Prompt 3: "Please Read This Story, Thank You" by Linton Weeks (NPR)

Central Argument- As time passes, rude and crude behaviors emerge, and etiquette is disappearing.

Politeness among children is disappearing and words of casual are being used even to elders. Linton Weeks of the Please Read This Story, Thank You, article, says, “The traditional magic words "please" and "thank you" that many people learn as children appear to be disappearing.” The world changes and nothing is expected to stay the same. Today, words like “thank you,” and “please,” are used in numerous and various ways. It has changed. Men call each other by numerous names as they hang out in bars or something of equal; this goes for teenagers as well. Therefore, I disagree that etiquette is not disappearing and instead, changing into something new and modern.

When I was young, I always used to see my eldest brother, a senior in High School, hang out with friends and go out for drinks. They took me along once, and their use of slang, or unnecessary, words surprised me. Although the inappropriate words, they seem to not mind at all. “Thanks bitch,” “You’re welcome ass-hole.” They didn’t seem to mind. Instead, it seemed as if they were telling each other polite words, but in much different and in their own ways. Sometimes, when they use these words, I could not help think of the fights or arguments that may occur between them as their use of “polite” words were extreme.

The change of words is also like the change of hair-style, shoes, clothes or, in other words, fashion. A hundred years ago, fashion was a sign of delicacy, dignity and decorum. It showed the ideals of man. It showed the division of the Rich and the Poor, men and women, and represents class and country. Today, fashion has changed, just like etiquette words. It has not been reduced into nothing, but rather evolved into a more … deeper meaning which is more comfortable today.

When we were young, words had no bad meaning. We never hesitated to say anything, as we knew that nothing we say is wrong. Say for example, “Mom, can I go play with my friend’s balls,” this used to be a really casual and innocent. Today, this has a whole other meaning than it used to. Today, saying these kind of sentences may just make you the laughing-stock of the whole school or amongst friends. Just like how we evolve, even etiquette evolves.

Etiquette is not dissolving, instead, it is evolving into something in ways we have never imagined or noticed. By comparing the evolution of words to our lives and past, allows us to understand the fact that etiquette is just changing, not disappearing.

Prompt 2: "Why We Like What We Like" by Alva Noe (13.7 Cosmos and iCulture)

Central Argument- People like what they want to like, with regards to their thinking and perception.

Alva Noe, of the Why We Like What We Like article, says “if we can't really taste the difference between cheap beer mixed with vinegar and an expensive micro-brew, then surely this means that our preference for the finer stuff is, well, a pretension.” This explains that the each and every individual has a different mindset, allowing him/her to choose his preference and taste. I have to agree with Noe, as she writes about what people like with their minds, not with what is expensive or popular.

Say theoretically, that there are different food critics. They are well trained and experts at what they do. They have never made a mistake. Let’s say I give them some wine, they would be able to tell the wine company, type and maybe even dates, even though they DON’T like it. Let’s us now say there is some hotdogs with mustard for the food critics. Each of them have one, but one, although he is a food critic, he refuses to have one as he may have some kind of disease or history with the snack. It’s all just a state of mind, you have to like it to have it, and you usually like it once you already have it. If you didn’t, then you wouldn’t know what you like.

Now say you’re walking through a super market picking up food for dinner. You walk through numerous isles you have never seen before and decide to try walking into the isle for once. You see things you have never seen before. A jam with the taste of trees, a shoe made of wax and many other weird stuff like that. You would not buy these items, because you have never tried them in your life. You are afraid that you would waste your money on something so dubious and uncertain. Therefore, you would walk over to the next isle knowing what to buy, stuff or items you “like.”

When I was young, my mother really bought me stuff I didn’t know about, mostly food items. As I accompanied her, one day, to the super market, there was this really delicious looking meat on the freezer, for a reasonable price too. It looked amazing and my mouth watered. She didn’t allow me to buy it. All she said was, “what if you don’t like it,” then I thought about the other times I asked for this really cool looking bottled drink, which I think was juice, tasted bitter and the noodles that had no taste at all. With that in mind, I walked away with Mom without a word.

What we individuals like is all preferred through the continuous transactions of the brain. What we like is our choice. If we never tried it, then we wouldn’t like it, even though it may be the best snack or cuisine in the world. If you don’t know it, you don’t buy it. Therefore, what we like is all in the state of mind, not with the price of the item or the popularity, but the experience you know, you get, from having that item.

Week 3, Prompt 4: "The Rise of 'Awesome'" by Robert Lane Greene (Intelligent Life)

-         Central Argument- The word “awesome” has conquered the world.

