annabel when she gets back to school because Sophie has told them what happened. She eats lunch by herself, but there is another outcast named Owen that eats lunch near her. Annabel always wants to know what his deal is because she always seems him with his iPod in his ears. One day, when Sophie causes a big scene about what happened over the summer, Owen talks to Annabel and offers to take her home. Annabel keeps all her emotions bottled up inside of her, which always makes her feel sick to her stomach. Over the course of the book, her and Owen starts a relationship by Owen helping her connect with her feeling through music.
While I was reading Just Listen, it reminded me of the book Someone Like You because they both are about teenage girls who are trying to get through the battles of high school drama. These girls both happen to find boys who help them through these struggles and they develop a relationship.
“Music is a total constant. That's why we have such a strong visceral connection to it, you know? Because a song can take you back instantly to a moment, or a place, or even a person. No matter what else has changed in your or the world, that one song says the same, just like that moment.” (319)
This book has made me realize that telling the truth, even if it scares you, will feel good once you finally find a way to say it. Holding things in, won’t make any situation better. I love Sarah Dessen’s writing style because she writes about everyday situations that girls face everyday. The way she creates her characters and uses the right amount of detail throughout the book makes me enjoy reading her books.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Nightmare of the Shadow
My two best friends Zack and Amy and I were going on vacation, and we expected nothing more than fun and a great time, this would soon be regretted. My senior year was finally over and I had been waiting for this summer for what seemed like forever. Amy and I were packing in my room when we heard the loud echo of a horn. Zack had just pulled up in my driveway in his brand new Mercedes. Amy and I both glanced at each other before we both started deftly running down the stairs that led to the doorway, both trying not to fall because my mom always needed to mop them spotless.
My parents had booked a house right on the beach the summer after my junior year. They hadn’t told me until early November because they wanted to make sure everything would work out. When they told me I was so excited because it would be my first vacation without my family. I always thought it would be fun to go on a vacation with just my friends. We arrived in Ogunquit, Maine around three o’clock and found our beach house a few minutes later. There was not many houses around it, it seemed very deserted from everything else. It was an old house and the siding was falling off. As I kept examining the dirty white house, I could feel the zephyr from the waves crashing on the shore.
“I’m sure it will be nicer on the inside.” Amy tried to assure me.
“Yeah, I’m sure it will be, my mom said this was supposed to be a very nice place to stay at.” I concurred with her, but still felt a little worried.
We walked in, and I thought it might’ve looked even worse than it did on the outside. We also noticed there was an effluvia. There was a very small TV and all the furniture was stained and ripped. I started to wonder if this was the right place my mom had booked for us. I still tried to stay positive, but so far this trip wasn’t what I had expected. We decided to take a walk down to the beach that afternoon. It was strange because there was nobody around until about a mile down the shore. This is where all the beautiful beach homes were located and there was a lot of excitement and a bevy of families playing. I started to miss my family vacations; I wanted our beach home to be around where all the parties were instead of where there is absolutely no one around.
The sun began to set and the tide started to go out. On our way back, we passed the boardwalk which had some restaurants inside. All of us have loved seafood since we were little, so we decided to stop at the Lobster Shack. It was a placid place and we ordered delicious albacore sandwiches. After our stomachs felt like they were going to burst from all the delicious food, we headed to our house.
After playing a few hands of cards, we went to bed so we could have a full day of the beach. It wasn’t until around midnight when I started to hear banging on the house. I freaked out because it sounded like somebody was trying to break in. I woke Zack up, and he went outside to check it out. When he came back in he said it was very windy because a storm was approaching and the shutters were banging on the siding of the house. I was still a little uneasy, but decided to go get some rest.
Two hours later, I was tossing and turning in between my dreams, when I saw a shadow near the side door. I assumed it was Amy or Zack getting something to drink, but when I looked over they were both sleeping. I started to get a pit in my stomach and I could feel my body getting heated when everything started to click. Someone had broken in.
“Zack, wake up!” I nudged him.
“What is it now?” he sounded frustrated.
“Someone is in our house, they broke in.” This got him right up.
“WHAT?” I could tell he was feeling compunction as well.
I explained to him how I had seen the shadow near the door and I could tell it was a person. He told me to remain calm and he would take care of it. Of course I wasn’t able to not be worried, because this was a big deal. Zack tiptoed his way into the kitchen, which was to the left of the door where I had last seen the shadow. I was just about to sit on my bed, when I heard an unheralded cacophony from the kitchen. I ran over to see if Zack was alright, and thank god he was, the banging was some pots falling from the cabinets. I headed back to the room, when I saw the big shadow again. I saw something in his hands and I didn’t have enough time to react, when I saw a wooden bat aiming for my face. I felt my body fall to the floor and I became very dizzy. Everything else that happened that night became a blur. I remember a lot of loud noises, and Amy running to my side. Then I remember blue and red lights flashing in and out of the house, and paramedics wheeling me out on a stretcher. After this, I remembered nothing.
