Romeo And Juliet: Statements

I would/would not consider doing what Juliet decides to do because...
I don't think I could ever consider doing what Juliet did. She committed suicide for love. Was it so impossible for her to move on? To find another? I'm not like that. I'm pretty sure I could move on, find another, and live my life to the fullest. You have to consider that Juliet is only 13. She really doesn't know what love is. She made a mistake. Her "forever" lasted a total of 3 days. While her pain was probably unbearable, she could have dealt with it differently, but at 13, hormones are raging, and your thoughts are not yours. They are controlled by the hormones. I'd like to think that I was more mature at 13. I think I knew, even then, that I could never do what Juliet did. They say your first love is your worst if it comes with a broken heart. While Juliet's didn't come with a broken heart, it did eventually come with death. As for me, my first love hasn't come along yet, and when it does, there is no way I could ever even consider attempting Juliet's decision.



What I've discovered thus far about Juliet is...
Juliet has some delusions about love. She doesn't know what real love is. She loved one boy, for all of 5 days. She thought they were forever. She didn't realize that things can change in an instant. Your life, your forever, can end in a single moment. A small glitch in the plan can cause a tragic ending. She made a mistake, rushing into love. She made an even bigger mistake rushing into a marriage. If it was me, I would have made some different decisions. She could have waited, and maybe everything would have been different. If she had waited to get married, I'm willing to bet that Tybalt would still be alive, as well as Romeo's mother. She could have done everything differently, but her hormones were raging, and she had no control. She made some serious mistakes, mistakes that couldn't be undone.

Hold My Heart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBctwtTF2oY

Journal Entries

For this assignment I was given two topics to write journal entries on. The first topic is, "Being a teenager can be difficult..." To be perfectly honest, I could probably write a 2000 page novel on that. The other topic I'll probably struggle with. It is, "The worst decision I have ever made..." I've never really made a bad decision. I did toy with the idea of writing, " The worst decision I have ever made is to not complete this assignment, " but thought better of it. Here we go:)

Being a teenager can be difficult. I think a better word here would probably be is or will be. It will be hard, not matter who you are. The older people reading this know it was hard. I know it's hard, and I'm not all the way through being a teenager yet.
You have to deal with other teenagers, which may be the hardest part of it. At that age, they think they're perfect, that they know everything, that they're unstoppable. I guess I'm the exception to that, but I've grown up faster than most. I know I'm not perfect. I probably will never be perfect. I don't know everything, and I most likely never will. I am most definitely not unstoppable. I struggle with fears every day. I have pretty low self-esteem. I am comfortable in my own skin. I know who I am....but I still worry about what others think. That's one of the worst parts of being a teenager.
The second worst part, in my opinion, is the changes. You have to deal with changes in your body, but more importantly your emotions and reactions. In some cases, you have no control over it. That's what being hormonally imbalanced is all about:) You can go from being happier than you've ever been to incredibly depressed. You have to learn to adapt, no matter how hard it is.
The assignment said I was supposed to relate this to Romeo and Juliet somehow, so how about this? They faced the persecution of their friends, just like we do. They had to deal with stubborn parents, just like us. They had to battle their own personal demons, although I'm pretty sure death isn't one for many of us. Being a teenager then wasn't really all that different from how it is now. That's a strange thought. Nearly 520 years can go by, but the basics are still the same.
Basically, while being a teenager can be difficult, try to make it a good experience. I'm trying to do that everyday. While some days are bad, forget and move on. Remember the good times, always!

The worst decision I've ever made is nonexistent at the moment. Either that, or I just haven't made it yet. I was raised to think through choices before finalizing decisions, and that's exactly what I've done. I've never made a truly terrible choice. My life is good, and I wouldn't go back and change anything. I've learned from any mistakes I've made, and none of them were the result of a bad decision.
I guess it depends on your definition of WORST. I'm thinking something terrible, like attempting suicide or something. Can't say I've ever done that. I'm happy. There's no reason for me to make a bad choice.
In relating this to Romeo and Juliet, they both made bad choices. Romeo killed Tybalt and Paris. Juliet married Romeo without parental consent. In the end, they both committed suicide, which would be the worst decision either of them have ever made.
I really don't think I can write a page and a half on not making bad choices. Take my advice: There is no point to bad choices. There are no rewards, and while sometimes you may have instant gratification, in the long run, it often doesn't work out. Like my dad says every day when he drops me off at school, "Have a good day. Make good choices!"