-         Robert Lane Green of the Intelligent Life Magazine said, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was awesome.” The word awesome originated during the time of Christ. The word was used to describe the almighty Lord and as time passes, the meaning of the word has changed from God-like to Jaw-dropping or Eye-catching. He states that in today’s generation, the word awesome has conquered the world as it has been used from Kings to small peasants, from presidents to civilians and so on. Therefore I have to agree with him, that the word “awesome” has conquered the world, because of the amount the word has been used, even by me.

-        The word “holy” has been used ever since the belief of God. It has been used from the medieval ages to the present today. It used to mean holy and it still is, but today, it is used in many contexts. The most common way the word “holy” is used is when to describe something “awesome,” jaw-dropping and anything surprising. “Holy Shit, Holy …” words that are being used by the majority today, not as a peaceful, innocent, God-like or even God-representing word, but as a word to describe something surprising. Similarly, the word “awesome” has ruled the world today with a different meaning than its original, just like the word “holy.”

-        The word awesome is like fashion. A hundred years ago, fashion was a sign of dignity, respect, class and decorum. Today, fashion is all about who can get the girl or the guy or just a sign of wealth and poverty. The meaning of fashion as totally changed compared to a hundred years ago. It seems rather disappointing really, but it can’t be helped. It’s like moving from Helen of Troy to Lady Gaga of today. Helen of troy was simple and wore clothes of robes and even with these simple clothes; she is noticed as one of the most beautiful women of all time today. Lady Gaga was complicated and wore clothes of raw meat, feathers, and many other weird things. Her complicated looks has allowed her to look rather impulsive and alien like compared to Helen of Troy. The word “awesome,” today, relates to Lady Gaga and her fashion. Although she is what she is, we still know her as a popular singer, world-wide.

-        Then there is religion. Awesome and religion, both, had the same meaning during its origin. Awesome was a respectful way of praising god and religion was just had one God and only one to all. Today like the word awesome, religion has many religions. It may seem preposterous as to humans worshipping idols of different shapes and sizes. It is rather disappointing once again as the one and only religion has turned into numerous and various other religions. Awesome was too, just one word and like religion, the meaning of awesome had changed.

-        Through numerous years, fashion, and religion were some of the few things that evolved from a thousand years until now. The word awesome itself, falls under the category of religion as it was a word used to praise the Lord almighty and today, it is a word to describe something jaw-dropping or just Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother.

Week 3, Prompt 1: "What Does It Mean To Be Cool?" by Thorsten Botz-Bornstein (Philosophy Now)

-        Central Argument- Cool is an imaginary, illogical combination of paradoxical fusion of submission and rebellion.

-        Thorsten Boltz says, “So cool represents a paradoxical fusion of submission and subversion.” I agree with this statement as he sides with the fact that cool is used as a provision used during hard times to submit and submerge to his/her enemy.

-        I have a younger cousin, a few years younger than me, who used to get bullied in school due to his mental behavior. He had detested school and always tried to stay home with a fake illness of some sort. He had very few friends, and one of them was me. We weren’t in the same school then, I was in a hostel and he was in a local school near home. One day, when I had returned and went for a visit to his place, he had complained about how much he gets teased and bullied. I felt really bad for him, but I didn’t have much to say, as I had never been bullied. His mom always said, “Don’t say a word and turn your backs on them.” I felt really bad not saying anything, so I just told him to listen to music as loud as possible closing your eyes. Today, whenever he gets picked on or bullied, he just listens to music, turns around and closes his eyes. Soon, the bullies hadn’t been bullying him. His act of self control allowed him to submit and subverts to the bullies, allowing them to be annoyed and fed up.

-        When I was young[er], I used to get into trouble a lot. Stealing apples from the neighbor, breaking car windows while playing cricket and sometimes accidently hitting the neighbor’s dog while playing football. I got into a lot of trouble and the only way I got out of it was through me and my friends “cool.” The neighbor usually asks us, “who destroyed my window,” and all we could answer is “what window.” He knew we did it so he threatened us by telling us that he would tell on us to our parents. We looked at each other, and all we could reply was, “yeah, sure, go tell them.” He was really annoyed, so he told on us to our parents, and yeah we got beaten up bad by them that night. We used our cool to submit to our actions and the consequences to that was not that bad. We usually get beaten up by our parents thrice a week, so this week was no different.

-        Then there are the typical Indians during the rule of the British. The Indians were slaves back then, and similar to the African-Americans in the US. The only way to tolerate tortured slavery was through their cool. Even if they spit on the slaves faces, their cool would keep them from humiliating themselves but instead, humiliate their masters themselves.

