· I would describe this class opposed to my other English classes because in a certain way it is a more mature class. We are learning things that are on a whole different level, that are not only short novels and stories but very interesting books and information that is in a different scale. Also our way of learning, my past classes had been a lot of vocabulary, essays, etc. instead in this class I did a lot of reading and analyzing which I hadn’t seen before.
· The instruction was very clear the class was very straight forward and I always understood what we were doing. And when we didn’t understand we would always discuss in class everything.
· I would describe myself as a very responsible and hard work student. I did almost all the homework assigned and read my books. I paid attention and participated in class discussions. I am an applied students and always looking forward to learning new things.
· I don’t think the class policies were at all unfair, I actually liked a lot the “Plus and Minuses”. The rules were very clear and not difficult to follow.
· Yes, I did like the literary circles we viewed in this class considering in past years we read stories but this year we read important pieces of literature and saw different styles. The literary circles we looked at this year were great.
· The book I liked the most was Tao Te Ching
· The book I liked the least was Njals saga.
· I actually read all the books assigned for this class, I thought they were all really good and they will help us in the future.
· Yes, I would recommend this class to a friend because it was different from any English class was you have ever had. You will truly learn more things and go up a level. You will also learn a lot but at the same time have fun.
· I can take a lot from this class, for example my analyzing skills, reading more advanced pieces, team work and basically a lot of great memories I had a great time this year!!
viernes, 1 de febrero de 2008
martes, 15 de enero de 2008
Njal´s Saga 78-52
When I finish reading the chapters assigned for the day at the end of the book there are some notes about some of the chapters. And i really thought that the notes of chapter 91 are really interesting. I liked the following quotes:
"The effect of every action is two-sided". I like this quote because it is totally true from my point of view, when anyone tells you something it is not for your benefit but for theirs. People always consciously or unconsciously do things that benefit them. That's why the world is so ruined because we do everything revolving around us and do things that fit us best.
"We must put out such a wide net". This means that you should always have patience. because it is a metaphor that is related with fishing, which is a very slow thing to do. So he says that even though it will take long you know the outcome is going to be good.
"Pay him a red skin for his grey one". I can interpret this quote the following way: that even though someone did not such a good job you are going to reward him/ her well.
So far I have really like Njal's Saga and I like the quotes a lot.
"The effect of every action is two-sided". I like this quote because it is totally true from my point of view, when anyone tells you something it is not for your benefit but for theirs. People always consciously or unconsciously do things that benefit them. That's why the world is so ruined because we do everything revolving around us and do things that fit us best.
"We must put out such a wide net". This means that you should always have patience. because it is a metaphor that is related with fishing, which is a very slow thing to do. So he says that even though it will take long you know the outcome is going to be good.
"Pay him a red skin for his grey one". I can interpret this quote the following way: that even though someone did not such a good job you are going to reward him/ her well.
So far I have really like Njal's Saga and I like the quotes a lot.
lunes, 14 de enero de 2008
Njal´s Saga 60-77
At the beginning of today's reading there was something that I noticed that I thought was very
nice. Njal is talking and he says ".....my friend Helgi". I thought this was a very nice gesture
because like it is said Helgi is Njal´s actual son and instead of calling him
son he tells him friend, which is the exact kind of relationship a kid and his parent should have.
So i decided to do this blog about his beacuse my mother always tells me that more than mother/daughter we are friends. I think both Gunnar and my mom are right, because to trust someone you frist have to be frinds with that person. A relationship of a child and a parent cant be based on the order tha parent says, it is based on communication and trust. I like that they mention this and in the last pages it is clearly explained that the bond that Njal and Helgi have is very tight.
And when think about it my mom and I are very good friends and I think that considering each other our friend has helped built our relationship stronger and bigger. Also it makes me think that when i grow up I want to be just like this with my children. I want to listen to them, talk to them, and very importantly: trust them, and vice versa. I think it was very important that they included this in the Saga and that they explained it.
nice. Njal is talking and he says ".....my friend Helgi". I thought this was a very nice gesture
because like it is said Helgi is Njal´s actual son and instead of calling him
son he tells him friend, which is the exact kind of relationship a kid and his parent should have.
So i decided to do this blog about his beacuse my mother always tells me that more than mother/daughter we are friends. I think both Gunnar and my mom are right, because to trust someone you frist have to be frinds with that person. A relationship of a child and a parent cant be based on the order tha parent says, it is based on communication and trust. I like that they mention this and in the last pages it is clearly explained that the bond that Njal and Helgi have is very tight.
And when think about it my mom and I are very good friends and I think that considering each other our friend has helped built our relationship stronger and bigger. Also it makes me think that when i grow up I want to be just like this with my children. I want to listen to them, talk to them, and very importantly: trust them, and vice versa. I think it was very important that they included this in the Saga and that they explained it.
Njal´s Saga 39-59
Recently in a "Write Now" there was a question that really caught my attention is was stated like this: If Gunnar and Njal were real life actors who would they be? I find this question very fun to answer so I decided to do my blog about it, considering in the reading I did today confirmed it even more.
