Self-Assesment of Diary project

     My work turned out not as well as I expected. I chose Marci as my diary's character but then found out that I was paying too much attention to Sookan instead of Marci, therefore I only knew a few things about Marci that I'd had to look back into the story to find details about her. I was actually happy to write in Marci's perspective, this showed many things differently. I wrote details for a few paragraphs describing the surroundings and also Marci's feeling inside. But if I would have more time or another chance to work on it again, I'll add more details using the five senses to make the diary more lively and realistic. I'll also pay more attention to details and descibe every person, everything more attentively. My diary's clarity and correctness might not result in a good way, I always turned out to have lots of grammar mistakes. But I also think what I did good was to clearly show Marci's attitude's change after a school year. How she disliked her parents including living at home then she turned out missing home and also gradually understanding her parents' careful intention. One problem I realized after printing out my diary was the length of it, I found out my diary shorter than my classmates'. Even though I said my project did not turned out as well as I first expected, but after all I think my project was done also not as bad since I rarely had done any diary written in another person's perspective. My diary's creativity was pretty good in my opinion, but I am also afraid that this would make my project looks informal. In conclusion, I found after evaluating that there are still a lot of things for me to improve on my writing but I also had accomplished most of the goals. I involved creativity and tried to give the small changes of Marci's idea after a school year; I gave detailed describing the environment and especially Marci's inside feelings that she never told anyone.  In my opinion, this is a good start for writing diaries in different perspectives since I knew what were my errors and mistakes so I could do a greater job for the next few times when someone asks me to write. 

Writing center reflection

   Writing was always one of my headaches while doing school works. I had never tried asking for helps on my own, all I did was wrote and waited for my paper fulled of mistakes returned to me. Last few days I went to the writing center to see Ms. Swift and asked for help on my writing project. It is my first time writing a journal as another person and from her view rather than mine. This made me think harder since I had to refer how the character might be thinking and writing down according to the novel. I went to the writing center at first because Mrs. Guarino asked all of us to go, so I went there without thinking what should I ask her. The first thing she said to me was:"How can I help you?" And "What do you want me to look over?" I stopped and was shocked at the moment, I did not know how to answer her. Eventually, I showed her the longest part of my diary and asked her to read it over for me. As soon as Ms. Swift started reading my writing, she found out so much mistakes including run-on sentences, grammar errors and incorrect vocabularies. Therefore, the rest of the time I spent in the writing center, we were working and fixing on my sentences that could be improved better and correctly. My diary was written in past tense but sometimes I jumped out having several present tense. My writing also included many run-on sentences that were too long, difficult for the reader to understand and sounded weird when I read it aloud. 

    Ms. Swift also asked me questions on what kind of characteristics and personality Marci are described in the novel. This made me tried harder to think deep and detailed into the story events so I could tell someone that hadn't read the book what kind of person Marci is and involve these into the diary. Marci was a girl with mostly an opposite personality than Ellen. The novel we written in the view of Sookan, Marci was one of her best friends in the novel. It was difficult and caused me to pay more attention to a few events in the story to write as Marci. Since Marci was not as outgoing as Ellen and had less friends, so I decided that Marci might be writing more of her inside thoughts in her diary because she most likely kept her ideas to herself and only to really close friends. Another problem I had writing this project was the dates and separation between each paragraphs. In the novel, Marci are being mentioned by Sookan a lot but sometimes there were blanks for one to two months without any writing about Marci which needed my imaginations to predict what might Marci be doing during these days so I could fill in the blanks. So other than the dates given in the novel about Marci, I'll have to add up more details on the events and things that might be going on with Marci during times Sookan didn't mentioned in the story. After all, I had received useful helps from Ms. Swift and fixed most of the mistakes in my writting. I might consider going to the writing center more often to learn more about my mistake made often while writing. It was a great experience for the first time visiting writing center. 

Homework 2015.12.08

Comma splice:

(Definition)

 A comma splice is used to connect and join two independence sentences. 

(Example) 

it is almost 7:45 at night, we will miss our check-in and get detention. 