-        “Cool” had been used to tolerate slavery during the times of slavery, tolerate bullies, insults and tolerate punishment. Cool may be used as a self control or even fear, but cool is usually used to humiliate the enemy that is embarrassing you, hurting you and torturing you.

Week 2, Prompt 4: "Of Studies"

Central Argument- Anyone can study if or when they have the interest and state of mind for it.

-        The reasons for some of the world’s richest people are rich, because they had and have interest for their work ever since they started it. Yes, I agree that you need the ability and interest to study and work to become successful. Mark Zuckerberg, the youngest richest man in the world known to have created Facebook and Steve Jobs, the creator of the apple company. Both of these people are said t have dropped off college. Although they did do well, they were interested in what they wanted to do; therefore they became what they are today, people who have changed the world.

-        I have an elder cousin brother, who is mentally incapable of studying. Right now he is in the 9^th grade, when he supposed to be in college. He could never study due to his ADHD syndrome problem, but there was always something he enjoyed and loved doing, ad that is Art. Ever since he was little, he used to fail classes, but he never gave up drawing. He has this weird ability in which, if he sees something he likes, he could remember it perfectly and be able to draw it and paint it. It’s an amazing ability. Today, his art is well known among buildings as he paints buildings with Bhutanese traditional art. Due to his interest and ability for one type of study, he was able to work with what loves, Art.

-        Mark Zuckerberg was a nerd in one of the top colleges in US during late 90s. He was really good with computers, and when he got an offer for creating a social website, he agreed. This person, I must admit, is naturally smart, but he became famous for what he did. He created the Social network also well known to all of you as Facebook. He dropped out of school after realizing his true potential. He has the ability and interest to use computers; he therefore became the well known creator of Facebook.

-        Steve Jobbs was also one of the men who changed the world of technology. He created technology way beyond our imaginations. The apple company is one of the leading tech companies in the world. He dropped out of High school when he was young and reckless. He did not continue his dream of being a technician and therefore today he is the owner of the Apple Company. His ability and interest for technology has allowed him to reach far. Therefore, if you have the power and ability to learn what you love, then you can become it.

-        My elder cousin has always had the ability to learn the thing he loves. With practice and study of his favorite subject, he learned how to become a artist. Zuckerberg and Jobbs were also some of the brightest pupils in their classes, but when they found out what they can do to do what they love, they dropped college and school. They learned, on their own, with their own experiences and ability, what they wanted to learn and thus they are legends today.

Week 2, Prompt 1: "Of Marriage and Single Life"

Central Argument- Living a single life has allowed man to succeed in life due to lack of stress from wives

-          I have to agree that man can live good lives when they are single. Who says that behind every man is a woman? Who ever had said that must have been in a good mood or something. Sir Francis Bacon wrote that “HE THAT hath wife and children hath given hostages to fortune,” a line that had really interested me. He implies that women and children is the reason for the ‘misfortune’ of man. I couldn’t agree more with him. Think of the advantages Homer Simpson might have.  He could live a life without worries and still have hair on his head.

-         Homer Simpson, a character in the infamous TV show, The Simpsons. There was an episode where Homer’s past was filled with hair ripping agony, literally. Ever since Homer married Marge Simpson (wife of Homer), he had been ripping is hair off because of the unexpected. Say the birth of Lisa, the eldest among the Children. The first time Homer heard about his wife’s pregnancy, he screamed out loud, pulling his hair out. It was hilarious, yet true. His life had become less … ‘fun.’ The amount of money spent for the welfare and care for their children. Truthfully, he could have saved millions if he had never met Marge Simpson, the cause behind stress and misfortune. Needless to say that women and children are the cause of misfortune and stress.

-         My uncle had never really admired the term ‘Marriage.’ He used to tell me that all women have a motive to marry you, and only 10 percent of them would marry you for who you are. It was kind of funny and maybe true. He is married now, but he still does tell me his so-called philosophy. He says that over the few years since he got married, he had wasted at least a million rupees just to make his wife happy and to prevent the break out of monstrous strength. Noticing him, in my point of view, their future is looking for a divorce. He wasted money on marriage and now he may get a divorce. Once again, his life’s filled with stress and misfortune.

-         My elder cousin is a successful business man, travelling around the world and making money from different companies. He had never had a woman in his life. That’s his secret to his success. He was never distracted because he does not have a girlfriend, wife or children. He too believes that women and children in his life may allow him to spend his money on unwanted jewelries and toys. A single life seems rather appropriate for the lives of men.