If Gunnar was a real life actor i would say he is Brad Pitt. This is because Gunnar is described as a valiant young man , and I cant hep thinking about him in his "Troy" outfit all string and brave. Also the personality I think might fit. Gunnar is not afraid of anything and so isn't Brad, or at least the rolls he has played. He has a very strong personality and he is good with girls, meaning he can get any girl he wants.
Njals could be interpreted as Johnny Depp, I can think of this unique character because he is very serious but at the same time wise. He is really handsome but reserved also. He can interpret fascinating and extravagant characters like Jack Sparrow but serious and discrete one like in Finding Neverland. He looks like a very simple man who doesn't talk too much, but with the few things he says it is just enough.
When reading the chapters assigned for today, I confirmed my Write Now thoughts, because a man like Gunnar_Brad Pitt, needs someone like Njal-Johnny Depp to put his feet back on land. You always need a friend who is not as crazy as you but who wants the best for you and gives you good advice just as Njal does.
If Gunnar was a real life actor i would say he is Brad Pitt. This is because Gunnar is described as a valiant young man , and I cant hep thinking about him in his "Troy" outfit all string and brave. Also the personality I think might fit. Gunnar is not afraid of anything and so isn't Brad, or at least the rolls he has played. He has a very strong personality and he is good with girls, meaning he can get any girl he wants.
Njals could be interpreted as Johnny Depp, I can think of this unique character because he is very serious but at the same time wise. He is really handsome but reserved also. He can interpret fascinating and extravagant characters like Jack Sparrow but serious and discrete one like in Finding Neverland. He looks like a very simple man who doesn't talk too much, but with the few things he says it is just enough.
When reading the chapters assigned for today, I confirmed my Write Now thoughts, because a man like Gunnar_Brad Pitt, needs someone like Njal-Johnny Depp to put his feet back on land. You always need a friend who is not as crazy as you but who wants the best for you and gives you good advice just as Njal does.
domingo, 13 de enero de 2008
Njal´s Saga 30-38
Chapters 30-38 were much more understandable tan the others. I got things a lot better and there were a lot of important events. Fewer people are introduced this time so that was a really good thing. A thing that happened in the last chapters caught my attention. When Gunnar and Hallgerd (Gunnars wife) went to a dinner in the house of Njal and Bergthora´s house and considering Gunnar was a great friend of Njal Hallgerd started to become like jealous of him so there was Gunnar in just the m idle of the fight.
This happens to me a lot, many times when I have two good friends and they fight with each other I am in the middle of the fight and I really doubt know what to do because though I like them both I cant lean towards one side or the other. In fact that happened to me approximately 1 year ago, two of my good friends where fighting and I was just in the middle. I couldn’t spend break with one of them because the other would get mad and vice versa. It was really awkward but at the same time disturbing, because I had nothing to do with that. And the worst of all is that at the end they ended up forgiving each other and they didn’t like me as much! I was really mad, because since the beginning I had nothing to do with it, but I got over it. Something that also happens is that when you have a class with two of your friends and they don’t like each other you never know what to do when its partners or projects etc.
So in conclusion this part of the story got me very familiarized with Gunnar because I know what he is feeling! But when you really think about it when this sort of things happen the best thing to do is frist never take a side, which Gunnar did, and second back of just a bit, trust me it is better!
This happens to me a lot, many times when I have two good friends and they fight with each other I am in the middle of the fight and I really doubt know what to do because though I like them both I cant lean towards one side or the other. In fact that happened to me approximately 1 year ago, two of my good friends where fighting and I was just in the middle. I couldn’t spend break with one of them because the other would get mad and vice versa. It was really awkward but at the same time disturbing, because I had nothing to do with that. And the worst of all is that at the end they ended up forgiving each other and they didn’t like me as much! I was really mad, because since the beginning I had nothing to do with it, but I got over it. Something that also happens is that when you have a class with two of your friends and they don’t like each other you never know what to do when its partners or projects etc.
So in conclusion this part of the story got me very familiarized with Gunnar because I know what he is feeling! But when you really think about it when this sort of things happen the best thing to do is frist never take a side, which Gunnar did, and second back of just a bit, trust me it is better!
Matthew 23-28
On chapter 26 after the last supper when Jesus knows Judas is going to betray him, he goes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. I found it very interesting the thoughts that go through Jesus at that moment. He starts praying to his father if it is possible to escape the suffering that is coming. This shows weakness from his part because considering he is the son of God you wouldn’t think he actually feels the pain, but instead he does, and he feels it just like a normal human being. When Jesus is being crucified he says the following phrase which left me amazed: “My Gog, my God why have you forsaken me?” (27:46): I relate this quote with my personal life because when something in my life goes wrong or not the way I wanted I think that God has forgotten about me, but that’s to true. Because regardless what happens to you, God is always there by your side and he will n ever abandon you. And even though things don’t always go the things you wanted, it all happens for a reason.
Matthew was a great part of the New Testament considering it describes Jesus’ life from beginning to end.
Matthew was a great part of the New Testament considering it describes Jesus’ life from beginning to end.
miércoles, 9 de enero de 2008
Njal´s Saga 19-29
Reading the Njal’s Saga was a totally different experience from that of reading the bible. It is like a story or a short novel that concerns different poeole based on one knowledgable man.
