English 101

English has always been a pretty easy class for me. In high school I never had below a B. We did a good mix of analytical papers and creative works. I loved that I got to write stories and poems in high school, so coming into a college English course was quite a change. I feel like I have learned a lot throughout English 101. Many of these skills will go with me to other classes and to after school when I become a teacher.
The first two papers I found to be pretty easy to write. I enjoyed the first paper because I got to write about past experiences and I got to add a little creative touch to it. Although I didn't get the grade I thought I deserved, it was still fun to write.
The second paper was also fun because we got to pick an ad to analyze. Of course I chose a Target ad because it is my favorite store and the ads are always fun and upbeat. Although it was more analytical than the last paper, it was fun to write. I loved describing the different scenes with all the colors and music. It just made me so happy to write about something so joyful.
The third paper was definitely a lot harder than the first two. We had to choose a speech and analyze it. I wanted to choose a different speech, everyone was focusing on Obama, so I chose a speech by Nelson Mandela. The speech was truly inspirational and I learned a lot from writing it. Sadly, I didn't get a good grade after trying really hard. I don't really know what happened. But at least I got to study a great speech.

Normal

The name “Normal” denotes a very ordinary town that doesn’t really have much to offer. But people who visit Normal are often pleasantly surprised. One of my friend’s came to visit in March and right when she got off the train she said, “I like it here”. She absolutely loved the cute uptown area with all the quaint shops. It’s not often you see an American town that has a small downtown area like Normal has, it’s so refreshing. While Uptown, I would recommend going to the Coffee Hound which is personally one of my favorite spots in Normal. They serve some great hot chocolate. Unfortunately, one of my favorite places uptown closed. The Jazzy Buddha Hookah Lounge was a great place to chill with friend and smoke some hookah. I was very sad to see it close its doors. Of course while in Normal you can’t miss the Illinois State Campus. The quad is incredibly beautiful during all the seasons of the year but especially in the summer and fall. The buildings mirror an east coast campus. My favorite building is Fell Hall, it is so majestic and is the building you imagine when you picture a college campus. Another interesting building on the quad is Cook Hall which houses the music department. Cook Hall is designed to look like a castle in Germany. Needless to say it is quite the building to look at. Even the interior makes it feel like you are in a castle. The building has many winding halls. I just love it! Normal is definitely the place to be.

Summer Plans

This year has completely flown by. I can hardly believe that we have thirty something days left of school. I have had an amazing first year of college but I am definitely ready for summer. If everything goes well at my interview this Friday, I will be working as a camp counselor for a kids camp at my town’s park district. If I get the job, I will be extremely excited because as an elementary ed major, I need as much experience with children as I can get. The camp will take place Monday through Friday from 9 to 3, so it will be a lot of money. I also have to take summer school but luckily, it’s an online course so I can do all my work at home. As for any big plans, my family is going to England to see all my relatives who live there. I love going to England not only to see all my family, but to explore the amazing country. I love to visit the ancient castles and explore the cute, old towns. It is so different from America. Everything feels so ancient, it literally feels like living in another time period. We will spend two weeks there and then we will move onto Paris, France and spend four days there. I have never been to Paris so I am extremely excited to see all the incredible sites that the city has to offer. I want to see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Versailles, the Moulin Rouge and more. But the place I want to see the most is the Lourve. If you haven’t heard of it, it is the art museum that holds all the world’s great paintings, including the Mona Lisa and other Leonardo da Vinci works. I am an art fanatic so I am very thrilled to see the Lourve. This summer will be truly one of my greatest.

Elie Wiesel's Visit to ISU

I have attended quite a few on-campus activities this semester but my favorite by far was when Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel came to speak. I read his heart-wrenching book, Night which described his experiences in a concentration camp. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect. Would he share his brutal experiences or would he talk about other things? What he did talk about totally inspired me.
When I first saw Elie Wiesel, all I saw was a small elderly man but from the minute he started talking, he transformed from a little old man to a remarkable story teller. Wiesel told stories of people he had met throughout his life and how they had touched him. All of his words were enforced with extreme optimism. He only mentioned his time in the concentration camp briefly but if he hadn't, one would never have known about his experiences. He expressed how one should not dwell on things from the past but focus on things in the present and the future. After Wiesel said this, it truly inspired me. This man has been through so much in his lifetime, more than I could even dream of. I should not dwell on something like a bad grade on a test or a missed out opportunity. I just need to forget and move on. Elie Wiesel truly opened my eyes about how I should live my life.