-         Homer Simpson’s little encounter with wives and children has allowed the prevention of nights out drinking with friends or enjoying parties with women. The story with my uncle. But my cousin is something different. Never married, equals to a good life. A single life is most recommended for man so he can live rich and stress-free.

1. Week 1, Prompt 1: "TV Is Good for You" By Joel Waldfogel (Slate)

         Central Argument: Television has its negative and positive areas; it just depends on how society uses it to benefit them.

      Since I was very young, I have watched television. Cartoon Network, HBO, Nickelodeon, Star Movies etc. A bit of my English is derived from TV, from Dexter’s intelligent theories and spectacular pronunciation of his French language, “omlette du fromage” (Dexter’s Laboratory) to Johnny’s expert ways of approaching women with determination and confidence (Johnny Bravo). The feeling of independence and patriotism from movies like Jean D’arc and Brave Heart had illuminated new virtues into my life. Movies ‘can’ bring change to a person’s life; it can teach you how the world is working and how it had worked. It may seem rather inappropriate at times, but without television, we might have never even heard of the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York or the national Trade Union strike in India. Needless to say, TV ‘is’ good for you as it teaches you how life is today and what is happening today, so it can be a source of knowledge for the people.

         Dexter had always used big words that were too complex for me to understand, but most of whatever happened on his shows was true; like the fact that potatoes can light a very bulb as long as the right materials are present. He had taught me my first foreign sentence, which I am very proud of even to this day, “Omlette du fromage.” After a few years, I had found out that it meant cheese omelet, I couldn’t stop laughing. Dexter had taught me a few words in a different language and an interesting fact.

       Brave heart was a movie I stumbled upon when I was surfing through the channels when I was young. Today it is one of my favorite movies of all time. A movie that touched many hearts all over the world. A movie that had had taught the rest of the world, and me, to never give up on something you love or the fact that everyone has the right to do what they want. I was still young when I first saw this movie, but I knew that this movie had taught me to have a ‘Brave Heart.’  

         Recently, there had been a major strike all over India which involves trade unions. There had been strikes and violent behavior among the officers in banks and other trade unions. This was something I saw in the news, and kept me aware of the things happening today. If there was no TV in India, or if no one was watching the so-called idiot box, what might have come of these innocent people shopping or going out for long walks?

         The idiot box ‘does’ have its negative and positive areas, but it depends on how society uses it, or what they watch. Watching movies that have no meaning or no point, has no point in watching it. Movies can be, or have, a source of knowledge if used properly—like Dexter’s Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, Brave Heart and news channels like BBC News. Noticing that each cartoon shown on the channel: Cartoon Network has a moral in it. TV shows like 90210 and Gossip girls have no meaning or moral, therefore it should be avoided. 

Week 1, Prompt 4: "Why Good Advertising Works (Even When You Think It Doesn't" by Nigel Hollis (The Atlantic)

-         Central Argument- 

-         A good advertisement influences us unconsciously through memorable images.  

-          I agree that good advertisements leave us unconscious messages or memories. I believe that good advertisements also urge us to buy a certain product without us knowing that the advertisement had affected us. I know, because I had experienced this.

-         When I was young, me and my mother used to go watch movies every weekend, in the cinema. The cinema was located in the mall. We were just walking by the toys isle of the mall to get to the cinema, and then I saw something I had to have. I had never really seen it in person, but on TV. I had never really cared about it, but when I saw it, I thought to myself, “I must have it.” The cars were boosted with a little speed booster, as it moves swiftly on its lane. “Cool…” is what I thought. I bugged my mom to buy it for me, and yeah, she bought it. Little did I know that the advertisement that I saw on TV was the reason I was influenced. I didn’t think about the product, until I saw it.

-         Similarly, my Mom wanted to buy a car during the time. She was so excited, but she didn’t know which car to buy. She scoured the net looking for the “perfect car.” She couldn’t find it, she was about to just buy some random car off the net, until she noticed something. A car which was shown in an advertisement. She knew it was the one. A car that isn’t too stylish and not too shabby either. It was meant to be. She bought the car, and till today, she still uses it (the car should be around eight years old now). She never actually knew what she wanted, after or until she remembered the advertisement.

-         Then there was my Dad who was taking me to the beach. On the way, he was talking to me, but I wasn’t really listening, so I guess he was talking to himself. Anyways, he was saying something about wanting to eat something different.  He looked at me as if I was going to give him a good suggestion. He then passed by a restaurant, I don’t remember what restaurant, but he said he remembered it from TV. He drove us around; we went into this Thai restaurant and ate the best food ever. If hadn’t seen or remembered the ad, we wouldn’t have ever eaten the good food there.

