Being a Girl

Being a girl is hard. Sometimes I wonder how it would be to a boy. Girls go through so many things, I wonder if girls just complain about it and boys just do not complain or we really do go through a lot of things. There are so many differences in a female and male. Being a teenage girl, I never really get to go out. Girls mostly have more responsibility and known to be more fragile. My parents, especially, will not let me go out by myself if it is later than 9. They even admitted to me that they would let my little brother, if he was my age, go out later than this because he is a boy. The chance of me being in danger is more riskier than it is for him to get in danger. Which I guess is true because our world is pretty cruel and nasty. Sometimes I do agree that women should get equal rights as men, but when I think about it... If a man was to hit a women, it is wrong. But we are the ones asking for equal rights. No matter what sex you are if you get hurt you should get consequences but it should still be the same as if a male hit another male or a female hit another female. Also I wonder if you get the option, when you get married, to change your last name to your wives last name instead of wives changing their last name. I understand why men would not change their last name, because they create the babies. But maybe if we got the option to do that women would be treasured more like in China, girls/women are taken for granted and not wanted because they cannot carry a last name. Being a girl can be difficult but I guess the advantage is you are supposedly more fragile.

HTCC Worship Band

I am in the HTCC worship band and we are called LTE. There also another group that performs called, 3Gs. This is an older generation of the worship band. They are more skilled and have had a lot more experience. They also have very strong faith in God. They have been so helpful in training us to lead others towards God's grace and glory. They have helped our LTE worship band become greater at not just our faith but our skills in instruments. They train us every Saturday (when we perform on Sundays) to learn the the songs and music. They take their time and put so much into building us into better followers of Christ and musicians. The band started when we were just 12, 13, and 14 years old. We started off as newbies at everything. No one was an expert at any instrument. Our band started out small, with no drummer and a player for the keyboard, bass, acoustic and electric guitar. Daniel played the electric guitar, Nathan played the bass, Essence played the acoustic guitar, Lily played the keyboard, and I sang. We were not really sure if we could do it because we were missing a drummer and with little faith and hope that we would be good at all at leading. As we practiced more, the back-up drummer for the 3Gs offer to be our drummer and it really seemed that our band was complete. But being the only singer and a female, sometimes songs would not match my voice. Sometimes it would be too high or too low. Thankfully, two other boys, Sunbun and Suchat, offered to sing with our worship band. This really made our band complete.

Discrimination

In the film, Forest Gump, discrimination is displayed throughout this movie in several ways. We act different from others who we think are less intelligent, handicapped, sick, racially different, have a different skin tone, different religion and different political party. We act towards those who are less intelligent than us to make ourselves feel better. The less intelligent we think know less than we already do know and we feel like they should know just as much and all of us has been put down by several other people who are smarter than us and we think it is okay to finally but someone who is less intelligent than us in the position we once was in. In the movie, Forest Gump was treated differently because of his lack of intelligence. Just because he did not learn as well as other and had a different view of things they did not want him to attend a certain school. Because of the rejection of his acceptance was made, she slept with the principle to to get him into that school. We also act differently towards the handicapped because we also think we think they are "special" as in not on the same page as "regular" people are. We are all categorized into who is different and who is regular. We sometimes also give special treatment to those who are handicapped. We get up from our seats to let them sit or we open doors for them or we treat them with sincerity. Even though those things are not bad, everyone should treat everyone like that. Those who are sick we treat them like they never been treated, we love them and we do not get angry at them as much. We tend to do what they want and we always end up being with them. Because of their sickness, we are scared to loose them and we are scared to never see them again in case of a death. We only want to good memories before a death. But everyone should already treat each other like it is the last day for everyone, because we are not promised another day. We treat those who are racially different and have a different skin tone from us we also treat differently. We treat them differently because of the stereotypes made by others. We are scared or intimidated by them and tend to try to avoid them or we make fun of them not knowing what the outcome will be.

