Hw 6. Memories

I think are a lot of things that remind me important moments in my life. Depends on the moment. In what of that moment made a difference in my life. For example, maybe some moments are made it by a song. Maybe another moment could be made it by a movie. Some phrases are important to me, and remind a moment. In Venezuela we play games that are part of my childhood. One of those games we called “Policia y ladron” (Police and robber). In this game we had teams. One were polices, and the other one were the robbers. The idea of the game is that polices had to try to catch all the robbers. At the beginning of the game the teams had to mark a place as a prision. Polices should put robbers into that place. The only way that robbers could go out was if another of their team touches him. I think the game finish when all robbers were in prision, or when we decided stop playing. For me, my memories are like a successive, when something remind me a moment; I start remembering all thing related with that fact. In this case, when I remember a game I began seeing all memories about my childhood. But, how I said there are a lot of factors that remind me a place or a time.

F.E #6 Vacations

Almost all the vacations are good for me. It is a time to relax and enjoy with family and friends. For me, I like go to the beach with my friends in spring break. I especially like to go to a Venezuelan Island called Margarita. However I really love my familiar Christmas vacations. Generally, my father and I go to Orlando, Florida. Maybe we can go with other friends' families. I love to spend time with my father. Now we don’t really go to the theme parks. We just go shopping, and visit my aunt, and my cousins. The problem is these vacations in my family have began disappearing because now I have a job and I cannot take the time that I had before.

Hw 5. A time for me

I think some time alone is important to anybody. In this time people can think everything better. For me, sometimes I need to clear my head off so I can think straight. Maybe I not do anything in that time, but that time is healthy for me. It is like a peaceful time. I love be with people and friends. I just need a little space once in a while. It is not necessary an entire day for me, maybe while I take a shower or when I am stock in the traffic. I just love play some music and sing, watch TV, think, or sleep. I don’t have anything prepared for that moment is what I feel I want to do. I don’t think that people should have this time alone like an appointment. People enjoy more something improvised. It is necessary a moment that occur without premeditation.

Not everybody likes spend time alone. Someone feels they are wasting their time. However I think everybody have this time, even when they don’t know it. It is something that people do unconscious. I really enjoy some minutes alone. I like see the big picture of the thing, and these times help me to do it. Maybe we’re very different, who knows?

F.E #5. Elections

Having the opportunity to experience the elections being in the United States was really good. I could see how the theory that I learned in my University was applied to real life. Actually, I learned about the popular election and the states elections. I did not know that each candidate was fighting for 270 points. I thought it was for the majority, such as it is in my country. One of the most interesting things that I saw was the fact that the elections in the U.S. always are on a Tuesday. People and communities need a lot of organization to vote in a workday without any problem. In Venezuela the election are on Sunday, so people just pass all day watching the elections news. Here it is so different; that day is like a regular day, the only difference is that in the night they have a new government. But, definitely the election works in the United States; everything happened with not problem or mistake; maybe we have to change our style

Hw. 4 Dreams of my life

I think dreams are a huge topic, because everybody could have an idea of dream. Everybody has a different dream. In my case my family always thought me how to be independent, so for me one of my biggest dreams is be a successful person. I don’t want to be dependent of anyone or anything. To make this possible I need to be ready in my career and my life. I am studying all the levels of my profession to be the best one. I am living my values to find someone who think like me. The successful of my life, all the aspects, love, profession, relations are the way that I can live in happiness. For me, happiness is a style of life, is not something that we can get with some steps. In other words, my dreams and aspirations are do whatever I want that make me feel happy, because I don’t want to think in the future Why I didn’t do something?

My biggest fear is broke my dreams. I don’t want to lose the chance of do anything. I don’t want to regret any of my actions. I don’t want that my personal aspiration will be destroy by my professional aspirations. I don’t want that my professional dreams will be destroy by my personal dreams. So, my idea is be in balance, or at least try it. The important thing is do what make you feel good. If that action doesn’t have relations with your initial dream, maybe this new one is better. People should be happy with their decisions. Those decisions are pieces of their life, and because of those they have the life that they make. I don’t know I think this is a very controversial topic, and everyone has their own answer for this!