-         Through personal knowledge and experience, I now know that good advertisements actually leave memories and messages to us unconsciously, and this is actually effective.  

The Best Song Analysis (Meet you there- Busted)

What makes this song the best? The expert use of the acoustic guitar and synchronization of the singers voices. One would think that the lyrics of the song was meant for a girl, during a broken relationship or something like that, but little do they know that there is no mention of any particular girl in the music. I'm not saying it isn't but it is a possibility the song was for someone else. Could this song be written for a friend that might have caused problems in the past or maybe a family issue, or maybe even a girl? I did some research and the motive of the song is unknown. The group had never made a video as the group broke up a while after the song was made.  

The lyrics mentions the singer waiting for the perfect time to “call you back”, an unknown person. They mention that they don’t want to know the truth, they can’t handle it, but I guess they somehow found out. They want to forget it ever happened, but somehow they can’t.

The singers then describe the emotions set by the person that might have brought pain into their lives, “It’s written all over your face, such a painful thing to waste.” They mention that they have “ended here”, a dubious fact that is recommended for research. Could it be a girl, a broken relationship, a broken friendship or maybe family issues?

“I’m sorry, I meant no harm.” This line mentions that the singers had heard rumors of the particular person and is saying sorry to him/her. They should have thought of what they had said before they said it. “Where is the world that doesn’t care, maybe I could meet you there.” A place where they can meet, a place they can feel comfortable, a place where the world does not care. This could be a place, where the singers describe, where there are no paparazzi, reporters etc that would care about them being together.

“Maybe I could meet you there, maybe I should meet you there,” the short phrase that ends the chorus. Is it actually over, could he ever meet him/her again, who is this him/her? This particular line is repeated the most as if saying sorry to the particular person, as if the singers were making amends and wanted him/her to hear this.

Just a little fact about this Group:
Since I first heard their songs, i couldn't stop listening to them. I started going on to youtube and look for any information i can find about them. This is what i recently found out.    

The singers/ group were nominated by the majority to be at the top of the Pop Charts. They could have become famous. They had gigs with Janet Jackson, Blink 182 and even the legendary Fountains of Wayne. They could have gotten far, until a member had issues with the group and left. The group disbanded as there would be no ‘Busted’ without that particular member (Charlie Simpson). Today, they perform small gigs around the UK. They may not be in the top of the charts, but to me they will.

The Greatest Song

It was really hard for me to choose as i have a lot of favorite songs, this one is one of them. It may not be the most well known song, but to me it is the best. The group broke up and i wish they hadn't. They got so far. They could have been number one today.
By the way, these are videos with lyrics of the song, the group never made a video for these songs.

Meet You there- Busted

OK, here's an alternate (to prove a point). Just put in another video because Mr. Plonka did it too.

Can't Break Through- Busted

If you knew you wouldn't fail, what would you do?

Climb the highest mountain in the world. Survive a fall from a 100 meters. Drive a car at its highest speed without stopping. Pass all the university/college admission exams. drink gallons of water without the urge to go to the bathroom. Survive a 24h lecture on blogs. Give a 24h lecture on blogs. Kiss the girl you like without getting slapped on.
Draw the perfect drawing and be recognized all over the world as a artist. Help my parents in their troubles. The perfect gift i can give to my parents. To be the perfect son. To have a good girlfriend. To live a worry free life. To live in wealth and ease. To make my own time machine. To save a person's life. To train a dog. To be the best in World of Warcraft. To own the five lvl 80s with different class, geared properly and with skill.
To climb the tallest building. To make a cake. To be a good cook. To be able to stop starvation. A invention that could save the world. To discover aliens. To always have a good time. To do what is right. To live a life in peace. To pray to my god everyday without fail. To scream out loud in the  middle of a crowd. To finish the blog assignment without fail. 

It is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a big city. Do you agree or disagree?

Isn't it the same whether you grew up in the countryside or not. In both sides you thirst for money. You want fame. You want power. You want the women. This is how life is. It rotates around the concept of human nature. Food and water, money, power, women. That is how the world works. The most powerful of people keep that in mind and sometimes even rather choose money over food and water.
One would think that the country side would give the child a better heart as they would see the troubles and hardworking nature of the country.The countryside might have those small jobs that might help the small society. There are still people in there that want money to maybe get out of a hardworking life like that. They might want the women or want to prove something to somebody. The reasons are endless, but they all end up to the concept of greed and power. The country side can bring misfortune to even the brightest of children.
One would think that children from cities would be spoilt, but smart in terms of general. The children of cities would watch each other's friend rise to the top of power as they do nothing. They want to prove to a friend that they can gain power, money and women. They all wind up with greed and money as they attend school. They would see country children rise up from nothing to millions. They would feel jealous, so they would try to do the same. It is a good thing but in a way also a bad thing. Greed can bring misfortune in ways you cant imagine.