Run-on Sentence:

(Definition) 

A run-on sentence is a sentence with two or more independent sentences without using any correct or appropriate punctuation and conjunction. 

(Example)

I went to Stop&Shop during my free period for some fresh fruits then I got late for my next period because I was waiting for a long time in the line to pay for my fruits and people were all upset about the long line. 

Sentence Fragment:

(Definition)

A sentence fragment is not a sentence for most of time because it is missing an independence clause. 

(Example)

When we were having our chemistry class.

Independent clause:

(Definition)

A sentence, therefore a group of words containing both subject and verb. 

(Example)

I took the trash downstairs so the room won't smell bad. 

Dependent clause:

(Definition)

A clause that gives additional information on the independent clause but can not stand by itself alone as a sentence. 

(Example)

It was very dark and scary. 

Detailed Thanksgiving

"The Eiffel Tower was so beautiful when lighted in the night when skies are dark" 

       As we walked through the crowded people I heard people yelling in different languages, most of them are all trying to take a nice picture with the Eiffel Tower, obviously we're all tourists. There are also peddlers that were trying to sell mini Eiffel Tower all around the plaza. The first time I saw the Eiffel Tower was in a sunny afternoon a few days ago, the moment was wonderful, it was even unreal to see it when I usually only see it on Internet and from books. This time in the night when the skies are so dark and black, the moment and the tower was even more unreal and beautiful. There are elevators that goes all the way up to the top of Eiffel Tower, I saw small dots in the middle of the Tower and the lights of elevator running through the tower. Eiffel Tower looked so much bigger from all I have seen in the past. That night under the Eiffel Tower, we were waiting for our dinner ship to come beside the Seine River and all of us in the tour group from Taiwan were all trying to help eachother for a good picture with the lighted tower. Although the the tour guide asked us to go down beside the river as soon as possible after we took our pictures, but all of us took as long as possible up there enjoying this very new, beautiful and unreal moment. 

Thanksgiving in Paris

Marinda Hsu

2015.12.01

English lS ll

Mrs. Guarino

                                                              Thanksgiving in Paris

      This was my second thanksgiving break since coming to the U.S.. Last year's thanksgiving break was terrible because my mom sent me to a homestay, it was too boring. But fortunately, this year I met my mom in Paris, France. The first few days have been nervous because of the terrorist attack that happened in Paris. I could tell the securities are working harder, there are police and soldiers with guns around the airport and places with crowded people. But overall this trip to Paris was still interesting and beautiful, I had never been to France and any countries like this. The buildings are breathtaking, they are so old but yet so huge with neat and beautiful statues, paintings on the wall. It was interesting that I found out many of the castles are built during the Renaissance which was what we're learning in our history class. I was actually proud to know what the tour guide was explaining to other people. 

     The Eiffel Tower was so beautiful when lighted in the night when skies are dark. The first few days when we are there, the tower is lighted with blue, white and red as France's flag. But the next few days the color turned back into normal yellowish light which I liked more. I felt lucky and relieved that me and my mother were safe for this trip. Over all, this was really a fun and new experience for me, I really liked France with all these well preserved ancient buildings. Another thing that was memorable was eating our dinner on a ship with glass roof and Windows on the Seine River. It was too beautiful as the ship rolled down the river and all these lighted buildings and bridges appeared into my vision. I would admit that as people have been saying that France is definitely a place with romance! 

Encouragement found in Gathering of Pearls

Marinda Hsu

2015.11.17

English ll

Mrs. Guarino

                                          Encouragement found in Gathering of Pearls 

    Gathering of Pearls written by Choi Sook nyul is a great book that I really enjoyed reading. It is a story written based on the author, a Korean girl going to a foreign country to study alone and all her experiences, growth and emotions during those days therefore especially her first year in college. The main character Sookan is a tough girl that always tried her best to do everything perfect and tried to fulfill people's expectation on her. Her friends in the U.S.—Marcy and Ellen influenced her a lot and she also did influence and taught lessons to her friends, it was fun and interesting to see hoe Sookan found out their cultural differences. It is also fun to observe that Sookan had gradually changed her characteristics more outgoing comparing to the previous parts of the story. 