One thing I found very confusing is that they mention a lot of names at the beginning of each chapter and they mention who is the son of who and everyone’s relationship with everyone, even if it doesn’t matter. Which at the end makes it very confusing to know who is who and where did they come from.
I could make two categories or stories of the pages we had to read: The first one would be chapter 19-26 and the other chapter is 26-30. In the first part they introduce a lot of characters but the main is Gunnar they tell e is a man who has a friend called Unn. One day Unn comes to him and tells him she is in a big need for money and she needs his help. Soon Gunnar tells Unn that all his money is at her disposition, but she tells him she doesn’t want that. She tells him that she wants to regain some lands that were hers. So she tells Gunnar to go to Njal who is a very wise man from other lands and that he will give him advice of how she will regain her money back. When he arrives to this man and tells I’m all his issues he says he has a way to save this money. He gives him a set of instructions which include dressing in a cape with hood, taking two men each with two horses (one thin and one large), and telling he is sort of a merchandiser. He then talks to Hrut and they will discus and at the end he will win the argument and regain all the money. And so does this happen just as Njal said so and successfully Gunnar returns the money to Unn. This is basically the same story, we can see that Njal is a very wise man who everyone goes for advise and they all end winning.
The second part of the reading was basically about Njal himself and his sons. It tells a short description of all his sos and their names. Njal has a great urge to marry them and is looking for a wife for every one of them. There is a man names Asgrim who has a daughter and he is marries with one of Njal´s sons. At the feast Gunnar is at the party. I really didn’t understand how the story ended.
To be sincere this is not one of my favorite pieces that we’ve read. I’m more into the Tao Te Ching and the Annalects kind of stuff, but it is always good to read different stuff and learn from it.
One thing I found very confusing is that they mention a lot of names at the beginning of each chapter and they mention who is the son of who and everyone’s relationship with everyone, even if it doesn’t matter. Which at the end makes it very confusing to know who is who and where did they come from.
I could make two categories or stories of the pages we had to read: The first one would be chapter 19-26 and the other chapter is 26-30. In the first part they introduce a lot of characters but the main is Gunnar they tell e is a man who has a friend called Unn. One day Unn comes to him and tells him she is in a big need for money and she needs his help. Soon Gunnar tells Unn that all his money is at her disposition, but she tells him she doesn’t want that. She tells him that she wants to regain some lands that were hers. So she tells Gunnar to go to Njal who is a very wise man from other lands and that he will give him advice of how she will regain her money back. When he arrives to this man and tells I’m all his issues he says he has a way to save this money. He gives him a set of instructions which include dressing in a cape with hood, taking two men each with two horses (one thin and one large), and telling he is sort of a merchandiser. He then talks to Hrut and they will discus and at the end he will win the argument and regain all the money. And so does this happen just as Njal said so and successfully Gunnar returns the money to Unn. This is basically the same story, we can see that Njal is a very wise man who everyone goes for advise and they all end winning.
The second part of the reading was basically about Njal himself and his sons. It tells a short description of all his sos and their names. Njal has a great urge to marry them and is looking for a wife for every one of them. There is a man names Asgrim who has a daughter and he is marries with one of Njal´s sons. At the feast Gunnar is at the party. I really didn’t understand how the story ended.
To be sincere this is not one of my favorite pieces that we’ve read. I’m more into the Tao Te Ching and the Annalects kind of stuff, but it is always good to read different stuff and learn from it.
martes, 8 de enero de 2008
John 1-21
John was the last Gospel and surprisingly it was very different from all the other ones. Though it makes a great emphasis Jesus birth it doesn’t talk much about his family and Mary’s conception and Jesus infancy. John is divided in basically 3 parts: 1, Jesus miracles 2. Crucifixion and resurrection 3. Appearance to disciples after his resurrection.
One thing I didn’t know is that John brought a lot of followers to Jesus. He believed 100% in him and supported him. I think this was a nice gesture form him
One ting that surprised me about this Gospel that they don’t mention in others is that when Jesus begins to baptize people in Judea, John the Baptist hears about it he is very happy about it, he feels very honored that Jesus, the Son of God is doing the same thing he is. I think this is a very nice gesture because unlike we would he gets very happy that other people do what he does. And instead f getting all mad he takes it very well. This shoes us the great personality john has; we should be more like that. This also shows the deep feelings that Jesus and John feel for each other. As soon a john meets Jesus he say the following “He is the son of God” (1:34). So he was one of the few persons that instantly believed him.
Just like John a very noble thing Jesus did was once, Jesus encounters with a Samaritan (which where a group of people who hate Jesus) and he started talking to her. So I think this was very nice because he was talking to somebody who belonged to a group who didn’t like him and even still he cordially talked to her and interacts. This shows us to not have rancor against others.
There are several quotes I really liked Jesus mentioned in this chapter were:
o “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment”.
o I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes through the father except through me”.
o “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her”
o “I am in the father and the father is in me”
The gospel ends pretty much like all the others Jesus revives and goes to his disciples. One thing I didn’t know when Mary Magdalene saw him she thinks he is a gardener also it is a lot more intense when he re-encounters with his disciples.
