Two Journeys; One Prize

I was a trash boy while in Behala, until I found a bag.

As a young staff boy for the Vice President, my life was surely a drag.

Inside the bag, lay special clues that led to hidden dough.

The man I worked for, V.P. Zapanta, was greedy and white as snow.

To search for money, I brought along my friends, Gardo and Rat.

And even though Behala’s poor, Zapanta remains fat.

The ‘84 Nelson Bible read “the cemetery is where we must go.”

I am the one took the money, for citizens’ income was too low.

At the cemetery in Naravo, I’m looking for grave B twenty-four/8.

Now the police have caught me, and my death has a date.

Here in the graveyard, the rich and poor are split.

At least the money is hidden, in the coffin is where it fit.

I’ve searched all day for the Angelico’s graves, but they are nowhere to be found.

Raphael, you are so close, if only I could mutter a sound!

What this a little girl? What are you doing here?

Oh Pia Dante, lead them to the treasure my dear.

Drink this tea thin girl, while we drink up the brandy.

Using V.P’s old fridge to move the money was handy.

Now that Pia is fast asleep, we must go uncover her grave!

Be quick my boy, don’t be too loud, but you must be very brave.

Musty air, but no bad smell, this coffin was covered in dust.

The money may fill you with greed, but share it with others, you must!

With all this money, we must give back to whom it’s from.

Good boy, yes go to the mission school and grant them a large sum.

We’ve stuffed up all the backpacks, with lots and lots of notes.

Now fill the streets with money, leave enough to cover boats!

Now that we given back, it’s time to take a train.

Go to Fort Barton and fish all day, I wish you no more pain!

You’ve taught me many things Jose, I’m not who I used to be.

I’ll see you in the afterlife, ‘till then enjoy living free.

And always open the bag, it may be deeper than what you see.

Sunday Morning Breakfasts

One of the aspects of life that are better to be enjoyed than skipped are Sunday morning breakfasts. On a particular Sunday morning, the awakening world of nature inspired a flavorful, nutritious breakfast starting with a smoothie. It was made by blending dinosaur kale fresh from the garden, a banana, and frozen fruits including peaches, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. This interesting mix of ingredients had a seedy texture and its presentation was somewhat boring.

The main course of this meal was a vegetable, cheese, and canadian bacon omelet. Along with cheddar cheese and canadian bacon, this egg was filled with bell peppers and onions. The egg was well done with an even cooking while the vegetables caramelized on the inside. Though this was not a new idea, the flavors complemented each other well.

To go with the main dish was a slice of toast coated with butter and then sprinkled with a cinnamon and sugar topping. The bread was lightly toasted, yet crunchy and was not overpowered by the sugar on top. Cut diagonally, the presentation of the toast was fun and simple.

The last course of the meal was a dessert including raspberries, strawberries and whipped cream. The whipped cream was homemade by mixing sugar and heavy whipping cream with an electric mixer. The berries added fresh flavor to the cream and tasted sweet, but not untasteful. This dessert was a great way to end a delicious meal mixed with healthy ingredients as well as sweet ones. This meal was definitely the right was to start off a Sunday morning!

Digital Drama and the Uniqueness of Me

Digital Drama

About Myself

My Survey Analysis

My Survey

The quality and type of questions in my survey compare to others in similar ways. Many people did music surveys and asked similar questions, but I feel that mine is still unique in the sense that most questions were not asked by others. Questions like, “What kind of genre do you listen to?” and “Do you play an instrument?” were asked in more than one survey. Questions that I asked that others did not were “How do you feel about your school music program?” and “In what form do you learn music?”

I think that the quality of my survey was high because my questions could relate to anyone and I had a variety of options to chose from. That is what I believe makes a good survey question. Some surveys were very easy to answer and enjoyable, while others were hard to answer and didn't have options that applied to me. Questions like, “What is your favorite sports team?” and “Do you like Xbox or PS3 better?” were difficult for me to answer because I don’t have a favorite sports team, nor do I play Xbox or PS3.

I did not observe any trends in my data. Most answers varied quite a bit and I saw no recurring patterns in the information given. A result that I found predictable was that the majority of the class said they like to listen to music very much. My results showed that 81% of the class chose 5 on a scale of 1-5 for whether or not they like to listen to music (5 being very much). This was predictable to me because I know that people in my class like to listen to music. I know this because many people do this during any time throughout the day permitted for them to. Another predictable result I saw was that Pop was the most liked genre out of the options I had. Though I got very diverse results for this question, Pop was 12% ahead of the next highest (Other). This was predictable to me because personally I already knew that many of my classmates listen to pop. A result that surprised me was that 8% of those who took my survey believe that their school music program makes no difference. I suppose this is surprising to me because I strongly believe that having a music program at a school is important.