Spring Break 2009

I’m am very sad that spring break is over to say the least. I had a fantastic week. I spent the first half of the week in Los Angeles. My friend goes to school at USC, so I went to visit him there. He picked me up from the airport and we went straight to the beach. We went to Santa Monica, which has a great downtown for shopping and an awesome pier with a mini amusement park. Matt and I started by walking up the pier looking at the various street vendors and then ventured over to the little roller coaster that is on the pier. We ended up riding the “Pacific Coaster” twice in a row. It was kind of little kid-ish but it was so much fun! We then moved onto the beach and relaxed in the sand.
The following day we went to the surfing capital of the country, Huntington Beach. We spent the afternoon surfing, or attempting to surf. I think I got up once. The highlight of the day was seeing dolphins when we were on the Huntington Beach pier. After surfing, we eased our hungry stomachs with amazing diner food. We spent the rest of the day driving around West Hollywood and Beverley Hills, looking at all the incredibly huge houses. My last day in California was spent chilling around USC. I attended a journalism class with Matt and getting delicious fish tacos for lunch. I then had to leave warm, sunny California to spend the rest of the week back home in Illinois.

If I Had $80,000 and Didn't Go to College

If I couldn’t get a college education, I would definitely spend my money and time wisely. As I have stated in an earlier entry, I am absolutely addicted to traveling. I think I would go on a year long trip to discover all places of the world that I have never been to. In every place I would want to go to a historical or educational site and would want to help with some type of service organization. I think I would try to visit every continent and with the $80,000 that I would have that was supposed to go to my education, I could definitely achieve that.
First off, I would love to go to Africa. Pretty much anywhere in the continent but Kenya particularly interests me. I think the minute I got there I would want to go on a safari. I have been an animal lover since birth so I would love to see and explore the serenghetti. I would take one of those really intense cameras with me and snap some great shots of the animals and maybe even try and sell them to National Geographic. After my big safari adventure, I would volunteer in a hospital full of AIDS victims. I would help nurses administer drugs or play with the children who are waiting for their parents while they are being treated. I would also want to volunteer at a school or an orphanage. I love children and doing all this volunteer work would be so rewarding. Visiting Africa is definitely something I couldn’t do at ISU.
Next on my adventure, I would want to visit the incredible historic site of Machu Picchu in Peru. This site is the very beginnings of Civilization and it would be so informative to see the many secrets that it has to hide. I love nature so I would definitely go hiking and camping around the area. I learned Spanish in high school so it would definitely come in hand when I’m navigating around the small, local villages. No history class could educate me as much as just visiting the wonderful Machu Picchu.
I would continue to discover countries all over the world and take part in service projects and just enjoy the surroundings. After all the rewarding but hard work, I would want to treat myself. I would probably go to some beautiful beach resort in Fiji and just relax and do a little exploring on the side. I have never stayed at a big luxury hotel like the Four Seasons so I would probably stay there and just have the most relaxing, beautiful vacation of my life.

A Little Advice...

I honestly can’t believe that my first year of college is almost over, I mean there are only two and a half months left of school and that is including spring break. So I guess since I have almost completed my first year of college, it is my turn to be writing ISU survival rules. Though ISU has been pretty manageable so far there are some words of wisdom that I would direct toward future freshman.

First I would tell them that going to class is the most important thing, I mean it’s the whole reason you are here, right? In a world of endless parties and drunken nights, it is hard to stay on track. Going to class is so important because it is there that you take notes and learn the material that you will be tested on. If you miss class, you will have no idea what is going on when you eventually return. I know the glamorous lifestyle of partying every single night of the week is attractive but in the long run going to class will effect if you get that dream career you want.

I’m sure you have all heard of the freshman fifteen and believe me, it is not a myth. It’s so hard to pass up that greasy piece of pizza for something healthier like a salad. But college is where you start building your lifestyles that will be with you for the remainder of your life and it’s important to start being healthy at this age. It’s perfectly fine to indulge yourself once in a while or even once a day just make sure that you work off all those pesky calories. Luckily there are plenty of ways to keep fit at ISU. There are workout centers in almost every residence hall, there is a swimming pool, a track, a gym and plenty of sidewalk to run on. So don’t be a victim of the freshman fifteen.