I liked reading the last Gospel of the New Testament I think like all the Gospel John was very interesting. And though all the gospels told the same story it was form a very different perspective that it was told and each had its special unique touch.
One thing I didn’t know is that John brought a lot of followers to Jesus. He believed 100% in him and supported him. I think this was a nice gesture form him
One ting that surprised me about this Gospel that they don’t mention in others is that when Jesus begins to baptize people in Judea, John the Baptist hears about it he is very happy about it, he feels very honored that Jesus, the Son of God is doing the same thing he is. I think this is a very nice gesture because unlike we would he gets very happy that other people do what he does. And instead f getting all mad he takes it very well. This shoes us the great personality john has; we should be more like that. This also shows the deep feelings that Jesus and John feel for each other. As soon a john meets Jesus he say the following “He is the son of God” (1:34). So he was one of the few persons that instantly believed him.
Just like John a very noble thing Jesus did was once, Jesus encounters with a Samaritan (which where a group of people who hate Jesus) and he started talking to her. So I think this was very nice because he was talking to somebody who belonged to a group who didn’t like him and even still he cordially talked to her and interacts. This shows us to not have rancor against others.
There are several quotes I really liked Jesus mentioned in this chapter were:
o “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment”.
o I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes through the father except through me”.
o “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her”
o “I am in the father and the father is in me”
The gospel ends pretty much like all the others Jesus revives and goes to his disciples. One thing I didn’t know when Mary Magdalene saw him she thinks he is a gardener also it is a lot more intense when he re-encounters with his disciples.
I liked reading the last Gospel of the New Testament I think like all the Gospel John was very interesting. And though all the gospels told the same story it was form a very different perspective that it was told and each had its special unique touch.
Luke 1 -24
So far I think Luke has been my favorite Gospel. It is very “humane” and I liked Luke as a person because he has a lot of Jesus characteristics, he also wants to be more like him. For example he gets along very well with women and treats them like they deserve, he doesn’t like rich people, and instead he gets along better with humble people.
Something I really liked about the gospel of Luke was chapter 15. In this chapter they mention that a sheep, a coin, and a boy get lost. But after they all return where they belong to. By telling these three stories Luke represents that God will always watch out for lost people. People who might think that they are forgotten, but the fact is that god is always by their side. I also liked this part of the gospel because it teaches us that even though we might feel lost god will always take care of us and lead us thought the correct way.
What I thought was very interesting about Luke was that at the beginning a lot of new characters that are not mentioned in the other Gospels are introduced. They mention a story that I had never heard before! It tells that the parents of John the Baptist (Zechariah and Elizabeth are told by angel Gabriel that Elizabeth is pregnant. Then angel Gabriel appears to Mary, who is her relative and tells her that she too is pregnant. Then it is Elizabeth who tells Mary that she is going to be the mother of the lord.
In conclusion I really liked this Gospel but I think this story was a little too invented and over made. It is very complicates and even sometimes hard to believe.
Something I really liked about the gospel of Luke was chapter 15. In this chapter they mention that a sheep, a coin, and a boy get lost. But after they all return where they belong to. By telling these three stories Luke represents that God will always watch out for lost people. People who might think that they are forgotten, but the fact is that god is always by their side. I also liked this part of the gospel because it teaches us that even though we might feel lost god will always take care of us and lead us thought the correct way.
What I thought was very interesting about Luke was that at the beginning a lot of new characters that are not mentioned in the other Gospels are introduced. They mention a story that I had never heard before! It tells that the parents of John the Baptist (Zechariah and Elizabeth are told by angel Gabriel that Elizabeth is pregnant. Then angel Gabriel appears to Mary, who is her relative and tells her that she too is pregnant. Then it is Elizabeth who tells Mary that she is going to be the mother of the lord.
In conclusion I really liked this Gospel but I think this story was a little too invented and over made. It is very complicates and even sometimes hard to believe.
lunes, 7 de enero de 2008
Finish of Mark 11-16
One thing about Matthew and Mark that I didn’t quite understand is that the disciples and the people keep questioning Jesus. I really don’t get this because after everything he has done even his own “students” question him and like mentioned in Matthew they think he is a ghost, which from my point of view is very offensive.
Mark makes a great emphasize in gathering crowds of people and preaching to them, also teach them new things. They also keep mentioning that Jesus has an “issue” with rich people or people who have money. They even mention that rich people will have trouble entering the Kingdom of God.
A part they pint out a lot is when Jesus goes to the Gethsemane garden to pray. He goes with three of his disciples but they keep falling asleep and Jesus waked them up each time because he was really scared. This shows a very human side of Jesus because he is scared and he just wants to avoid everything that is coming. He is showing us that he also has fears and wants someone to be by his side.
It was till this Gospel I noticed that Mary was the only person that stood by Jesus’ side through the entire journey. She was the only one, not even Joseph, actually you never ever hear from Joseph again in the whole Jesus story.
Mark makes a great emphasize in gathering crowds of people and preaching to them, also teach them new things. They also keep mentioning that Jesus has an “issue” with rich people or people who have money. They even mention that rich people will have trouble entering the Kingdom of God.