I woke up in the hospital bed with Zack, Amy, and my parents by my side. I was confused as to where I was and why the heck I had all these tubes in me and monitors surrounding me.
“I’m so sorry, it was my entire fault, and I should’ve never left you alone.” Zack sounded heartbroken.
“No, I should’ve made sure that house was okay, I don’t know what I was thinking making reservations online through a website I’m not familiar with.” I could tell my mother had been crying.
“What on earth is everyone talking about? What happened?” I was so confused.
Zack gave me an anecdote. The shadow was somebody breaking into our house. He told me that the intruder threshed my face with a bat. During the time I was on the floor, the intruder tried to hit Zack also, but he was able to stop him because of all the self-defense classes he had taken. Zack told me he called the cops and this man was arrested. Once the police got the man into handcuffs, one of the officers explained to Zack that they were searching for this leery man who had broken into five houses in the past week.
“What an amazing senior trip.” I managed to find the energy to sardonically say before I dazed off into sleep.
My parents had booked a house right on the beach the summer after my junior year. They hadn’t told me until early November because they wanted to make sure everything would work out. When they told me I was so excited because it would be my first vacation without my family. I always thought it would be fun to go on a vacation with just my friends. We arrived in Ogunquit, Maine around three o’clock and found our beach house a few minutes later. There was not many houses around it, it seemed very deserted from everything else. It was an old house and the siding was falling off. As I kept examining the dirty white house, I could feel the zephyr from the waves crashing on the shore.
“I’m sure it will be nicer on the inside.” Amy tried to assure me.
“Yeah, I’m sure it will be, my mom said this was supposed to be a very nice place to stay at.” I concurred with her, but still felt a little worried.
We walked in, and I thought it might’ve looked even worse than it did on the outside. We also noticed there was an effluvia. There was a very small TV and all the furniture was stained and ripped. I started to wonder if this was the right place my mom had booked for us. I still tried to stay positive, but so far this trip wasn’t what I had expected. We decided to take a walk down to the beach that afternoon. It was strange because there was nobody around until about a mile down the shore. This is where all the beautiful beach homes were located and there was a lot of excitement and a bevy of families playing. I started to miss my family vacations; I wanted our beach home to be around where all the parties were instead of where there is absolutely no one around.
The sun began to set and the tide started to go out. On our way back, we passed the boardwalk which had some restaurants inside. All of us have loved seafood since we were little, so we decided to stop at the Lobster Shack. It was a placid place and we ordered delicious albacore sandwiches. After our stomachs felt like they were going to burst from all the delicious food, we headed to our house.
After playing a few hands of cards, we went to bed so we could have a full day of the beach. It wasn’t until around midnight when I started to hear banging on the house. I freaked out because it sounded like somebody was trying to break in. I woke Zack up, and he went outside to check it out. When he came back in he said it was very windy because a storm was approaching and the shutters were banging on the siding of the house. I was still a little uneasy, but decided to go get some rest.
Two hours later, I was tossing and turning in between my dreams, when I saw a shadow near the side door. I assumed it was Amy or Zack getting something to drink, but when I looked over they were both sleeping. I started to get a pit in my stomach and I could feel my body getting heated when everything started to click. Someone had broken in.
“Zack, wake up!” I nudged him.
“What is it now?” he sounded frustrated.
“Someone is in our house, they broke in.” This got him right up.
“WHAT?” I could tell he was feeling compunction as well.
I explained to him how I had seen the shadow near the door and I could tell it was a person. He told me to remain calm and he would take care of it. Of course I wasn’t able to not be worried, because this was a big deal. Zack tiptoed his way into the kitchen, which was to the left of the door where I had last seen the shadow. I was just about to sit on my bed, when I heard an unheralded cacophony from the kitchen. I ran over to see if Zack was alright, and thank god he was, the banging was some pots falling from the cabinets. I headed back to the room, when I saw the big shadow again. I saw something in his hands and I didn’t have enough time to react, when I saw a wooden bat aiming for my face. I felt my body fall to the floor and I became very dizzy. Everything else that happened that night became a blur. I remember a lot of loud noises, and Amy running to my side. Then I remember blue and red lights flashing in and out of the house, and paramedics wheeling me out on a stretcher. After this, I remembered nothing.
I woke up in the hospital bed with Zack, Amy, and my parents by my side. I was confused as to where I was and why the heck I had all these tubes in me and monitors surrounding me.
“I’m so sorry, it was my entire fault, and I should’ve never left you alone.” Zack sounded heartbroken.