Three wishes

My first wish is to make my parents proud. I should be able to make them proud from whatever I do. It's a wish that would, not only make me happy, but my parents too.
The second wish would be to forget every thing that has ever made me feel regretful, sad, angry and made others feel bad about me.
The third wish is to live a happy regretful life along with my proud family and friends. These wishes may aren't the   type of wishes that could get you money, women or good looks, but it is the type of wish that would make anyone truly happy.

Where you go to hide and why

-         There was always a time when something goes wrong. A fight between my cousins, family and friends. I always get caught between them and since I was young, I have been hiding in this one particular place. A place where peace exists. A place where I can live my own world. A place where I can make my own world. This little place is the small attic accessible from my room. My family and friends think its old and unused. I persuade them that it might just break off and fall soon.

-         But in reality, the attic is slightly cleaned and has a small picnic mat to prevent dust brushing off on me. I don’t use that place for games like hide and seek etc. The hiding place is perfect for me as my parents and all the old people from the family cannot reach. I felt like I was in a castle where the walls could never be breached by the awful lot of my family members.

-         I go hide there to escape the bickering between friends, arguments between family members, crazy ideas from good friends, to feel alone, to be in my own world. To hide from ghosts as I was young. Till today, I sometime visit that small hiding place as now I am too big for it.  

What I think about when I'm not listening.

-         I think of a lot when I’m not listening. It’s mostly the worries I have. The worries of the consequences of not doing the homework. The worries of where life would take me.

-         Then there are the thoughts of just excitement. The thoughts of when the school ends. The thought and calculations of going down day. The thought of what I’m going to do on a Friday and Saturday. The thoughts of completing a movie or a TV show I haven’t been able to finish and the thought of starting to read a book I have wanted to read for a while.

-         The thought of how I should escape the wrath of the teacher if he/she asks me a question. What I would do when a zombie apocalypse arises. Downloading new songs. Downloading new movies. “I would have been playing football with friends if I wasn’t listening to you.”

Describe a recurring dream

-         The blocks moved around shifting their shapes to fit in their ordered spots. The colors kept changing as the blocks moved. The horrible sound of music filling the air as the blocks moved. The song was annoying. The intense game against a player whom I thought could be better. I was playing Tetris and I was winning. The blocks moved smoothly along with my hands in the keyboard. The smile on my face had never been so wide. Becoming world champion in Tetris, but it had to happened, I had lost just by a small mistake.

-         The world flashed before my eyes. The trees started shaking and the world was being sucked into a wormhole. I had represented the world for the Tetris challenge. When did that happen? I was running away, trying to flee from the vortex trying to suck everything in.

-         I woke up that night. It was the 6^th time that dream had repeated itself. I was so annoyed. I didn’t want to sleep if that dream kept occurring. Some of my friends also agreed that they also had a dream similar, about Tetris. I found it funny and weird at the same time. It was the dream that occurred until the day I stopped playing Tetris. Tetris is evil. Don’t play it. It brain washes you, like seriously.  

Attach a small photograph of something important to you and explain its significance. (Stanford) ADD PICTURE!!!!!!!!!

-        

Its very existence has astounded mankind and me. It is the reason that keeps us entertained all day and night. When you’re at home, and all your friends are on vacation, your laptop keeps you sane. It always has something interesting for you. The movies, the internet, the games. What is more important than your own laptop/ Computer?

-         My laptop recently crashed and I had to withstand school without one. The pain. The horror. The agony. It’s like a part of me had just shattered to dust. The people in the computer shop are trying their best to make it. Till then, it felt like I was sitting in the corner of a plain white room, always fidgeting with the floor, and trying to get loose of this jacket that straps my arm around each other. It was terrible. It had everything of mine. My home work, it was all lost because it crashed. It had my movies, videos and pictures, which was lost again. That day had to be the worst day of my life.

-         A few weeks had past, and I was still longing for my laptop. It was suppose to return today. I couldn’t imagine what would happen to me if the computer shop said they couldn’t fix it or they lost it. I would have gone all “Commando” on them. It was my pride in my life. No. It is my life. School ended and I went straight back to the dormitories and found a huge box waiting for me. I looked for a tag to see where it was from. It said it was from the computer shop. It I felt so relieved. I held the box I my arms so tight and went running to my room. I didn’t stop or listen to anyone. It was like I was in a Rugby match with a ball. I couldn’t lose it or let it fall.