      In my opinion, this story really relates to my life and my experience within these days starting last year when I first came to the U.S. for high school. I felt just as nervous, lonely and excited like Sookna did in the beginning, I had really bad homesick and been crying, too. Another thing I felt related to the book was doubting my choice coming to the U.S., it is always difficult to adapt to a whole new place with new people and new cultural even if you heard of it a lot. I was doubting myself for making this decision and doubting myself if I'm not mature enough just like Sookan did, but latter on, I found that rather than questioning everything, I should just work hard make this decision a correction and turn this decision into a successful pathway. After reading Sookan's story, I felt fortunately that days like now we do not have to wait for a letter from home for so long, it is so much easier to get in touch with our family in a far country with technology. Sookan worked so hard and had became a writer, this encourages me to keep up my attitude on studying and a new life in the U.S.. 

     Moreover, I really liked Sookan's mother saying that too much pressure will only make an oyster turn into pearls, especially for girls. When I was reading the ending of the story last night knowing that Sookan's mother was sick and had died, I felt terrible and sad that such a great, open-minded mother, beloved woman died without seeing her daughter growing up into an adult. This was a part that made me felt depressed, but to be honest, this is a story having an abundant plot and was really interesting to read. 

     In conclusion, I will recommend this novel—Gathering of Pearls, to my friends and specifically to friends and people that are studying aboard for the first few years. I really liked it and I want to show people around me what I enjoyed reading. This is a helpful story for overseas students and people studying aboard, it is positive, inspiring and at the same time interesting to read.  

Ending of Peter Pan

   I think the ending of Peter Pan is sad if you see it deeply, not just because Peter and Wendy only got to see eachother once a year, but how Wendy kept growing up and Peter did not. Peter Pan also did not admit that he is in love with Wendy at the end because love sometimes might force people to grow up and be mature, so rather than going back to reality with Wendy, Peter chose to be free and live a adventurous life. Therefore, Peter Pan for most of the time will be lonely which is very sad I think. Another part about Peter Pan fighting Hook. In my opinion, villain Hook represesents all the bad parts about a grown up and Peter Pan is always struggling and fighting to not grow up. 

Never a grown up

Marinda Hsu

2015.11.15

English ll

Mrs. Guarino

                                                                Never a Grown Up 

    The Peter Pan drama last night was amazing and reminded me of my childhood. Disney channel was what I loved the most during childhood, my first time knowing the story of Peter Pan was throughout Disney. It had been a long time since I've listened and watched Peter Pan, I had almost forgotten the plot of the story and it was nice to see all these scenes again yesterday. The show was blended with different emotions and I liked it when a show is not only with a single emotion because this made me felt more interested and willing to pay attention to the show. Some parts are humor, some parts are sad, angry and some parts are so fulled of happiness. I especially love the pirate scene, the dark red lighting and background are authentic and have created a creepy and intense feeling exactl like how it might feel like to be on a pirate ship. There is one more thing in the play that grabbed my attention, a part of the music was played by a flute I think, it was attracting my hearing and was lovely, I really liked the rhythm and melody, moreover I also plays flute so this was also an interesting part of the Peter Pan play that day. 

    Peter Pan was described and being told as a boy that did not want to grow up and therefore did not grow up as time past by even Wendy had grew up. Wendy understood that her parents was caring and loving her so she decided to stay back at home; On the other hand, Peter Pan did not go back home neither did he wanted to grow up. Peter Pan and his friends on Neverland were boys that are lonely and abandoned with no mother taking care of them, I thought they were all innocenct and kind boys but knows only a few about the world outside of their Neverland. I actually thought that the ending was a little bit sad and made me felt a little bit melancholy. I tried to think deeply about the ending of Peter Pan that night. My thought was that Peter Pan represents the childish heart and playfulness deeply inside all of us, all grown up. Wendy will always remember Peter Pan even if she never saw him again, just like how every grown up tried to be mature and act in good manners, being responsible, doing what they are supposed to be doing, but deeply inside everyone there will always be a forgotten Peter Pan. 