“No, I should’ve made sure that house was okay, I don’t know what I was thinking making reservations online through a website I’m not familiar with.” I could tell my mother had been crying.
“What on earth is everyone talking about? What happened?” I was so confused.
Zack gave me an anecdote. The shadow was somebody breaking into our house. He told me that the intruder threshed my face with a bat. During the time I was on the floor, the intruder tried to hit Zack also, but he was able to stop him because of all the self-defense classes he had taken. Zack told me he called the cops and this man was arrested. Once the police got the man into handcuffs, one of the officers explained to Zack that they were searching for this leery man who had broken into five houses in the past week.
“What an amazing senior trip.” I managed to find the energy to sardonically say before I dazed off into sleep.
2nd Quarter Outside Reading Book Review
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares. Delacorte Press, 2001.
Genre: Fiction
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, is a powerful novel about true friendship. Four completely different girls, Lena, Carmen, Bridget, and Tibby have been best friends their whole lives. Now, they have to spend their first summer apart. Bridget, a tall beautiful athlete, is going to Baja California for soccer camp. Quiet, Lena is going to Greece to visit her grandparents. Carmen is going to visit her father who left her and her mother when she was a little girl. Tibby is the only one stuck at home working a summer job. The day before they separate, they discover a magical pair of pants that fit each of them perfectly. They decide to pass the pants on to each other throughout the summer, to have a little bit of each other with them.
“Ann Brashares has here created four captivating characters and seamlessly interwoven their stories for a young adult novel that is fresh and absorbing,” the book jacket reads. “It is a remarkable and uplifting novel on true friendship.”
Each girl faces many challenges and adventures during the summer. Each time one of the girls receives the pants in the mail, they each feel more confident and ready to face their troubles. Carmen has trouble dealing with her father’s new life. He tells her he is getting married and he doesn’t act like he did when he lived with her mother and her. When she receives the pants, she gets the confidence to tell her dad how she feels. When Lena has the pants, she finds the courage to apologize to Kostos and admit how much she likes him. When Bridget gets the pants, she has the self confidence to talk to one of the coaches at camp. When Tibby has the pants, she discovers that life is all about the small pleasures we experience.
This book reminds me of Sarah Dessens’ writing style. This is because both these authors write about the everyday challenges young girls face in our world. Also, they both are descriptive in their writing, but their writing is simple to understand.
“Carmen disappeared into an upholstered chair by the wall as Lydia proudly donned what looked to be at least seventy yards of shiny white fabric.” (160)
This was the first book I have read by Ann Brashares and I really enjoyed it. This book was very uplifting and I could relate to some of the experiences and challenges these girls were facing. I liked how Ann Brashares focused on one girl at a time so the book didn’t get confusing. She was very descriptive in her writing and I plan on reading more of her books.
Genre: Fiction
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, is a powerful novel about true friendship. Four completely different girls, Lena, Carmen, Bridget, and Tibby have been best friends their whole lives. Now, they have to spend their first summer apart. Bridget, a tall beautiful athlete, is going to Baja California for soccer camp. Quiet, Lena is going to Greece to visit her grandparents. Carmen is going to visit her father who left her and her mother when she was a little girl. Tibby is the only one stuck at home working a summer job. The day before they separate, they discover a magical pair of pants that fit each of them perfectly. They decide to pass the pants on to each other throughout the summer, to have a little bit of each other with them.
“Ann Brashares has here created four captivating characters and seamlessly interwoven their stories for a young adult novel that is fresh and absorbing,” the book jacket reads. “It is a remarkable and uplifting novel on true friendship.”
Each girl faces many challenges and adventures during the summer. Each time one of the girls receives the pants in the mail, they each feel more confident and ready to face their troubles. Carmen has trouble dealing with her father’s new life. He tells her he is getting married and he doesn’t act like he did when he lived with her mother and her. When she receives the pants, she gets the confidence to tell her dad how she feels. When Lena has the pants, she finds the courage to apologize to Kostos and admit how much she likes him. When Bridget gets the pants, she has the self confidence to talk to one of the coaches at camp. When Tibby has the pants, she discovers that life is all about the small pleasures we experience.
This book reminds me of Sarah Dessens’ writing style. This is because both these authors write about the everyday challenges young girls face in our world. Also, they both are descriptive in their writing, but their writing is simple to understand.
“Carmen disappeared into an upholstered chair by the wall as Lydia proudly donned what looked to be at least seventy yards of shiny white fabric.” (160)
This was the first book I have read by Ann Brashares and I really enjoyed it. This book was very uplifting and I could relate to some of the experiences and challenges these girls were facing. I liked how Ann Brashares focused on one girl at a time so the book didn’t get confusing. She was very descriptive in her writing and I plan on reading more of her books.
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