Through this survey, I learned that many of my classmates play instruments. Out of those many who do play instruments, a large amount of them play more than one. I also learned that many of my classmates know how to read sheet music. I think this is great because music is like another language. It is astonishing to know that many more of my classmates than I would have guessed are, in my opinion, “bilingual.”

A challenge from this assignment was making the questions relatable to everyone. I might have had different questions if my survey only related to those who play music. If someone who doesn't know anything about music took my survey, they probably wouldn't have enjoyed it very much.

What I liked about this assignment is that I learned my classmates’ musical abilities. From this survey I have discovered new things about my friends. I disliked the fact that I had to have a question of every type because some of my questions would have worked better in a different form.

Surveys are such a large part of business, politics, and more because companies and people can get feedback and input from their audience. The business can see how well they are doing without having to directly speak to the customer.  

Photoshop Lesson #3

Girabiduckelemarrot 

(Giraffe, Rabbit, Duck, Elephant, Lemur, Parrot)

Photoshop Lesson #2

Phrases From the Dark Side

On a a sunny day in April, Suzy planted a squash seed in the garden. She watered it and left it alone until night. Just before midnight, she heard noises, like the screams of a coyote so she went outside to see what it was. There, in the garden was a giant yellow squash that looked like it was around 600 pounds! Suzy hid behind the couch for hours until coming back out in the morning. When she came back out, the big squash was gone, but so were the others. She began to dig in the dirt, and among the cabbages she found almost every single squash, dead. The only one she didn't see was the giant. Suddenly, by the window, the giant squash had appeared out of nowhere...

Encyclopedia Entry #4

Headphones

I like headphones much more than ear buds because they are a lot more comfortable and ear buds start to hurt my ears after a while. Certain headphones however, are also uncomfortable because they’re itchy. I got beats with my birthday money and they are really comfortable. I don’t see why they were so expensive though, because they don’t make much of a difference with the sound to me. My brother feels differently about way they sound and got the most expensive Studio beats. They are really big and metal so they won’t break easily. He really likes them and uses them almost all day every day. I don't see why he needed to spend so much money on a pair of headphones, but it's hypocritical of me to think that because I spent $200 on mine. Still, that's only half of what he spent! I'm scared that I'll break my beats, but as long as I take good care of them, they should last a while. 

Dogs

I have two chihuahuas named Cachi and Coco. They are so adorable and sweet, but bark every time someone walks in the door, or even when they hear a loud sound. Though they've been a part of my life for almost four years, I still get annoyed when they bark. I just got a new dog from the pound named Izzy. She was originally called "Fizzy" but my parents just started calling her Izzy. When we first got her, I was upset that we got a new dog, because I thought that the only reason my parents were getting a new dog was to replace my old dog who passed away. I still believe that they needed to fill a whole in their hearts, but I have learned to love Izzy. She is a big dog and doesn't realize how big she is, but is very sweet and loving. She trusts us and I feel bad for her because she has been abused. Izzy is around a year old according to the pound, and she needs training, but is a good listener. She loves going on walks and hates going in the car, but that's okay because I don't like going in the car either. I hope that my cats eventually get used to her, and that she learns to control herself. Even though I haven't known her long, I don't know what I would do without Izzy. 

Photoshop Lesson #1

"See How Easy It Is to Fool A King"