Reborn of discard building

Marinda Hsu

2015.11.05

English IS ll

Mrs. Guarino 

                                                       The Reborn of discard buildings

     In this world today, people brings their smart phone everywhere for many different uses; for me, besides contacting, the most important and useful thing I considered on a phone is its' camera. I captured moments in daily life I found interesting and should be memorized. I take pictures of foods, natural views, outfits, people and different places as I travel and found special. Recently I was considering to have my own camera and capture more detailed images to memorize each special moments in my life, I really wanted to capture the night sky in Cheshire filled with shinny, bright stars that I don't usually see back in the cities in Taiwan. But I never thought about taking pictures of places that are abandoned and discarded. People always took picture directly whenever they see beautiful things but most of us never considered and found the beauty of these details and corners in an abandoned building as these photographer did. I was surprised on how these photos came out so beautifully and amazing from perspectives that I would never have found. 

    I was wondering how could these photographers found all their perspective unique and wonderful that normal people will normally not. I was thinking that they must have an extremely careful and attentive sights on discovering beauty that people do not usually pay attention to. This is one of the most impressive part I understood throughout the whole event tonight. 

My second home

Marinda Hsu

English IS ll

Mrs. Guarino 

2015.11.05

                                                         Sookan's second home 

    I think Sookan had adapted really well into the American lifestyle and the new environment she is living in. She have friends and is accepting openly to a whole different culture comparing to Korean culture, therefore this might made Sookan surprised but gradually likes the American ideas better since it is more open and equal between men and women. But Sookan's agreement and support on American culture might make her sister Theresa angry since Theresa already warned Sookan not be influenced by a foreign culture and forgotten her original Korean culture and rules. Over all, I think Sookan will eventually become a Korean girl with an American girl's heart inside but at the same time struggling between her own ideas and her family's feeling and expectation on her. 

     Her sister Theresa wishes Sookan to go back to Korea in the future and become a nun just like her and participate in charity. Sookan will definitely have a disagreement and divergent ideas towards her sister in the future, maybe for not going back to Korea and becoming a nun or even maybe decided to marry someone in the U.S.! Many things that might happen in the U.S. and many ideas Sookan liked were not ideas Theresa accepts and agrees to, so Sookan's future decision might cause a big conflict between her relationship between Theresa. Sookan might find herself enjoying writing a lot since she became a great writer today. Also, I think that Sookan might find out latter on in the book that she should not stressed herself out so much and work so hard so hard to meet others' expectation, she should not give herself so much pressure and carry so many responsibilities on herself for being the only Korean student in the school. 

     Sookan will definitely experience more homesick since she has been crying already for a few times because of it, but I think she will not want to go back to Korea for a few reasons. First of all, she will not want to go back to Korea because she might feel guilty for not working hard enough and not being tough, mature enough as she had first promised for coming to the U.S.. She might feel sorry for going back without any big success to pay back for her mother's hard work and her family's expectation on her. Another reason is her sister and Korean's traditional might be something that became uncomfortable and not as acceptable for her anymore since she understood the open-minded American culture and likes it better to have the freedom on relationships between people and also freedom to choose who she is and prove what she can do on her own as a girl, a female. Sookan might be more aggressive and open comparing to the start of the story after the influence from her roommate Ellen's personality. Sookan might be more brave and confident to tell her ideas and dreams instead of being humbled as taught in Korea. There might be change of her personality as the story go on I think. 

   In conclusion, I thinks that Sookan will be facing more challenges and struggles between cultural difference, relationship between friends, family and also on her own thoughts for doing the right thing. Even if her sister is angry at her, she might still follows her heart and dream with Ellen and Marci's support. I think her biggest struggle will be her mother, she might feel guilty and sorry for not supporting her mother back in Korea and feel that she herself is a selfish daughter considering to traditional Korean thinking. Therefore, Sookan might also feel that America is her second home since she likes the American lifestyle and fits really well into the environment. She felt warmth from her friends' family and professor Bennett's family that she felt like home in a foreign country. 