My Logo: Revised and Updated

The book and the pen represent the fact that I'm a writer, and I love to read. They represent the fact that the written word travels, and it is translated so that all of us may read it at one point or another.  

The picture depicting the music note represents my love for music. It shows that music is the international language, and it doesn't matter if you understand the words, as long as the music makes you feel something.  

The flag represents my English roots. I love my family, and they are a huge part of my identity. I am only second generation Canadian, and I find that interesting. I have an appreciation for England, and for its contributions to the world.

The picture of the old camera represents my love of photography, but at the same time, it represents the beauty of this world that can be found anywhere. There are no language barriers when it comes to photography.  

The photograph of the piano represents the fact that I play the piano. It's a significant part of me. I play pieces from all over the world, and that's really neat. We don't all have to speak the same language to love music, whether classical or contemporary.

Finally, my name appears on my logo because it is obviously a big part of my identity, but it also comes from both Hebrew and Japanese roots, proving that names are international.

Second Diplomatic Posting: Let's Look Back

It's a little bit crazy to think that Grade 10 is halfway over. With the end of the semester came a new Humanities teacher, and the end of the Second Diplomatic Posting.
I enjoyed this unit. It seemed to go really well. All of the assignments were interesting and intriguing. They were challenging, which is good. I was able to write an essay. I love essays!!
In this posting, we read To Kill A Mockingbird. I'd heard bad things about the book, but I wanted to form my own opinion. While I didn't really enjoy the book, it did have a lot to offer, meaning the themes. These included social inequality, racism, prejudice, courage, bravery, and many other important aspects. While I personally don't enjoy the book, it did teach me some valuable life lessons. Those lessons could help others as well, and it was interesting to analyze the text.
One thing I definitely want to do more of is write essays. I love to think critically and analytically, which is quite different than most people. I enjoy delving deeper into a topic. That's probably why I'm looking into the literary field for after high school.
I want to work on taking more time to work on assignments. I did feel like I rushed too much in this semester, but I will work on it. That will change.
Overall, it was a very good posting, in my eyes. I enjoyed it, and I hope that Humanities keeps getting better.

COURAGE IS...

Pieces of Me

Okay, so a few posts ago, I promised a more personal post. While this is personal, it was an assignment for Humanities. I love it, and I thought I'd share it....so enjoy. I call this, "Pieces of Me."

In grade 7, I was given an assignment. The assignment was to write a poem about who I was, how I viewed myself, and how others viewed me. This is what I wrote:

I am a writer and a dreamer.

I wonder why.

I hear thoughts of others and myself.

I see life through different eyes every day.

I want to be myself, and carefree.

I am a writer and a dreamer.

I pretend to be someone I’m not.

I feel every emotion at once.

I touch a pen and words flow.

I worry entirely too much for a teenager.

I cry when things are rough, or too good to be true.

I am a writer and a dreamer.

I understand so much more than I did before.

I say that hate is easy, but love takes courage.

I dream of everything.

I try so hard.

I hope for the impossible.

I am a writer and a dreamer.

And whether you like it or not,

I am me.

            The truth is, who I am hasn’t changed a whole lot. I know that deep down I’m the same. I’ve matured, sure, but then again, I’ve always been “older” than those my own age. Somebody once told me that I was born 30, and get older every year, and it’s true. I don’t act like I’m not quite 16, but that’s because I’ve been through a lot of changes. When you move a lot, you learn to adapt. You change when a relationship that you’ve always viewed as unbreakable falls apart. You never expect you maternal grandparents to split up and file for divorce. You change when your Great Aunt, whom you thought was happy and healthy, dies suddenly. You change whenever life throws something new at you, be it immature teenage boys bullying you, or having to deal with the pointless drama that teenage girls somehow get you involved in. You grow as a person. That’s me. The things that have happened in my life have changed who I am, my identity. Remember my poem? All those things happened after I wrote my poem. What does that say about me? I was mature long before my life changed so completely.