S/R 2. It is not just the lack of food

Carolina Borrero (Carola)
Writer’s Workshop EAP 2-A
October 29, 2008

Summary Response #2
It is not just the lack of food

According to McClure (2001), in his article “Risk of Orca extinction underscored in analysis”, The Orcas who live in waters of Western Washington, Puget Sound, and San Juan Islands could disappear in one or two centuries. The Orcas on the first place are threat because of the lack of food, especially Salmon, caused by pollution. The Orcas on the other two places could be extinction by an oil spill. The author affirms that it is really important to take actions, because every minute is essential to killer whales. The author also explains how the information of the whales came from the investigations of the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor started in 1976. Looking at those records, McClure said that are some factors, which can tell people what is happening with Orcas. As an example of these factors the author mentioned the 1950s, years when the United States and Canadian Air force used the killer whale as target practice. The author states that one of the most important solutions could be to learn about the PCBs and how that affects the salmon’s population. However, McClure affirms that changes in the world’s climate could be one warning factor, but is not really notorious. Finally, the author said that it is time to cross our fingers to watch the future reactions of killer whales, trying to not make the same mistakes that people made in the past.

The author establishes something really important. That is the fact that people should not be alert just about the physical problems that cause the threat to killer whales. He said that it is necessary to pay attention to the problems of the environment because those issues affect the life of the organisms in the sea. In order to protect the Orcas it is necessary set responsibilities, take actions, and be concerned about the environment effects on these mammals.

If you ask about responsibility of those who disturbed few years ago the killer whales’ life, as the author said, governments, theme parks, or scientists were responsible. All these persons prejudiced the Orcas or its habitats with no cost. After that, the killer whales have had a very bad time; some people are trying to help but they need economics resources that maybe those who disturbed it years ago could have.

Taking actions is more than just saying that the killer whales are in danger. Taking actions means doing something about it. They should make laws, fines, and charges to those who destroy everything related with Orcas’ problem. The obstacle for this is the time that people think they need to do right things. People and government could not think that they need to know all the aspects in front and begin the problem to solve it. This problem warrants immediate action no matter if people do not know more than the fact that killer whales are dying.

The problem of extinctions of the killer whales does not lie just in the past or the new issue with Salmon. The Orcas also suffer from all environmental crises that the world is having. Global warming implies the temperature changes in the water and that affects sea life, including killer whales. So, the small thing that someone in the other part of the planet does, actually can have an effect on the Orcas.

In conclusion, killer whales are dying and it is necessary to help it. In order to do that it is possible establish some responsibilities, take actions, and be worried about the effects that environmental problems have on these mammals. People should be conscious that anything that they do can affect the animals, even when they think it is too far away to do it. It is necessary to be aware; everybody should help; everyone should collaborate, because it is a problem that human created.

Reference:

McClure, R. (2001, February 21). Risk of Orca extinction underscored in analysis. Seattlepi.com. Retrieved on October 27, 2008, from http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/orcas23.shtml

F.E #4. Halloween with no costumes

Halloween is a very famous holiday. However not in all the countries it is celebrated in the same way. In the United States (U.S.) Halloween even is something very expected. Everybody uses a costume. Actually, people spend a lot of money on dress up, candies, and house decoration. In Venezuela this holiday is a little different. Generally, just children use costumes to go around their building asking for candies. Some people use costumes and go to a bar, but it’s not too traditional like in the U.S. Halloween is known as a terror evening, but in Venezuela it is not too expected. Almost anybody decorates their house with allegoric items. No matter what, a holiday is a date to enjoy, even when people do not spend so much time preparing it for that evening.

Hw 3. Halloween in Venezuela

In Venezuela be celebrate Halloween but is not too important for us. We enjoy costume parties. Some kids go to ask for candy. However is not too usual like in the United States, because almost everybody live in buildings. The fact is that we don’t really preparated ourselves to this holiday. Halloween is a death festivity. We enjoy the scary stories, and movies, but in the United States is a real important holiday. It is like a law that everyone should use a costume. Everybody should make faces on the pumpkin.

Both, Venezuela and the United States commemorated deaths but in a different ways. In Venezuela not everybody is concern about which costume will use or where they will go to have a party. We don’t have a lot of Halloween advertisements. In Venezuela we don’t have rules about the way to knock neighbors doors, or the hours when people can do that. I’m not sure but I think we don’t have hunting houses. For Venezuelan Halloween is another party day but using a costume or something black and orange.

Actually this year was the first one that I used a costume. No matter what I think almost everybody celebrate a death day. The issue is the publicity or the importance that each country gives it. Everybody do whatever is approving in their culture and traditions.