Sydney

Essay: My favorite cities - description

People look for different things in a "good" city. Some people value the educational system, others value the amount of readily available food. It all depends on personal preference. My favorite cities are not similar geographically, but they are share several common denominators - great food, abundant entertainment, and lots of culture.

Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities today, and it's easy to see why. The downtown area has been nicely redone, and the highway system makes all of the areas of town fairly easy to get to. Most importantly, there are thousands of amazing restaurants. The food in Austin is diverse and unbeatable. The diversity is high, and there is always something going on. Every year, either in September or October, Zilker Park hosts a three-day music festival with hundreds of artists called Austin City Limits (ACL). ACL is an amazing experience that really embodies Austin.

Another city that has a lot to offer is San Francisco. Not only does San Francisco have amazing views and weather, the people in San Francisco are really one-of-a-kind. San Francisco has several ethnic "pockets" like Chinatown and Little Italy, so there is always good food to be had. San Francisco is full of amazing coffee shops and bookstores as well. The entire vibe of the city is electric.

A final city that I love is Taipei. The heart of Taiwan, the streets of Taipei are crowded and full of street vendors selling dirt-cheap, delicious food. The people are busy but friendly, and there is so much international culture to take in, it isn't even funny. There is something beautiful in all of that running around in the city. Taipei is not necessarily "beautiful", but it is full of people and food that is.

Though I do not live in any of these cities at this point in my life, I hope to eventually. When you find a city you love, you'll know, because it just clicks.

Why was Mandira so mad at Khan after the killing and why does she leave him?

The main reason that Mandira was mad at Khan after Sam's death was because she believed that the reason Sam had been killed was because he had taken on Khan's Islamic last name. Khan does not dispute nor confirm this. In actuality, Mandira seems to be hysterical simply because of the death of her only son, who had been by her side in times of trouble and triumph when no one else was. However, I think that it is unlikely that Sam would have faced any other fate simply because of his last name. It doesn't seem like the kids who beat him up would really know the difference between a Hindu last name and a Muslim last name. They looked simply at the color of his skin.

Mexican Whiteboy

The first 100 pages are successful in establishing the main plot of the book -- Danny's baseball struggles and dreams, Uno's wish to live with his father, and conflict between the two. I can't say that after reading the first 50 pages I'm not able to predict exactly what will happen in the book - Danny will overcome his problems to become the true baseball player that he is, and he will be romantically involved with Liberty, and Uno will get enough money to live with his father somehow, and Danny and Uno will become friends. The only real mystery in the book is Danny's father, who seems just mysterious enough to make one wonder what is really going on. At first I wasn't a fan of the narrative switching back and forth between Uno and Danny, but as the book continues, I find myself appreciating it. It allows me to get inside both of their heads.

I can relate to Danny because both of us have parents with different ethnicites. I feel the isolation he feels, particularly when everyone is speaking Spanish and he can't (my mother never taught my family Chinese). It is a struggle to really know who you are when you can't even check one box, and sometimes I feel truly isolated from most everyone. But I think that in the end it is really an advantage. Instead of being raised in one culture, you are raised in two.

My favorite person

My favorite person isn't really a person. In actuality, she is a fictional character, but that doesn't change the fact that she is my favorite person. Her name is Kate Reed, from the USA television series //Fairly Legal//, which focuses on her tales of triumph and struggle as a mediator for a high powered law firm. Not only does she live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world (San Francisco) and have a killer sense of style, but she also fights for justice. She is appalled by injustice and she will do anything (even crazy things) to make sure that innocent people do not receive poor treatment. She is an idealist at heart but is always willing to fight for what she believes in. She will beg and plead, run and jump, and take all measures necessary to make sure that justice prevails. Most important of all, she never gives up. The phrase "give up" does not even enter her vocabulary. Though she struggles with accepting her father's death, living on his boat for months after the funeral, she eventually overcomes her grief to move on with her life and return to her days as a defender of justice. There is something so inspiring about her work. Previously, she worked as a lawyer, but ended up as a mediator because of her disappointment with the legal system. She could have made plenty of money acting as a lawyer in her family's firm, but she feels too strongly about justice and injustice to simply take the easy way out. I, too, want to live in a beautiful city and wear nice clothes, but mostly I want to fight against injustice just like Kate does.