     One Sunday at the church in Santo Domingo, a Friar named Antonio de Montesinos gave a sermon. His sermon was about the cruelty and abuse that the Tainos had suffered. He brought up points such as that they were in danger of going to hell and that they were going against the bible. After giving his sermon, he walked out with his head held high back to the house of the Dominican Friars. The men in the church who listened to his sermon were mad about what he had said and followed him back to the house so they could demand he take back what he said. When they got there, a different Friar opened the door and at first did not let them through, but then allowed them to pass. The men told Friar Montesinos that his sermon was a scandal and an insult to their whole way of life. They demanded that he take back what he said, or they would, "take action against him." The other Friar said that it wouldn't make any difference to them, and they were not the ones in danger of going to hell. The Friar agreed to give another sermon next week, but said the same thing as the last one. The men were very mad and rote a letter to the king saying what he said and how he insulted him. The king ordered the head of the Dominicans in Spain to come to him. The last line of this story was, "You see how easy it is to fool a king..."
     What I first believed that the last line of this story meant was that the Friar's tricked the King into sending them back to Spain. As it was said in the story, the Friars only had  "rough clothes" and a blanket. If they were to do something that they knew would make the people of the town upset, the Friars knew that they would be sent back to Spain. There, they would have more wealth and happiness.
      Another meaning of the line, "You see how easy it is to fool a king" is that nothing could have happened to the Friars. They were only doing what was right and couldn't have been punished in any way.  They were the ones who would end up going to heaven, whereas the people who believed that the sermon the Friar gave was an insult, would be going to hell. Since nothing bad could have happened to the Friars, they decided to give their sermon and be truthful to what they believed. I liked the ending of this story because it made me think a lot about it. There are many different ways to interpret the last line, and I think it was clever of the author to leave it brief.
   

Encyclopedia of the Ordinary Life Entries #3

Tea

Tea is a big part of my life. I have to have at least one cup every single morning, otherwise I don't feel right. My favorite type of tea to drink is Tazo Awake Tea, but in the mornings, any black tea will work. I used to drink green tea, but one morning after drinking it I found oatmeal in the bottom of the cup and haven't had it ever since. When I drink tea at night I have zingers like raspberry or lemon. I also like peppermint tea, but I don't like the taste or smell of camomile tea. My brother, however, does like camomile and drinks that in the mornings. I think that I get this tea obsession from my mom, because it is not unusual for her to drink five cups in one day.

Calendars

I think calendars are really helpful because they remind me when something is coming up and what day it is. Sometimes I forget to mark the days that have passed and end up marking a week in one day. I get World Wildlife Fund calendars and the animals on the pages are really cute. September's picture is of a mother and baby orangutan hanging off of a tree. Last year for November it was a picture of a panda which is lucky because Hazel's birthday is November first and her favorite animal is a panda. I always get excited when it's December because I can start counting down to Christmas!

Two Voices Poem

By Hazel Talkington and Sophie Roberts

	Two Worlds Combined
Morning Girl	Together	Columbus
I see strange men in a square canoe		I see a girl in the water
	We see a stranger
I wish to have a sister		I wish to have gold and precious stones
	We wish to have something we don’t
I believe I can speak to spirits		I believe in God
	We believe in a higher power
I gave the visitors parrots, cotton thread, javelins, and many other things		I gave the Indians red caps, glass beads and many other things of small value
	We gave many gifts to people we encountered
I taste the milk of a fresh coconut		I taste sea salt in the air
	We taste the tropics
I come from a society of equality		I come from a society where people are separated by class
	We come from societies in which we want to be treated well
I feel that I must protect my family		I feel that I must succeed in the mission granted to me
	We feel that we are needed

Free Response To Morning Girl

The book, Morning Girl, was cleverly written because instead of being in Columbus's perspective, it was from the Taino's point of view. The author, Michael Dorris, had a great way of describing things. For example, Dorris wrote, "... the world fits together so tightly, the pieces like pebbles and shells sunk into the sand after the tide has gone out, before anyone has walked on the beach and left footprints." I think that the book was sad in the end because the epilogue said that Columbus had made the Taino people his slaves. I wonder what happened after Morning Girl went to get her parents? I like how the book switched every chapter from being in Morning Girl's perspective to Star Boy's. I can connect with Morning Girl because we are around the same age and both have brothers. I had the same opinions about many things that she said. For example, she wanted to know what other's saw when they looked at her and I do too. Another way we are similar is that we both don't seem to notice things unless they are not how they should be. Also, Morning Girl cares about her brother the same way I do. A question this book brought up for me was whether I would be happier in a world with no technology, or the way I live now? Though I am perfectly content with the life I have, I wonder if it would be better to not have things like social media and television? I would probably be much more productive without technology, but I also depend on the internet for many things.

My Nature Name

When I think about the things that I find most beautiful or interesting in nature, I think of springs, raspberries, willow trees, indonesian flowers, baby turtles and succulents. I love all of these things because I think its amazing that they were naturally made the way that they are! If I had to choose one of those pieces of nature that I love best, it would have to be Indonesian flowers. One specific flower that I think is really pretty is called "jepun" in Indonesian. In Hawaii it is called Plumeria. I think I would be called "Blooming Japun." I am blooming because I am still growing and learning.