-         I opened the box and there it was. It was wrapped in small plastic with those bubbles you could pop. I ripped it off and looked at it in awe for a while. I held it up in my hands like the monkey holding Simba in “The Lion King.” I plugged it in, made all the changes to the computer by night fall, and slept with it as if it were my very own baby. Look at it, doesn’t it look beautiful.  

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should sometimes do things that they do not enjoy doing.

-         People in the world have different needs and preferences in their life. There is always something, one thing, which each and every person in the world hates. I for one, used to hate school once I realized that it not only helps me in the future, but also allows me to socialize with the numerous and many students present.

-         Since I was young, I traveled from one place to another because of my mother’s job. New York, Thailand, India etc. I had to travel to all these places and was educated in over seven schools. I never wanted to leave my first school. But I had to because of my Mom. Traveling to these schools allowed me to learn the different cultures and languages from each country. Although I didn’t like it, I learnt a lot from it.

-         School was something I never liked. I used to detest the fact that school even existed. Wasting our time listening to those no-good adults. I always thought of what I would be doing if and when I wasn’t in school. I thought about the fun I would have pulling my little cousins long hair and teasing my elder cousins. Watching TV was usually the first thing on my mind. As time passed by, school started getting harder. I suddenly knew why education was even needed for the society. It was to give each and every one a chance to live a happy life. If they fail, then that’s their problem. Everyone wants a happy, simple, and rich life. But nobody wants to work for it. I realized that to gain this form of happiness, we all have to work hard.

-         Yes, I agree that people have to do stuff they don’t enjoy. When you were young, your parents always wore your clothes for you. You loved that. It was like your very own servant that loves you and cares for you. But as you grow up, you have to learn to do it yourself. This also includes potty training and eating food. We all go through it. A day when you just don’t want to do anything. It’s life. We all want to live a happy and simple life. That’s why I agree with the statement that everyone has to do something they don’t like, and if they don’t then it will just cause the downfall of you.  

"When people succeed in life, it is because of hard work. Being lucky has nothing to do with success in life." Do you agree or disagree with the quotation above? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position.

-         Bill Gates dropped out of school, Steve Jobs dropped out of college, and Einstein was considered mentally ill. If I tried dropping out of school, college and even acted mentally ill. I would end up living on the streets or in a blank plain white room with my hands crossed around my body instead of living a happy life with money and power. I think it was just luck.

-         Most people have dreams. A doctor, fireman, superman, engineer etc. It would make you happy just to be able to live a life with your dream job and wife, but people that achieve their dreams don’t work hard. They’re all just lucky. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates had this crazy idea of ‘Windows’, or a company with a half bitten apple logo, and they pursued their ideas and dreams. With luck, they changed the views of humanity.

-          If only life was that easy. Today, people work as hard as possible and some don’t even achieve their goals, some just give up because of the amount of work, and some just use their talents to live their life.  Michael Jackson was once a beggar in the streets of America. He used dance and sing with his brothers and sisters to save his family from starvation. He did work hard, not to be successful though, but to be able to feed his family. He was then just picked up from the streets by a random American music producer and there it was. He became the legend and king of pop. He was, and still, is an idol. MJ was lucky that man happened to be passing by. What if that man never existed, then MJ wouldn’t even be ‘MJ’. This is all just luck.

-         Therefore, luck is all that a person needs to survive the world. Luck is the main weapon a person should have and need to survive and live a happy life. Therefore I disagree with the quotation.

What are some things you observed today?

-         I had just reached an institution for Buddhist teachings in Bir, near Dharamsala. The place is called Deer Park and I am here as an intern. I woke up of bed and went to brush my teeth. I washed my face and just as I finished, I noticed I had no towel and panicked for a while as I didn’t know what to do. I had stayed in the same position for at least 5 minutes, then I decided to use one of my cotton t-shirts as a towel.

-         I head out and admired the Park’s beauty.  I had reached the place last night and couldn’t actually see what was in my surroundings. Today, at around 7:45, I took my time observing the beauty of the place. It had a small monastery placed on a small hill, about a half a minutes’ walk from my room, about three stories high and a dormitory and a kitchen beside it. The Dormitories were placed in such a way that it made a square when looking directly from above. In the middle was a small grassy area with stone steps. It looked neat and wet. The dew drops rushes down the leaf’s edges, trying to escape the sun’s rays. The campus was not that big and not that small. Children, of around 7-12, seem to be hanging around with their friends and mothers in the sun to keep themselves warm from winter. As I made my way to the kitchen, I noticed the amount of foreigners that came here to learn of Buddhist/ Buddha’s teachings.

