Monday, November 23, 2009

I Am Thankful For...

My family: Their love and support have always helped me through everything. I would be more than lost without their care, love, and support. Everything I am, everything I have, everything I hope to be, I owe to them.

A nice comfortable house to go home to everyday after school: I love my house and everything inside it. It is so nice and comforting. I am grateful to have a safe place to sleep at night, which I often take for granted.

Food: Without food I wouldn’t be able to live at all, so of course this has to be on my list! I love to eat, and Thanksgiving is one of the special occasions where I can eat a lot of fantastic foods, without feeling too guilty.

My freedom in the United States: Many countries don’t have the same kind of government system that we do. Even though our government is far from perfect, it still sustains freedom the majority of the time.

My friends: I would be so lonely without my friends and I love them all so much. They are always there to support me, and I know that I will always have fun when I am with them. They always want the best for me and they help me become a well-rounded person.

Technology: It provides entertainment and helps organize our lives. Cameras provide a way to capture memories and keep them forever. I personally take tons of pictures every where I go just because I want to be able to share the fun activities with others, and the pictures will be there to look back at in a few years. Also, I am thankful for music and music players as well as computers because they create fun for all ages.

Sports like cross-country and soccer: Even though all the hard work isn’t always fun, it almost always pays off in the end. I am thankful for such opportunities to have so much fun and make so many friends. Plus, without these sports, I don’t know how I would stay in shape!

Education and school: As much as I really don’t like the learning part of school, I know that it will really help me in the future, in my jobs and in life in general. Many kids don’t get the opportunity to attend schools, and sadly I usually complain about it. I am thankful for the chance to make friends in a usually friendly environment.

My health: It is what stabilizes my life. Many children and adults have health issues that change their lives, or even take their lives. I am very fortunate to be healthy, and to have lived a normal childhood and hopefully continue to live a healthy life.

My safety: I am so thankful to live in such a nice environment where I don’t always have to worry about my safety. Of course, I always have to be concerned and aware, but I am lucky to not have to live in one of those countries, where every night I have to worry about being abducted from my home.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

A Month In Review

Old Friends, New Friends: My old friends are Gabe, Brooke, Lexi, Becca, Julia, as well as many other people that I have met in elementary and middle school. My new friends from high school are my Globie friends, my cross-country friends, and other new friends that I have met in my other classes.
SHS Activities Attended: I went to the Night on the Field and loved it! I had a lot of fun and I learned a lot about the Invisible Children from the movie. It also felt really good to give up some of what I have, to help them. Plus I went away with a T-shirt! I also have cross-country every day after school. Even though it’s a lot of hard work, it’s also a lot of fun, and I love the whole team!
Funniest, Weirdest, Scariest Moments: At the end of the summer I went to cross-country camp and one day I was dancing crazy in our free-time. I started dancing backwards, and almost backed right into my coach! No one told me that he was behind me, and as soon as I saw him I flew to the floor, so embarrassed! It was one of the funniest moments I have ever had, and everyone that was there remembers it to this day.
Hardest, Easiest Class and Assignments: The hardest class for me is Global Education history! The tests are hard and it is a whole lot to learn in only a little bit of time. The easiest class would probably be Foods and Nutrition. We do have worksheets and quizzes, but most of the curriculum is easy to manage. One of the hardest assignments I have had so far is my cultural event. I spent so much time writing and decorating my poster board! I had to cut out all these little pieces of paper and glue tons of pictures on, it took so much work and I was exhausted by the time I was done.
Top Five Current Events: The most interesting current events for me so far have been; the health care plan, the balloon boy, Iran testing long range missiles and their underground facility, the school budget cuts, and about the 4.5 billion year old, human like species named Ardi.
Faces in the News: Some of the interesting faces in the news so far have been Ardi, who is a half human half-chimp species that was found in 1994 but just recently brought up in the news. John Roberts is another face in the news; he is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. I also found Hamid Karzi, who is the president of Afghanistan, interesting because of the voting issue in Afghanistan.
Interesting New Words: I like the words Globie, aloof, jubilant, and loquacious! They all just sound and look really different!
Popular or Memorable Songs: “ You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift is a song that is played over and over again on the radio and I’m not sick of it yet, even though I know a lot of people are! Also I love the song “ Whatcha Say” by Jason DeRulo!
Popular or Memorable Movies: Some popular movies out right now are Where The Wild Things Are, New Moon, which will be coming out soon, and also, This Is It starring Michael Jackson.
Rumors or Gossip: There is always a ton of gossip going on everywhere you look. I hear the same rumor in a different form over and over again! There was a ton of gossip in the news, for example, about the balloon boy and his family.
Fads and Trends: Some trends are healthy eating, which has become more and more popular every day. Almost every type of food is marked with “low-fat” or “low-calorie”. Another trend is communicating through Facebook, Twitter, and text messaging.
First Cultural Event: I based my first cultural event on Mackinac Island and the Mackinac Fort. I made a creative display with a big wooden “M”. I decorated it with tons of pictures and captions, and even though it took a really long time to make, I am really happy with the way it turned out!
Homecoming: Homecoming was amazing! It was so much fun and a lot better then I expected! I had heard that it wasn’t worth it for a freshman to go, but I am so glad I did because it was really exciting and entertaining!
Advice for a Freshman: My advice for a freshman would be to go out for a sport in the beginning of the school year. I am so glad I joined cross-country because I had a lot of older friends by the time school started! Also I would tell them to participate in every after school activity the school has to offer. High school is a lot of fun if you make the most of it!
What I’m Looking Forward To… Right now I am looking forward to my cross-country banquet because I am excited to receive my letter and also I think it will just be a lot of fun! I am also looking forward to going to other school activities like dances!
Other Noteworthy Achievements or Events: Earlier in the cross-country season I earned my varsity letter! It took a lot of hard work and pain, but I was so happy to get it!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Culture!!


American culture is like no other culture in the world. Our developed technologies, travel systems, and diverse opportunities are a just few of the many things that make us eccentric compared to other countries. Ranging from computer laptops, to i-Pods that can record video, we are a generation surrounded by technology. Without TV’s, music players, cameras, computers and video games, I’m not sure we would know what to do with our time and money. Whether it’s two hundred miles away, or a thousand, our many transportation systems can take you there easily. Cars, trains, and planes make it simple to get around and explore the world, making us a very globally advanced society. Also between athletics, academics, jobs, and activities just for fun, we have more opportunities to get out and make something of ourselves, than almost any other country. American culture isn’t necessarily trouble-free, but most, including I, are spoiled rotten with all the many things to see and do.

My culture is similar to that of most American citizens, but there are some things that make me unique. I celebrate Christian, religious holidays like Christmas, Easter, and Good Friday, as well as many other traditional holidays that are and aren’t, based on my religion. Traditions run in my family, like going up north to visit relatives and give gifts a few days before Christmas every year. Also my family of four sets up a Christmas tree every year, with all the memorable ornaments from the past dazzling around it and a pickle ornament that decides who receives the first gift on Christmas morning. The foods I eat are nothing out of the ordinary; only on special occasions do I get to eat a meal that has been brought over from my heritage of mainly German and Polish. My culture is fun, entertaining, and sometimes a bit boring, but I love it, because it is a huge part of who I am.