Lastly, I would advise just to go out there and not be afraid to meet people. I came to ISU not knowing anyone and by being outgoing and friendly I met tons of people and have made great friends. So don’t be afraid to invite someone to lunch or to watch a movie in your room, it will be worth it.

Weeds

My favorite show at the moment is Weeds. Not many people watch nor have heard of Weeds because it is on Sho Time, which is a channel that one has to order. Weeds features your what seems like a typical suburban housewife, Nancy Botwin (Mary Louise Parker), but the catch is that she is a marijuana dealer. Her husband has recently passed away and to provide for her family, she takes on this risky job. Nancy encounters DEA agents, fierce Mexican drug lords and ghetto gangsters. Nancy is joined by a colorful cast of characters including her two sons, Silas and Shane, her brother in law, Andy, the outrageously funny town councilman, Doug and the bitchy suburban mom, Celia. This dark comedy takes serious subjects like drugs and sex but puts a humorous edge on them.

I particularly enjoy the music in Weeds. Every song that is played in throughout an episode directly reflects what is going on in the episode. All the songs in the show are completely unique, I think there has only been one song in the show that I have actually recognized. It provides me with great new music that I can download and listen to. Another aspect of the show that I love are the characters. All the characters are so alive and real. They are people that you would easily find out on the street and this makes them very relatable, unlike characters on shows such as Desperate Housewives. Speaking of Desperate Housewives, I am also a huge fan and never would I have dreamed to find a better show than it. Weeds totally changed my views. The story lines and characters are so rich and interlaced with humor, it puts Desperate Housewives to shame. Weeds and Desperate Housewives are quite similar, Weeds is just a lot more raunchy and in my opinion, a whole lot more entertaining.

Recently, my dad, who is in the advertising business, showed me a commercial he had seen on his previous trip to England. The commercial was for the new Ford SportKa, a type of English car. The ad starts out with a Ka in the drive way, a cat walks onto the screen and sits in front of the car. The Ka’s sunroof suddenly opens and the curious cat approaches it. The cat sticks it’s head into the sunroof and suddenly the sunroof closes, decapitating the cat. The words “FordSportKa: The Ka’s Evil Twin” come onto the screen. This ad has stuck in my mind, well because it was so morbid of course. But being so morbid makes the commercial almost funny at the same time. It’s kind of that stereotypical dark, British humor. The fact that the line at the end says “the Ka’s evil twin” culminates the entire commercial, adding humor to it. An old Ka would never do this, but this new “badass” looking SportKa would. And though I don’t condone the killing of innocent animals, I find the ad humorous. I don’t think the actual ad would make me want to buy the car but if I was ever looking to buy a new car and saw a SportKa, it would definitely trigger back those memories of the commercial and might influence me to buy it.
Overall, I think it is an effective commercial. It is so memorable, I mean who is going to forget a dead cat? More consumers are going to think back to the entertaining Ford SportKa commercial than a boring Chevy commercial. Though it could be considered violent, most people are going to see it as more of a laugh and in the end, Ford will see pleasing results from this ad. I think Ford is pretty smart for using this ad to campaign the Ford SportKa.

Check out the commercial here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Guufs3mdgg

Movie Reviews

I saw the film, Slumdog Millionaire about a month ago and it hasn’t left my mind since. The suspenseful yet whimsical story captivated my attention the whole two hours. The film is set in Mumbai, India. A young boy, Jamal who was orphaned at a young age and grew up in the “slums” of India, appears on the Indian version of the popular American game show, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?”All the viewers expect him to miss the first question so one can imagine how surprised they were to see how far he gets in the game. When the “Millionaire” host asks each question, the audience is delved into the mind of Jamal. We see what events brought Jamal to know the answers to all the questions he is asked.
We see all the hardships and triumphs that Jamal experiences through his life. Director, Danny Boyle demonstrates this by using eye catching cinematography to grasp the viewers attention. With lots of movement and color, Boyle provides a treat for the eye. With fantastic plot line, intertwined with romance and suspense, Slumdog Millionaire is sure to be a big contender at the Academy Award this month.
Another film I thoroughly enjoyed was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. As I’m sure you have all seen from the commercials, main character Benjamin (Brad Pitt) is born as an old man. When his mother dies at birth, Benjamin is dumped on the front porch of a nursing home, into the arms of his new, “adopted” mother who is a maid at the home. Everyone expects Benjamin to not live past a year, but are surprised to see that Benjamin does “age”. Although Benjamin does not age like any other human being, he gets younger every year. The three hour long film tells the story of Benjamin’s peculiar life. From encounters with a prostitute to living in a hotel in Russia, The Curious Case is not to be missed.