My Best Friend Essence

Essence is the funniest girl I know. Her sense of humor is above anyone I know. Essence is the most beautiful girl I know. Some girls do not feel beautiful without makeup, and she is one of those girls. But I honestly think she looks so beautiful without any makeup on. But when she does wear makeup, her makeup is always on point and she does it so well. Her beauty cannot be described in a sentence. She has so much of it and I wonder when she'll realize how beautiful she really is. Essence dresses casually. She always a unique cute top to go with her jeans or leggings. She wears her combat boots on colder days and her Vans on days she does not wear combat boots. She always carries lotion because she knows that her home girl (me) is always ashy. She always got my back and I love that about her. She plays the guitar and has an amazing voice. Her guitar skills are killer and her voice is so powerful, I feel so moved and touched when she sings. She is such a strong girl, not physically, but mentally. She has been through so many things  that I know would be hard for me to handle. But she has made it and I look up to her strength hoping one day I can become as strong as she is.
Essence and I also met at church. We also did not like each other very much at all. We always fought over the most silliest things and we made each other cry a lot as well. I guess I was not that friendly when I was younger. But as we grew older and got more involved with church, we grew closer to each other. We told each everything, non-important things and important things. Just as kids we were always saying silly things like, our crushes, our dream house, etc. I am so blessed to have her in my life. I frequently moved down to Newton, closer to where she lives, and we go to the same school now. New school means new friends and new rules and new everything. I am so blessed to have her show me around and be a friend to me. I am also blessed that God let us have classes together so it would no be so hard for me to make new friends. Essence is an amazing person and I do not know what I would do without her.

My Best Friend Lily

I have had a total of 3 deep close friends in my life time Lily, Essence, Choua and Lyna. This blog is going to be about my best friend Lily. She is exactly 5'3, has long and thick black hair, wears glasses with black frames like the 3-D glasses at the movie theater. She dresses so adorable, she wears peter pan collared shirts with cute skirts and beige oxfords to match every outfit she has. She plays the piano so beautifully and can harmonize to any voice. The way she plays makes everyone mesmerize with the patent she puts into it. She also dances to all kinds of music. She can make up a dance and learn dances so quick it is amazing. She is truly gifted girl.
Lily and I meant through church. Funny thing is I never really liked her when I was younger. I always  was jealous of her I guess you could say. We did not get along and were not friendly to each other at all, we actually made each other cry all the time. But other than that, as we got older we started to get closer and learn more about each other and to find things to just talk about. We fellowshipped with each other and others children from our Sunday class and we started to bond and become so close. Before we knew it we were calling each other best friends. I remember her staying over at my house all the time. Whenever we got a chance to have sleepovers, we took the advantage. As we grew up, we got closer to Christ and each other. She started playing the piano and I started playing the guitar. Other children from our Sunday class learned how to play other instruments as well. Before we knew it we wanted to start a worship band. That is what brought all of my youth today so close to each other.
Just this summer she told us she was moving away to Minnesota. I was so sadden by this. My best friend who I shared every secret with and shared so many good memories was leaving and I could not stop her. Everyone was going to miss her and her family. She was the kind of person that would light a whole room when it is dark. She helped lead all of us closer to God. She had such amazing roles in the church that she did not know and was never recognized for. She is truly a blessing from God and I know God has a plan for her in Minnesota. The last goodbye I gave her was the saddest goodbye I have ever said to anyone. Tears were unstoppable and emotions were indescribable. She told each one of us to move forward with our worship band and to continue to search for God. She left and is missed so much by everyone. I know it is not goodbye though.

Discuss the extent to which Bradstreet's poetry reflects Puritan thinking. Analyze in particular the way Bradstreet reflects her own spirituality and fears in the process of describing an actual event in “Here Follows Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House.”

In Anne Bradstreet's poetry she reflects her Puritan way of thinking. In her poem "Upon the Burning of Our House" she tells the readers about all the valuables in her life that were taken away from her after the fire that occurred in her home. She describes her valuables as "That laid my goods now in the dust" (line 15) and "My pleasant things in ashes lie And them behold no more shall I" (lines 28-29) in these lines she is describing her things as they are destroyed and she can not get those valuables back. She is constantly renaming all her things that were lost and continuing to discuss all the things she will not have anymore because of the fire such as "Under they roof no guest shall sit, Nor at thy Table eat a bit. No pleasant talk shall 'ere be told Nor things recounted done of old. No Candle e'er shall shine in Thee, Nor bridegroom's voice e'er heard shall be" (lines 30-35) After her first two stanzas, she then goes to the Puritan way of thinking. "There's wealth enough, I need no more, Farewell, my pelf, farewell, my store. The world no longer let me love, My hope and treasure lies above" (Lines 53-56) She says in these lines that she already has enough and does not need anything more. Anne says her goodbyes to her home, all the things she loved and she hopes all her valuables will be in heaven waiting for her since they did not last on earth. Anne is trying not to worry about the things she has lost because she knows they are only materialistic items and Puritans are not suppose to care about materialistic things.

Imagine that a reality show has offered you the chance to win a million dollars. The catch is that you will have to give up an object, a person, or a belief that you truly value. Assume that you are not willing to make the sacrifice. Write a brief letter to explain why you must turn down the money.