Sookan's experience on Cultural Differences: Korea v.s. U.S

In Korea

1. Marriage is decided by the elders and young girls does not talk about it or decide it themselves. 

2. Young children are expected to respect more and fulfill what the elders' order and wishes on them. 

3. Women is expected to be serving meals and doing house works for men without doubt. 

4. Sookan and Korean teenagers would not get paid for babysitting their neighbor's children. 

5. Korean most likely would want to pay for a whole group of friends when going out for meals. 

In the U.S.

1. Marriage is often talked about and can be decided in one's own, for example, Ellen wanted to marry her boyfriend. 

2. Children dares more to do what they want with more open minded family, for example, Marci wanted to do something else she wanted rather than what her father and sister liked. 

3. Even men works in the kitchen and helps women on house workshop for example, professor Bennett cooking a meal for his family. 

4. Sookan got paid for babysitting professor's children. 

5. Sookan and Ellen pays separately (divided into two.) 

Do not worry

Marinda Hsu

English IS ll

Ms. Guerino

2015.10.27

         

                                            Do no worry 

After reading Sookan's feeling and experience when she first arrived to the U.S. I immediately related the event to myself because it is really similar to mine when I first arrive to the U.S for high school. I remembered the day holding on to huge luggages with my mom and brother in the airport back in Taiwan. I was looking forward and excited to be in New York for a few days with my mom and brother. I was not thinking about school, I thought it would be just like my bilingual school in Taiwan with no big differences. I was focusing on my phone to use some time left in Taiwan with Internet to say goodbye to my friends, I would definetly miss them so much, my father, too. I remembered well about that afternoon before me, my mother and my brother went in the gate. Three of my best friends went to the airport and surprised me; My grandparents were there with food; My aunt, uncle and my favorite sister cousin also went to the airport to say goodbye to me. We will still see eachother within a year when summer and Christmas comes, but I felt that we were never going to see eachother since all of these people that went to the airport for me, we were always together. It is hard to not feel sad, but I tried my best to smiled and bantered with them to make them feel that my decision going to the U.S. is correct and bright. I tried to pull my tears back into my eyes, I did not cried that afternoon. 

             After a few lovely, adventurous days me and my mother, brother have in Manhattan, New York, the day for registration of school came. I remembered that day when I woke up and felt the sa,e feeling I had when I was in the airport saying goodbye to my friends and family. I was glad that my mom came with me so my first longest flight was not that scary and lonely. The ride from our hotel in Manhattan to is about 2 hours. Within the two hours, I could not fell a sleep and was thinking about everything that happened. If I can not even do my own food orders in New York, If I can not understand what people are saying in their normal talking speed, why am I going to a school in the U.S. right now? What if I can not understand my classes and what if I don't get along with the people in my school? Questions are floating around me, I could not make them dissapear. Questions that are doubting my decision were flying around like flies, annoying but I got nothing to do to let them stop. I remembered how I promised my dad and my mom that going to the U.S. will make me a better person with better education and it will be so much better on everything comparing to Taiwan. My parents doubted my decision and thought I'm too childish to come alone for school, I persuaded them and made them believe in my decision. But who knows, when my parents agreed and satisfied about my plan, I was doubting the plan and decision myself. I made more friends in Taiwan, although my school in Taiwan was not that good but I got a lot of fun things to do with my friends, my parents and family are living in Taiwan, will I be able to go back for Chinese New Year and all the festivals in Taiwan? I was upset and missing Taiwan already on our ride to Cheshire Academy. 

         When I finally arrived, the campus was big and beautiful but I was still nervous. People start shaking hands with me and asked me how am I feeling. People in Taiwan don't usually be so outgoing and talkative for the first time we meet, we don't usually speak to people if we are not familiar with them. I was shy to ask what to do and where should I go for registration with my slowly English. After me and my mom set up my dorm room, she had to left with my brother for their flight that night. She started crying and my brother pulled her back to the car and tried to make jokes for her to stop her tears. I said goodbye with them and it seemed like the driver knew these kind of situations too much, he soon on started the car and wave goodbye to me with my mom opening the window saying goodbye and I remembered her saying do not worry, you'll be fine. I said back to her, I know. But actually I do not know. I was lying on my bed crying for the whole night. This was my first memory about leaving home to a foreign country. 