A part they pint out a lot is when Jesus goes to the Gethsemane garden to pray. He goes with three of his disciples but they keep falling asleep and Jesus waked them up each time because he was really scared. This shows a very human side of Jesus because he is scared and he just wants to avoid everything that is coming. He is showing us that he also has fears and wants someone to be by his side.
It was till this Gospel I noticed that Mary was the only person that stood by Jesus’ side through the entire journey. She was the only one, not even Joseph, actually you never ever hear from Joseph again in the whole Jesus story.
Mark 1-10
Since the beginning of Mark you can see that the whole chapter you can see that the whole chapter is very straight forward. Luke and Mathew both tell the same story about Jesus’ life but in a colder way.
I found it very awkward that at the beginning of mark they don’t mention Jesus’ birth. Instead it begins by describing when Jesus was an adult. One thing I also found weird was that Satan tests Jesus for forty days, and I don’t really understand this because isn’t Jesus the son of god? And why should he be tested? I also was wondering isn’t Satan not suppose to exist according to God. I don’t think this should be included in the bible because it makes us “loose” a bit of trust in Jesus considering he should be almighty. They shouldn’t even test Jesus just for the fact that he is the son f God himself.
The miracles have been pretty much the same : heals a paralytic, cleanses a leper, revives a young girl multiplies food and walks on waters. The only thing that is not mentioned is that he cures a man possessed by a demon.
I found Mark a bit confusing and I didn’t like it very much, I am looking forward to reading the rest of it.
I found it very awkward that at the beginning of mark they don’t mention Jesus’ birth. Instead it begins by describing when Jesus was an adult. One thing I also found weird was that Satan tests Jesus for forty days, and I don’t really understand this because isn’t Jesus the son of god? And why should he be tested? I also was wondering isn’t Satan not suppose to exist according to God. I don’t think this should be included in the bible because it makes us “loose” a bit of trust in Jesus considering he should be almighty. They shouldn’t even test Jesus just for the fact that he is the son f God himself.
The miracles have been pretty much the same : heals a paralytic, cleanses a leper, revives a young girl multiplies food and walks on waters. The only thing that is not mentioned is that he cures a man possessed by a demon.
I found Mark a bit confusing and I didn’t like it very much, I am looking forward to reading the rest of it.
domingo, 30 de diciembre de 2007
GO! Entry
I think playing Go was very interesting game, and I liked it because it was a change of ambience in the class, we are always reading and doing different kinds of stuff but never playing computer games. I also liked it because it made you think a lot but at the same time have fun. It was also fun in the sense we were all competing who did each level faster. Though the game is not at all easy, in fact it was challenging i really liked it.
I didn't quite do all the 47 levels i did like 28 or so because it takes a lot of time and also thought, but I really liked it because it makes time go by in a really productive way. Instead of taliking on MSN or facebeook you can play this game and exercise your intelligence. I think we should play more games of this sort in English class I liked it a lot and I think playing it on board game will be very interesting. I also love the uncertainty of picking on a spot and waiting to see at the bottom of the "board" if it says failed or SUCCESS!!!
I didn't quite do all the 47 levels i did like 28 or so because it takes a lot of time and also thought, but I really liked it because it makes time go by in a really productive way. Instead of taliking on MSN or facebeook you can play this game and exercise your intelligence. I think we should play more games of this sort in English class I liked it a lot and I think playing it on board game will be very interesting. I also love the uncertainty of picking on a spot and waiting to see at the bottom of the "board" if it says failed or SUCCESS!!!
viernes, 28 de diciembre de 2007
incorporating paraphrasing, summaries and quotation into speeches.
Persuasive Speech, Poverty
Good morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for being here today. Today I’m going to talk to you about a very serious issue in our country, that we all talk about but never actually do something about it. This is poverty. Poverty is one of the biggest issues in or country, it is estimated that more than 45% of the population is poor in Colombia.
Good morning ladies and gentlemen thank you for being here today. Today I’m going to talk to you about a very serious issue in our country, that we all talk about but never actually do something about it. This is poverty. Poverty is one of the biggest issues in or country, it is estimated that more than 45% of the population is poor in Colombia.
This means that this huge group of people don’t have their basic needs covered. “Poverty began in our government in a 60% it is now between a 42% to 45% and the goal for 2010 is 35%”. This our president Alvaro Uribe said in a press conference in June 2006. (Example of quote).
In my personal opinion I think every single person should have a home either rented or ideally owned, with services like water and electrical supply. Parents must have an income that allows every family to satisfy their needs according to the number of members in the family. They should have money to provide their children a good and balanced nutrition. Another important need in our country is education, which includes primary, elementary, middle and high school at least. Many children in Colombia don’t attend to school because they are working either in a voluntary way or forced to do so by strangers, to exploit them, it means children can´t keep the money they get in a legal or an illegal way. Some children are used to sell drugs or to sexual purposes. That is how poor children in our countries are exposed at a very early age to drugs, alcohol and other substances. Gangs may take advantage of these kids making them believe they can give them protection, the kind of protection that their families cannot, but in change they make children commit crimes. This is how poverty initially starts, because since little children, or better yet, children’s parents think that it is better working that going to school. And this is a total errand thought because if children get education they will become someone in life and succeed. In this same press conference our president Uribe said the following “Avery important program for us is to support the poorest family in nutrition, school assistance and access to health. This is what we call families in action.” (Example of quote).