-         Breakfast was fine, although there was some sort of jam I have never tasted before. The dining hall was small and nice. It had some of those neatly wooden tables with a traditional Tibetan table cloth over it. The chairs were those typical plastic chairs. I finished my breakfast, and made my way out to find the sink to wash my dishes. I have to admit; I am kind of spoilt and felt too lazy to wash my dish. But that all changed when I felt the warmth of the hot steaming water. It was cold and my bathroom had no hot water, and so I just couldn’t resist. I took my time washing the dish and even thought of washing others dishes too.

-         I walk out and made my way into the office. I was waiting for the receptionist as he was supposed to tell me my schedule. As I waited inside, I noticed that it was a small typical room, with tiny computers spread across the table. Chairs were made from bamboo tied together with some tight thread of some kind and magazines were set on the knee-high table. I was going through the notice board and found the art work really interesting. As I moved on, there was a small schedule which I thought was a joke at first. Te only thing it had from morning to night is walking and sitting meditation (even during tea time). I was shocked. The breakfast, lunch and dinner had ‘silent’ written before them. When I saw this, I thought about how happy my grandmother would be here. All the meditation in the world can be provided here in this place. Not to mention this place is as quiet as open sea.

-         The rest of the day I was in my room trying to think of a blog to write and was watching some movies on my computer. The worst observation here is that the internet is so slow. As I finish writing this essay, I think about how much you can write just by looking at something.

Describe the perfect home.

-         In my views the Prefect Home does not exist. At least not without a family. There might be the softest, luxurious bed in the world. There might be the most expensive television and laptop. There might be the best food made by the best chefs in the world. It may also be located on the cliffs, with a seaside view. But without a family, a perfect home does exist.

-         During school days, in a hostel, you wish to go to your home. Not an apartment, not your friends’ home, but your home. The reason for this is because your family is there. People that love you. People that worry for you and people that makes food incomparable to others. This is a family.

-         The perfect home could have any types of furniture. Expensive or cheap, luxurious or not, I still call it a normal home. The perfect home should have a ‘family set’. A mother and a Father that hugs you after you reach home after not seeing each other for half a year. The mother that cooks for you the best home-made dish she can make. The father that gives talks to you about school. The cousins that tease you and mock you with your new look after coming back from school. The grandmother that criticizes your looks after coming back. The grandfather that talks to you for hours about his past stories. The dog that runs to you, sniffing you and soon rubbing its slobber all over you. The cat that sits on your lap when you return.

-         The best things in life aren’t bought with money. They are given to you for free. Enjoy it and you wouldn’t want money anymore. A family is given to you and placed into your home. You can love your home because of your family. If you only have a home. Then you wouldn’t just care. You would just ignore the fact that you even have a home. You would go and spend time into your friend’s home because of his or her family. Therefore I think the perfect home exists if the perfect family exists.

A place you try to avoid

-         The only place in my life where torture begins as I enter. The only place where the spider webs dominate the corners of the walls. The only place where the Beatles are still praised along with Elvis. The only place where stories never end. Yes. This is my Grandparents home.

-         When I was young I had to walk to school. Every time I walk to school, I meet my grandmother saying have a good day. It was fine at first, but this kept on going. There was never a day when I didn’t see her in a school day. It was annoying and embarrassing especially when my friends were with me. One day I took another way to school, and the next thing you know; my parents are in school worried that I got lost. My grandmother hadn’t seen me that day, and so she got worried. I was then the laughing stock of school. That was when I hated them.

-         There were times when I had to visit them. They always greeted me  like they have never seen me before. They give me a huge tight hug, kiss my cheeks and give me a huge pinch on the cheeks. I was burning red, not because of me blushing or anything, but me getting angry. They always tell me these weird stories that I’ve heard before, but they keep repeating them. Stories about the past. Stories about the troubled times, when my grandparents had to make a living of the cows and scripture writings. I remember hearing that when I was younger than I already am.

-         Then there is the fact that they are always so loud. I hate loud people. They just don’t have manners. I know their old and all. They might have hearing problems and all that, but I don’t complain about it in front of them. They are so loud.

-         The fact that their home is my worst nightmare just scares me. The fact that I study in a hostel keeps me fearless and sane. Don’t get me wrong, I do love my grandparents, but at times, they are so annoying. They aren’t like any old grandparents, they the types that are hyper active and excited. I guess that’s what makes them annoying. I still think that place brings me bad memories.