If I had a chance to have a million dollars for giving up my belief, I would not take it. My religion is way more meaningful then a million dollars. I know that if I did give up my religion for one million dollars, it would not be worth it. One million dollars can only last a moment in time and can only be used on earth. No one knows what we can take or cannot take when we are not on earth anymore. Like Anne Bradstreet, she knew that even when her house did burn down and all her items were destroyed, she knew God had it all handled. I know that God has it all handled as well. He knows what I need and that one million dollars would be helpful to live on but it really is just a test from God. He wants to know if you are willing to deny him for the temptation of money. I will not accept the money because my religion is more important than money. All of the things that were sacrificed for me and all the things that were given to me by the Lord and by Jesus Christ means so much more then just one million dollars. With one million dollars you can buy several things but once all the money is gone what are you suppose to do? God and Jesus Christ will never run out and they will always be there. I would be tempted to take that one million dollars and just pretend like I did give up my religion but that still would not be right. Although money is nice, you should never put it in front of anything and anyone because there are more important things in life that are better then just the joy of money. Such as having family and friends who care for you. Love is also something so precious that is irreplaceable. Money can buy you fake friends and fake love but if money does buy you those things it is ridiculous because you can have all of the things you paid for, for free.

4. Preserving one’s reputation is a prevalent theme in The Crucible. Examine three characters in detail who are concerned with their reputations. How does this affect how they act? How are their situations similar or different? Is a good name more important than the truth?

One of the characters that cared so much about their reputation was Reverend Parris. Reverend Parris was only worried about him. He was very clear in the book claiming it took him forever to earn everyone's respect in the church. Since he was the Reverend, people looked up to him, or so he thought they did. When Betty was first "sick" in the beginning he cared for her but he cared about what others would think if witchcraft was involved in her sickness. He thought that if she was conjured by a witch in his "holy" house that it would look bad upon him because he is a Reverend and reverends are suppose to be holy. Another character that was concerned about their reputation was Deputy Governor Danforth. He was proud of who he was and bragged about himself. But once he knew that witchcraft was only a lie made by Abigail, he knew it was wrong but he continued to hang people. Danforth did not want to look bad in front of Salem because they had already hung several innocent people and he could not let his reputation be ruined with a lie made by a girl. He then let those who confessed that they were into witchcraft or they were with the devil. This made him have proof that he did not just let them be free but they admit to being the devil or doing witchcraft things. Even though he knew that they were innocent and they did not sign the confession then he would hang them anyways, which is murder. The other character who cared about their reputation is Abigial Williams. Abigail cares about her reputation as well and wants others to care for her. Reverend Parris spoke with Abigail about his reputation and she claims her name is being blackened by Elizabeth Proctor because of her "rumors" that were made. She did not want everyone to think of her as a whore because of he affair with John Proctor. She was still Reverend Parris' niece and should keep a good reputation to look up too.

7. In The Crucible, Arthur Miller suggests that sacrifices may be necessary to restore the social order. Discuss the necessary sacrifices made by at least two of the play’s characters, analyzing why they were necessary. Be sure to choose sacrifices that are similar in nature

With Arthur Miller's suggestion of the thought that sacrifices may be necessary to restore the social order is quite expressed in his play, The Crucible. Chaos struck in Salem and it all started with a little white lie. Because of this lie made, many people were killed for no apparent reason and were accused by girls who had no proof of what was done. These accusations were made and several innocent people were killed. Everyone thought the accusations that were made were true. They wanted to get rid of all the witches in Salem. But once a respected women, Rebecca Nurse, was accused for murdering Ann Putnam's unbaptized babies. Rebecca Nurse was well respected and had many children of her own, along with many grandchildren. It was hard to believe she would have been accused. Since she was accused, she was asked to confess to witchcraft. But she refuses to tell any lies. Rebecca knows that she does not believe in any sort of murdering or witchcraft. After Reverend Hale repeatedly asked her to confess she still refused sticking to her belief, while everyone else strayed from their beliefs. Another character that had to sacrifice his life to restore social order is John Proctor. John Proctor was just a regular farmer but his wife was accused by his ex lover, Abigail. Because of Abigail's accusation of Elizabeth Proctor, John's wife, John tried to get Elizabeth out of jail and tried to win her back. Because he tried and got accused of forcing Mary Warren to signing the devil's book he was sent to jail as well. John was guilty of his sins and he knew he committed them. John Proctor was also a good man. He may have created sins and such but he was still a father to his son and a husband to his wife. He did his part at home, to farm and etc. Proctor wanted to admit that he was using witchcraft so he could live for his children. He was going to sign his name but he decided not to because if he did, it would look bad on his children. He knew it would disgrace them knowing their father was into witchcraft compared to being hanged by what he believed in. As it got closer to their hanging date, many citizens of Salem started to scold Abigail and Reverend Parris. Because of the scolding, Abigail left Salem and did not tell anyone she was leaving.