Moving to a new country

If I had to move to a new country tomorrow, I would be excited. There is something endlessly romantic about possibility, and I think that possibility ties in with starting fresh in a completely new country. I have dreamed of living abroad for a very long time. Sometimes I feel trapped in my cocoon of routine. Despite my best efforts, I remain at home for my final high school summer, and I can feel a restlessness beginning to creep into me. I want new experiences, and new culture, and new people, and all of that can be found by moving to a new country.

Journal, 2

Well, I'm late. I can't say this isn't a regular occurrence, because, let's face it -- I'm good at being late. And really, when you think about it, being late is an art form. It isn't just sitting in your car waiting for the clock to read 5 past. No, no, being late takes much more skill. You have to be unrealistic about the amount of time that you have left, and you have to have such an impaired sense of judgement that you actually believe that you will make it on time, even when you leave 20 minutes later than usual. Once you have mastered the basic skills inherent in habitual tardiness, you can begin to relax into the art for that is running late.

Neighborhood Problems

I wouldn't say that they are necessarily outright problems...more like little cracks in the pavement - small, minute details that seem like nothing but are really what make the foundation shaky. For one thing, the neighborhood is full of old people. Yes, there are enough youngsters to have an elementary and high school, but the majority of the people are senior citizens. Nothing happens. If people are looking for a thrill, they head on over to the local grocery store to try a new type of bread. You can't grow flowers. Sure, deer are nice to look at (at first), but once they start to eat everything in sight, your perception seems to change. THings get even more complicated when deer start to dictate the flow of traffic. More accidents are caused by deer than by people. Don't even get me started on the cyclists. If you think that you own the road because you're covered in spandex and sweating uncontrollably, you're wrong.

On the Brain How many times do I need to do something before it becomes habitual? If I want to get myself on a certain track, studying and working for a certain number of hours a day, how long will it take me to convert it from a new experience to a routine? I'd like to know. Then again, so would everyone else. It seems like everyone is always searching for that formula, the one that will tell us how to fix everything and be perfect. We are always looking for the things that will keep us healthy and happy, but should we not just let nature take its course? It may be too late for that. We seem to be, already, too far gone. Maybe I'm just not a science person and how no interest in the way that my neurons behave. Maybe I should care. I'd like to see a brain scan of a vicious criminal. Is the section of their brain that focuses on emotion extra illuminated? Is the judgment section completely turned off? In comparison, how does my brain look? Can someone be mentally inclined to commit crime?

//Good job on this//

The Name Game Josh's name means "God protects me." He likes that his name relates to a saint. He used to be called Scotty, his middle name, but he seems to enjoy going by Josh.

//Too brief. Please add more//

Journal - June 18 I take comfort in routine. I like knowing that when I wake up, I'm going to do what I always do. I like feeling comfortable, safe, unsurprised. I don't think that I am by any means a boring, white-bread type of person. I just seem to relish in familiarity. I have waited thirteen years to finally leave my tiny little private school. I've counted down years, semesters, and months for the time that I could get out of the same school, same house, same people, but now that it's here, I can't help but fixate--what if I don't get in somewhere good bough? What if I can't afford any of the schools I get into? I'm not sure if I really am scared to leave or if I'm scared of change or failure or of leaving... who knows. I just don't feel nearly as excited as I thought I would be. More stressed than anything else. I kind of feel like there is something closing in on me. How dramatic of me. It's scary to think that in practically a year, I'll be living somewhere completely new, with new friends, no parents, and a totally different routine.

//Please post all the other assignments immediately//

Movie Questions Kayanna - In the airport, did the officers search him because he was distracted or because he was of a different race? Why was Khan's brother against the marriage even though they were raised by an accepting mother? Aristeo - What you think Khan really wants to tell the president of the USA? Why do you think the other muslims did not pray with Rizvan on the bus? Aubrey - Why do they presume that Khan is a terriorist? Why did Khan give $500 to a different religion(christian only event)? Augusta - Why does he have such a hard time talking to people? Why are people so amazed by the way Khan prays? Ivy - Why does he want to fly all the way to DC to tell the president that he was not a terrorist? Why was Mandira mad at her sister-in-law? Julianna - How does autism affect someone's ability to communicate? Why was Khan willing to go through so much pain/struggle to tell the president that he was a not a terroist? Why was Mandira so mad at Khan after the killing and why does she leave him? Josh - What is he playing with in the airport? Will khan be with his wife Mandira again? Jonah - Why does Khan want to meet the president? What happens to the kids who killed Sam? Alyssa - Why didn't Reese tell the cops about who killed Sam? Sydney - Will Reeses ever tell the truth and regret?