I can think of some mechanisms to solve this issue. The first one would be creating new jobs, by promoting the creation of new business instructing both men and women in professional careers. This way the unemployment rate would decrease and poverty diminish at the same time. Government should also encourage education to children by prohibiting them to work, or adults to hire them. School should be the only future for the children, at no cost, providing a free education until college. When President Uribe spoke about a bank for the poor people and giving them micro-credits I think he was trying to say is that lending money to poor people is vey important for them is to invest in their little industries. (Example of paraphrase).
The next basic need to be covered is health; it should be paid according to the family income. When persons are unemployed, the government has to take care of them, there is no reason for a person to be rejected by a hospital when having a serious illness or an emergency, just because they can´t pay immediately.
As you can see there are some material things like health, shelter, job and education which are important factors that contribute to human dignity. There are some basical needs for every human being that when they are not satisfied it makes people live with less dignity considering we all have the same rights. It is urgent to create mechanisms to solve them from the very roots. We all possess the same rights regardless our color, nationality, beliefs or in this case economical state. I belief my opinion should be taken on account for I believe in the future of this country. The following is a summary of president Uribes intervention for the Ibero-American chiefs of stet and government on Nov, 10, 2007. He started by telling the audience about the 5 principle values we are working in Colombia which are modern democracy, respect for the liberty of thought and social improvement. He also spoke about the international debt an problems with oil. (Example of Summary).
martes, 11 de diciembre de 2007
Matthew 13-22
Jesus is always talking to the crowds to come to him and that you can always be a better person., one thing I noticed that happens to Jesus and many times it happens to us, or even worse, we sometimes do it to others is rejecting people because no on likes them (even though we do). A good example is when Jesus is rejected in Nazareth his hometown. The majority of people are there for you in the good times (when you are wealthy, having fun, etc) nut in the bad ties all those people go away and pretend they’ve never known you. And the truth is that if we really love somebody we should stay by their side regardless what other people think about them.
In Matthew Jesus gives a warning against the temptations of wealth. I agree with it because there is a saying in Spanish that says : “El que nunca vio a Dios, cuando lo ve se asusta”. This means that when you don’t have money when you have it you go crazy. So Jesus is just to respect our place of prayers saying don’t go that way.
Most of the things Jesus does I agree and admire, but one thing I don’t that he said in his preaching’s that he forbids divorce. This is because if you are truly not happy with the person you are married to you should take different paths and no one should force you to be with them if you don’t want to.
I also liked when in 21:13 Jesus states “My house shall be called a house of prayer but you are making it a den of robbers”. I liked it because it tells to respect our place of prayer and even our house.
In Matthew Jesus gives a warning against the temptations of wealth. I agree with it because there is a saying in Spanish that says : “El que nunca vio a Dios, cuando lo ve se asusta”. This means that when you don’t have money when you have it you go crazy. So Jesus is just to respect our place of prayers saying don’t go that way.
Most of the things Jesus does I agree and admire, but one thing I don’t that he said in his preaching’s that he forbids divorce. This is because if you are truly not happy with the person you are married to you should take different paths and no one should force you to be with them if you don’t want to.
I also liked when in 21:13 Jesus states “My house shall be called a house of prayer but you are making it a den of robbers”. I liked it because it tells to respect our place of prayer and even our house.
lunes, 10 de diciembre de 2007
Matthew 1-12
Starting to read the New Testament was a totally different experience tan Reading the old one. One thing that I noticed very clearly was that at the beginning when Mary is pregnant they don’t pay as much attention to her as she deserves, instead they focus more on Joseph. Then I thought it was maybe because he was a good parent and stayed at her side at all times. In chapters 1-12 basically 3 things happen: 1. Jesus birth 2. Jesus does miracles 3. Jesus sermons. He gives his famous Sermon on the Mount where he encourages where he encourages a lot of values about love, humbleness, trust, faith etc.
In one part Jesus mentions that “poor, meek, and hungry are blessed”. I like this a lot because Jesus, considering all the power he has he “hangs out” with poor people. He helps them and loves them just as any other human being and doesn’t treats them with inferiority. But like always there were people who criticized Jesus for hanging out with the poor. The good thing is that Jesus didn’t even care, he doesn’t mind about what people think about him he has a lot of personality and authenticity, which is the kind of personality we should all have.
In one part Jesus mentions that “poor, meek, and hungry are blessed”. I like this a lot because Jesus, considering all the power he has he “hangs out” with poor people. He helps them and loves them just as any other human being and doesn’t treats them with inferiority. But like always there were people who criticized Jesus for hanging out with the poor. The good thing is that Jesus didn’t even care, he doesn’t mind about what people think about him he has a lot of personality and authenticity, which is the kind of personality we should all have.
viernes, 7 de diciembre de 2007
Tao Te-Ching 44-66
I think the person who wrote this must have put a great deal of time and thought, because in every sentence there is one thing you learn. And in every chapter there is at least one thing to analyze. Some views of the Tao I saw along the reading were: The Tao stresses a lot in telling us that material things are not what matters he says wealth is not the most important thing. .He says we have to be humble and be content with what we have. He also tells us that when something is too perfect its not right he says spontaneous things are the best. A thing that is very connected with this says that you have to let things be, don't insist on changing the course of things. Something I don't quite get is that he tells that when Tao is not present everything is "unleashed".