My Travel Addiction

So I am basically addicted to traveling. When I am not actually traveling somewhere, I am looking for deals or places to go on my family’s next vacation. I guess it is just my nature to explore, but I really can’t get enough of it.

I’m guessing this addiction because my parent’s are from England and ever since I was born, I have been traveling across the Atlantic to the UK to visit family. From a young age, I was eager to explore, whether it be the park or some totally different country. In England, my family used to go on hikes in forest preserves and I used to pretend that they were enchanted. Now my love of exploring has blossomed and I look for exciting new places to explore.

My travels have taken me to:
Costa Rica
England
Czech Republic
Austria
Scotland
The Bahamas
China
Singapore
Indonesia
Hawaii
Dominican Republic
Mexico
And many of the States

I was also in a touring choir for 8 years and we literally traveled all over the world. With them, I traveled to Hawaii, China, Austria and the Czech Republic. My favorite had to be China. It was literally culture shock with all the new sights, smells and sounds. Seeing and climbing the Great Wall was the highlight of the trip. When I first saw the brooding stone walls, it almost brought tears to my eyes. I had always dreamed of going there as a child. I could picture a 10 year old me running up and down the great stone steps, screaming to my parents, “Look at me! Look at this”. It was literally a travel dream come true.

The Inauguration

“OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA!” were the first words I heard as I opened my eyes, that morning on January 20th. My sleepy eyes slowly adjusted to focus in on the glowing television where I saw thousands upon thousands of people cheering for the soon to be president. It seemed as if I had woke up right before Obama first appeared on screen because as soon I got down from my bunk, I saw the man who is now our president. Obama was ecstatic, there was gleam in his dark brown eyes that promoted his extreme excitement for the day that would change his life forever. As Obama smiled, the camera panned on the crowd, each and every member mimicked his giddy smile. I glanced over at my roommate and she was smiling too. It was as if Obama was in the very room with us, spreading his patriotic pride. At this moment, I was proud to be an American.
As the entire first family climbed onto the stage, my stomach dropped. I suddenly realized that I had a class in 30 minutes and that I would miss Obama’s entire speech. It pained me to think that I would miss this historic moment to be in some Insignificant class. I entered the elevator and many people were expressing the same grief as I was. “I can’t believe we have class on inauguration day. It should be considered a holiday”. I internally agreed and proceded outside.
The day was clear and bright which directly reflected the mood of the day. As I ambled across the quad, trekking through the thick sludge that covered my boots, I had a mini epiphany. Just because I couldn’t officially watch Obama get inaugurated, it didn’t mean that I had missed it. For one, I had seen the man himself on live TV. I had also experienced my classmates reactions and heard their thoughts. And finally, I had reflected to myself about this day and how important it is. Just because I didn’t see the inauguration doesn’t mean I missed the entire day and first and for most, it doesn’t make me Un-American.

First Entry! Woo!

Well to start off with, I have never had a blog before and I’m still not 100 percent sure I even know how to use it, so bear with me. I have loved to write since I was a little girl. I used to write stories about animals and princesses where good conquered all, now my writing is completely different. I tend to lean toward darker subject material. Even if I’m writing about my life, I write about that more depressing events that have happened to me. I guess I’m giving you a bad impression of me, aren’t I? Well I am in no means “emo”, I’m a very happy person, I just produce better writing when it has some sort of dark emotion.

So in this blog I’m going to add some writing from my English class and I guess any other writing that I do during the course of the week (which probably won’t be too much). I may even post some of my older stuff from high school, just for kicks. I’m hoping people will actually read this, but it’s the sad truth that probably only my professor and a few kids from my English class will be reading it. Oh well, I will make the most of it. So thanks for stopping by my blog, hope you enjoy!