            My interests also contribute to my identity. I love music. I love listening to it, but also making it. I play the piano and sing, and that’s a huge part of me. It’s one of my ways of expressing myself. Writing is one of my passions. I love the feeling of a pen in my hand. I feel unstoppable. I love reading as well. There is a wealth of knowledge to be found in literature. I started reading at 4 years old, and I haven’t stopped yet. I’m a part-time movie buff. Name a movie, and if I haven’t seen it, I’ve probably heard of it. Most people know that I love the TV show, Glee. They don’t know why. I love the music, but I also like that I can relate to the members of the glee club. Rachel Berry and I have a lot of similarities. I also love history. I don’t remember who it was that said, “If you do not learn from the past, you are doomed to repeat it,” but it’s true. I’ve seen it in my short lifetime, which is why I love history so much. It’s something that I can continuously learn from.

            When it comes to my identity, my beliefs and my religion go hand in hand. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I’m a Mormon. I believe my church’s teachings completely. They have altered my perception of the world, and I am grateful for them.

            My language is not a huge part of me. I speak English fluently, and can understand some French, Spanish, and Italian. I also understand real English, meaning the kind that comes from England, slang and all.

            To be perfectly honest, my traditions don’t really contribute to my identity. I don’t think that getting new pyjamas every Christmas Eve alters who I am, and my family’s Christmas breakfast doesn’t either. The only tradition that affects me in any way is our family’s reading of the Christmas story (as found in the Bible; book of Luke) every Christmas Eve, as it reaffirms my beliefs.

            My ethnicity and background shape me to some extent. First and foremost, I’m second generation Canadian. My grandparents came from England 40 years ago. That’s a big part of who I am. I have quirks that are quite obviously British. Having an English background affects my views on historical matters, such as wars and settlements. To some degree, it also affects my taste in music and movies. A strong British accent makes me feel at home, so a lot of my favourite actors and actresses are from England. My background does affect me in other ways, like food. My family does a lot of traditional English cooking, and that’s something that I’ve grown used to. My grandparents are a big part of my life, and they’ve brought England into it.

            I think that my style affects my identity a little bit, but not a whole lot. I had a hard time thinking of how to describe my style, but then I remembered something said by Kurt Hummel in Glee.  “Rachel manages to dress like a grandmother and a toddler at the same time.” He’s referring to Rachel Berry, the character I feel I identify the most with. I don’t dress like other people my age. I wear cardigans. I put little bows in my hair, bows that a toddler would wear. My hair isn’t long, or blonde, like every other teenage girl. My style is unique to me.

            One of the things that affects my identity in a huge way is who I look up to, my role models. My mother is my primary role model. She is always there for me, through the good and the bad. She is a strong, loving individual, and I hope I can measure up to her example. She has faced adversity, and shown me how to be strong. My next role model would be my paternal grandmother, Pauline. She came to Canada in 1970, with her husband and two toddlers. They had next to nothing in terms of money and belongings. She made do with what little they had, and even added two more children to the family, including my father. She has had her fair share of difficulties in her life, but she still manages to stay fairly positive, and she has influenced me far more than she’ll ever know. My third role model is my Auntie Margaret, my Grandma Pauline’s older sister. She was one of the happiest people I’ve ever met. She didn’t let life get her down. She was kind to everyone she met, and willing to help in whatever capacity she could. She was a great example to me, and I just wish I could have told her that before she left us. These three women have inspired and assisted me more than words can express, and without their example, I would not be who I am today.

            All of these things make up who I am, my identity. They are what I see in myself, but also what others see in me. I AM ME.