Some values expressed in the reading are: be good to all people,be humble at all times, be kind and thankful and lastly love everything around you. Among loving they mention that that who truly loves life will live without fear. Do things without expecting a reward, dint talk to much. One thing that really surprised me was that in chapter 57 he says "Wage war with surprise moves"once more i think this is very contradicting from Tao´s part, considering he always tells us war is not the answer.
Lastly it is said that we should all follow Tao´s teachings because it is the healthier way to live your live. Among the text they say that his teachings are a way of making your life and thoughts better. Also he says non-action is the best in most of cases.
Some values expressed in the reading are: be good to all people,be humble at all times, be kind and thankful and lastly love everything around you. Among loving they mention that that who truly loves life will live without fear. Do things without expecting a reward, dint talk to much. One thing that really surprised me was that in chapter 57 he says "Wage war with surprise moves"once more i think this is very contradicting from Tao´s part, considering he always tells us war is not the answer.
Lastly it is said that we should all follow Tao´s teachings because it is the healthier way to live your live. Among the text they say that his teachings are a way of making your life and thoughts better. Also he says non-action is the best in most of cases.
jueves, 6 de diciembre de 2007
Tao Te-Ching 28-43
When I always finish reading my chapters assigned from the Tao Te Ching I end up overwhelmed of so much knowledge! You end up thinking all you have read about and how wise it is. I came up with some important points for today's reading according to Tao´s teachings:
- Be an example to the world and be a leader, but never forget where you come from and your values.
- Life is hard for some and easy for others, but either way we've got to affront it.
- Achieve your goals, but never be too proud of them . Also don't use force to achieve them because this is not Tao´s way.
- A man of war prefers the easy path while a wise man prefers the correct one even though it will lead him to the most difficult one.
- Tao is everywhere all things depend upon it.
I think all these tings above are correct and every well thought, but in chapter 36, there is certainly one thing i don't agree upon it says: "Soft and weak overcome hard and strong". I think this quote is mistaken, because if this were true nothing would happen to good people, for example no one would get mugged or kidnapped. Also we have to be realistic the big ones always have the power in a sort of way, so physically I don't agree with this quote. But mentally maybe I do!
One thing that also bothers me about this text is that it is very contradictory. they always say that your work should be recognized and taken in account but at the same time is says that you shouldn't be proud of the good things you do. At the beginning of the book they mention that effort is not always taken in account, but as it goes in it mentions that you shouldn't be proud of your accomplishments, which is something that I don't agree with. Because when you do something good you should feel good with yourself and no underestimate yourself.
- Be an example to the world and be a leader, but never forget where you come from and your values.
- Life is hard for some and easy for others, but either way we've got to affront it.
- Achieve your goals, but never be too proud of them . Also don't use force to achieve them because this is not Tao´s way.
- A man of war prefers the easy path while a wise man prefers the correct one even though it will lead him to the most difficult one.
- Tao is everywhere all things depend upon it.
I think all these tings above are correct and every well thought, but in chapter 36, there is certainly one thing i don't agree upon it says: "Soft and weak overcome hard and strong". I think this quote is mistaken, because if this were true nothing would happen to good people, for example no one would get mugged or kidnapped. Also we have to be realistic the big ones always have the power in a sort of way, so physically I don't agree with this quote. But mentally maybe I do!
One thing that also bothers me about this text is that it is very contradictory. they always say that your work should be recognized and taken in account but at the same time is says that you shouldn't be proud of the good things you do. At the beginning of the book they mention that effort is not always taken in account, but as it goes in it mentions that you shouldn't be proud of your accomplishments, which is something that I don't agree with. Because when you do something good you should feel good with yourself and no underestimate yourself.
martes, 4 de diciembre de 2007
Tao Te-Ching 13-28
When I started reading the second half assigned of the Tao Te Ching i started getting it a little bit more. The things they said i found them more logical and understanding. When i started reading in chapter 13 something caught my attention. I liked that t hey talk about "accepting". They mention that we don't accept what is happening to us and instead we complain about it all the time. It says we have to accept our disgrace and accept everything that happens to us and we don't agree with. It also says to accept misfortune, which is something that most of the time we don't do. When something bad (or at least we think it is) we don't accept it and just look at the negative side from it . we don't try to see it from other perspectives and understands that things may happen for a reason.
Towards the ed in Chapter 24 I saw a typical example of what we sometimes are it says: "These are extra things and unnecessary luggage". I think this applies to people in today's world because we buy and consume a lot and the worst part is that we don't even need all this things. It is amazing all the things we spend money on and consume, and we don't stop and think that maybe someone could use this money in a wiser way. We think that everything that matters is money and material things, but that's just not the way life works! Life is composed of beautiful things that we don't realize they are there and ignore them. For example a beautiful sunset is an incomparable thing but we don't see how extraordinary it can be. Instead we want Ipods cellphones etc, things that at they end they are not worth a cent.