Encyclopedia Entries 2

Meerkats

Meerkats are on of my favorite animals. I think they are really cute and fuzzy. In The Lion King 11/2, it's funny and cute how they all work together to build tunnels! I'm not sure if they actually do that, but I think it would be funny if they did. When I see pictures of meerkat there's always pictures of at least five meerkats all looking at the camera. It reminds me of a family portrait. 

Pencils

I have always like using #2 Pencils the best. They work well and have good erasers. I like mechanical pencils too, but they sometimes squeak and that gets annoying. They also break easily. Some pencils have really bad erasers and when i try to use them, they make marks all over the paper. I wonder why #2 Pencils aren't called #1 Pencils if they are supposed to be the best?

Coming Home

I had woken up at 4:30 that morning and jumped in a lake with my friends. Then hiked seven miles to get picked up from camp, and left the summit by nine AM. Needless to say, I was tired. I hadn’t slept on a bed in two weeks, but instead the hard ground and I was very excited to see my bed. I fell asleep in the car, but woke as we drove over my bumpy dirt road. Though I hadn’t been gone long, it seemed as though I was reunited with an old friend as I opened the car door. My tired legs dragged me along my old, paved path to the front porch. The smell of my neighbor’s barbecue traveled into my nose and I could taste his juicy, tender ribs that he so often cooked.

As I walked into my room, the bright turquoise walls greeted me with cheerfulness. My jackets hanging on the coat hanger brushed against me and suddenly I felt grateful for the pieces that made up my room. I touched the wooden desk leaning against my wall, sat in the bright pink chair that rested on my pink furry carpet, and stared at my purple dresser that oozed unfolded clothes. When I fell onto my full-size bed with a white comforter covered in hearts, it was like the bed had swallowed me. I felt cozy like a warm fuzzy blanket and picked up my acoustic guitar that hung against my wall. It sang beautifully as I strummed its nylon strings and looked out my glass door that painted the picture of my deck and trampoline in my backyard. My guitar lay next to me as I stared up at my white ceiling and listened to my brother practice guitar. The sound of his guitar hypnotized me into a deep sleep and I slept better in my own, comfortable bed.

Encyclopedia of the Ordinary Life

Good Mood, Bad Mood

I sit on the swing and look at the slide when my friend asks, "Sophie, are you mad?"

"No, why?"

"You just seem mad today."

Well I wasn't, until now.

Hammock

Hammocks are so much fun to play on. The long white ones that are supported by a pole are my favorite type of hammock. Me and Hazel used to play on my hammock that I got for Christmas and pretend we were flying an airplane. We fell off a lot, but that was part of the excitement! I hope I can have one again someday

Sophia 

Sophia is a Greek name that means wise. I like way my name sounds and since it starts with S, I can make my signature starts with a Treble Clef because they look alike. I also like that it means wise because it reminds of the monkey, Rafiki from the Lion King because he's wise. My friend, Amelia's mom is named Sophia and my mom really liked that name, so I was named after her.

Toes

Many of my friends don't like toes, but I don't mind them. Two of my toes are connected and some people think that it's weird, but I don't really care and call them heart-toes because they somewhat look like a heart. When I was little, I used to draw on them with red marker to make them look like a heart. 

Tweet Memoir

In my new camp shirt, I am excited to see my mom for the first time in a week. I hear a car approaching. My Volvo comes around the corner. As I run into my mom's arms I feel safe.

Six Word Memoirs

Making new friends from far-away places

Waking up early; starting eighth grade

Learning new piano pieces takes time

Volleyball takes many hours of practice

Movement Poem

As I wade into the chilling water,
A shiver crawls down my spine.
Cautiously, I walk careful not to slip on any algae-covered rocks.
I take one slow step at a time, until the water touches my belly-button.
Then, I dunk my head.
My body feels instantly shocked and refreshingly free.
I swim up for a breath and notice
The current has moved me.
I scoop the water with my hands
And kick the flowing liquid with my legs
Despite the sun rays soaking into my head,
I dip my face in the water, and do not see the bottom.
Panting, I continue to swim as the current swiftly carries me.
I will never make it, I fear.
My arms are growing tired
And it feels as though
This never ending river has stretched wider.
I have almost run out of breath,
So I allow one last stroke
Until I give up.
But as I place my hands in front of me
Ready to disappear in this infinite flow of water
I grab hold of a slimy rock,
Realizing I have reached the shore
And stand up.