5 discussion questions for chapter 3 &4

1. When Sookan starts studying aboard, how do her family and kneibhors feel?

2. What are some differences between Sookan and Marci? 

3. What do the teachers think of Sookan?

4. What kind of person is Sookan's mother like and how is she different from other mothers in Korea?

5. What is the relationship between Marci and her sister?

Partner: Lilian

Author of The Gattering of Pearls

Sook nyul Choi is the author of Gattering of Pearls. Obviously by her name she is a korean. But after researching, I found it interesting that she is not just a normal Korean immigration to the U.S. Instead, she is a refugee from North Korea to South Korea then later immigrated to the U.S.. I think her background will make her story more unique from others and tell some stories about the war during her childhood time period. I also see that most of her writings are for children and younger adults' novel, storybook. 

Reading and writing for me

Marinda Hsu

English IS

Ms. Guerino

2015.10.12

                                                            Reading and writing

My high school life in the U.S. Requires me to read and write in a language that I don't usually speaks and is my second language. During this summer back at home, I remember my mom saying:" Why are you always on your phone? You used to read so much that I have to ask you to stop." I always answer her with a simple sentence:" I don't know, there's nothing fun to read." Actually, I have the exactly same question my mom is asking to myself, why do I start reading less after I grew older. I used to hide under my blanket with a small light up during sleep time to finish reading all these fiction novels I enjoyed reading so much. I also liked writing and writes good essay in Chinese, it is extremly easy for me since I’ve read so much Chinese books and knows so much Chinese vocabularies, so I can control my essay to be written out with plentiful of good word choices and exciting plot lines.  I liked reading a lot and whenever someone told me that reading is boring and hard, I feel suprise, because it is just like watching a movie for me. I really enjoy reading speculative novels for example, Sherlock Holmes, these genre makes reading exciting and varies, it is like going on an adventure, a trip throughout the book and solving problems step by step together with the characters.

    Within the school year, my ELL classes have been giving us English reading assignments which I mostly do not enjoy reading. Suprisngly, I really like our reading for the first semester--- Pesepolis; it is a graphic novel which we do not usually get and for me, never have had as a class book. With my small amount of known English vocabularies, it is more difficult for me to read a normal, thick novel, I’ll always have to stop and circle words I don’t know. But after all, my biggest problem is that I could not remember so many vocabularies once right after the reading. Eventually, graphic novels are interesting and have gave me a more visual analysis, understanding of the story. Besides graphic novel as my class reading, I actually liked my English class reading a lot back in my school in Taiwan, especially The Boy in Stripped Pajamas and The Giver. I have to admit that books I read outside of class are regularly Chinases books, just because I can connect to the words better and fell more into the story events. It is an immidiate connection and understanding of the words easily while reading books written in my first language I feel so comfortable speaking. I do not have a specific favorite book since in my opnion every book and story have their own property and style. But I really like a series of mandarin novels written by a Taiwanese author called Jiubadao(Chinese pronounciation). Most of his books are positive, inspiring and about youthhood’s adventures. I feel connected to the events in his novel and think that quotes in his books are actually useful and applies to my daily life. I can feel hope and feel my morale boosted up after reading his novel. His writting always made me look forward and expect my adolescence to be colorful, enrich and adventurous.

    In conclusion, I think reading and writting are interesting, enjoyable but at the same time difficult if you’re doing it in another language you’re still learning. I love reading and writing once ago when I was younger and I believe that one day I’ll pick up my good habbit I used to have again to love reading and feel easy about writting no matter in class or outside of school. I also hope that after my school life in the U.S. English can also be a language that I’m comfortable, familiar with. 

My favorite color is blue and pink! 👀💖