In conclusion I am really starting to like this book, because it talks about things that most of us don't dare to, it makes us realize things and lets us thinking:
"I'm i really living my life correctly?"
Towards the ed in Chapter 24 I saw a typical example of what we sometimes are it says: "These are extra things and unnecessary luggage". I think this applies to people in today's world because we buy and consume a lot and the worst part is that we don't even need all this things. It is amazing all the things we spend money on and consume, and we don't stop and think that maybe someone could use this money in a wiser way. We think that everything that matters is money and material things, but that's just not the way life works! Life is composed of beautiful things that we don't realize they are there and ignore them. For example a beautiful sunset is an incomparable thing but we don't see how extraordinary it can be. Instead we want Ipods cellphones etc, things that at they end they are not worth a cent.
In conclusion I am really starting to like this book, because it talks about things that most of us don't dare to, it makes us realize things and lets us thinking:
"I'm i really living my life correctly?"
lunes, 3 de diciembre de 2007
Tao Te-Ching 1-12
So far I am liking the Tao Te-Chiang I think it is a little hard to understand because you have to wait there until you understand every line and analyze it really well. I think it is sometimes a little confusing because it talks about different topics and goes off the road, but all the things they say are really smart and well thought. I think they put a lot of importance in "effort" it says effort is really important though it is sometimes not recognized. It also talks about women and that they do a great job in all tyhey do.
I really liked Chapter 8 were it mentions this:
In dwelling, be close to the land.
In meditation, go deep in the heart.
In dedaling with others be gentle and kind.
In speech, be true.
In ruling, be just.
In daily life, be competent.
In action, be aware of time and reason.
No fight: no blame.
I thought this chapter was very interesting because is says very deep things that are a guide in our lives. I think this simple paragraph might be useful to guide someone to have a healthy life. There are great values in here.
Though the book is still not very clear for me i am liking it a lot and like The Annalects I think I will learn a great deal from it.
I really liked Chapter 8 were it mentions this:
In dwelling, be close to the land.
In meditation, go deep in the heart.
In dedaling with others be gentle and kind.
In speech, be true.
In ruling, be just.
In daily life, be competent.
In action, be aware of time and reason.
No fight: no blame.
I thought this chapter was very interesting because is says very deep things that are a guide in our lives. I think this simple paragraph might be useful to guide someone to have a healthy life. There are great values in here.
Though the book is still not very clear for me i am liking it a lot and like The Annalects I think I will learn a great deal from it.
martes, 27 de noviembre de 2007
Night P 50-109
The last part of the book Night was very different to that of the beginning. In this new stage of Eliezer you can see him with a lot of anger ad rage inside his heart. at the beginning of the book he was very religious and believed in God in every aspect. As time goes on and Eliezer sees more tragedies and accidents he starts to wonder ¿Where did God go? He begins to incite rage against him, and to not believe in him. He doesn't understand what is happening, from my point of view he hasn't made the "click" of what has happened to him and the society.
He becomes like a robot person he only works and eat, works and eats. Occasionally he talks with his father but short sentences with no meaning at all. I think this book is a demonstration of loyalty, honour courage, loyalty, but mainly the message that this book transmits us is love. In every single page f the book a sample of love is shown. It can be with a smile or a simple a piece of bread, but the truth is that this feeling is always shown.
This book made me realize many things like we have to be thankful for what we have and we don't always see that we are very fortunate. the last pages were really sad because it is when the father dies and Eliezer and his dad have to separate. I think that as the story goes on the boy gets colder and colder and like he said at the end of the book he is just a living skull. From my point of view this is a very depressing book and even at the end when they come and save all the Jews you don't feel happy as you should . Because it already happened and nobody can erase all that you saw, heard did, live and specially feel.
So when something like this happens to you your life will never be the same, you will stay with those images in your mind forever and no one will erase them. I think for the rest of his life Eliezer felt really guilty because at the end he just wanted his father dead and to get over with all of that that was happening to him. I think this book was very good and on a whole different level that we are used to reading. It is for a bigger age of mature and conscious people.
He becomes like a robot person he only works and eat, works and eats. Occasionally he talks with his father but short sentences with no meaning at all. I think this book is a demonstration of loyalty, honour courage, loyalty, but mainly the message that this book transmits us is love. In every single page f the book a sample of love is shown. It can be with a smile or a simple a piece of bread, but the truth is that this feeling is always shown.
This book made me realize many things like we have to be thankful for what we have and we don't always see that we are very fortunate. the last pages were really sad because it is when the father dies and Eliezer and his dad have to separate. I think that as the story goes on the boy gets colder and colder and like he said at the end of the book he is just a living skull. From my point of view this is a very depressing book and even at the end when they come and save all the Jews you don't feel happy as you should . Because it already happened and nobody can erase all that you saw, heard did, live and specially feel.
So when something like this happens to you your life will never be the same, you will stay with those images in your mind forever and no one will erase them. I think for the rest of his life Eliezer felt really guilty because at the end he just wanted his father dead and to get over with all of that that was happening to him. I think this book was very good and on a whole different level that we are used to reading. It is for a bigger age of mature and conscious people.
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