Social Awareness #3

Observations about my surroundings:
Marijuana
Being "Fake"
Bullying
Poverty
Insecurities about yourself

I chose to write about poverty. I'm choosing to write about this because there is too much poverty happening in not just the United States, but the whole world. I don't get why there is so much. Everyone has money so what does that money go in use for? Smoking? Drinking? People are using money for ridiculous things these days while not even thinking about other people that are in need of it. All the time I take the A train to East New York and there is not one day when I see a poor man walking around asking for money. Or a man sleeping on the subway seats.My heart actually breaks because I start to wonder how do those people really feel being homeless? Or without a family to love? Especially without food. That must be really scary. Trust me I experience this all the time. There's this guy, with no legs, just sitting outside of a 7/11 on Ave U in Brooklyn. Every time I go there, he's there. So every time I come out of 7/11, I always give him my change.
Most of the times, I give all the loose change in my pocket.
Sometimes I just can't take it seeing someone on the train begging for money. It just kills my mood because I get so sad for them and it kills me to think what if I were them?

“Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.”

In chapter 2 this quote was said in a conversation between Holden and Mr. Spencer. Hold feels alienated. He talks about those on the “other side” of the game, and he feels alone and victimized, because he thinks that the world is against him.

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I just finished reading the Catcher in the Rye. This book was really good and had many important themes. The theme in this book is the coming of age, or growing up. Holden is very afraid to grow up, and he thinks that the adult word is phony.

Holden is always mentioning the word 'phony'. He said "Grand. There's a word I really hate. It's phony. I could puke every time I hear it," Yet he was always using it. He thinks that Mr. Spencer is phony because the headmaster is always coming in tells the corniest jokes and Mr. Spencer laughs this laugh that he seems like he's just sucking up to the headmaster. The Headmaster is also phony to Holden because he forgot his name and is always 'phony' to the parents that comes to see their children. I agree with Holden that sometimes the adults are phony. I mean I know I'm going to grow up to be an adult too but as I see it right now they are. I think it's because they want to young (not calling adults old) and like us again to live freely.

Bloody Jack

Dear Mary/Jacky,

How's life in the sea? Are you enjoyin' it? Are there lots of nice people? I hope so. I wrote this letter to tell you that we miss ya here in London. We hope you are doing very fine ever since the Dark Day. I'm sure your parents are restin' in such a great peace. I forgot to tell you that the lil girls mom that had given you some change had come back to us and found a small home for us! It's better then being out on the streets. They are so nice. I really hope you come back soon 'cause we miss ya so much. What can we do without havin' a lil bit of Mary in our lives? Well we're figurin' that out right now. Hopefully see ya soon!

Plenty of love,
Charlie

I had written this letter to Mary from Charlie because Mary and Charlie were very close when Mary was in London. Mary used to live on the streets because her parents had both passed away and Charlie was one of her friends she met. When Mary was in London she had met this mother and daughter and was begging them for money and they felt bad for her. So what I did was say make a prediction and say that she gave Charlie a home! I really liked this book. It had an intense plot and just kept me reading.

Social Awareness #2

Bold = together

WE ARE DISCRIMINATED
V1: I'm Muslim
V2: I'm Mexican
WE'RE HUMAN
V1: There are a lot of times where I get bullied and discriminated because of my nationality.
V2: People say a lot of hurtful things to me.
V1: "Oh did you help in 9/11?"
V2: "Where's your green card?"
WE DON'T GET IT
V1: I always try to express my feelings but I can't because my parents don't pay any mind to me.
V2: "Just get over it. I've been through that already, " they would say.
PLEASE MAKE IT STOP
V1: I would ask them. Every time I open my bookbag there are pictures of bombings making fun of me.
V2: Everyone always tell me jokes about how I jumped over the border line.
V1: I can't get their voices out of my head.
WORDS DO HURT
V2: I went over to my locker one day with post-its all over it saying hurtful things. "MEXICAN." JUMP BACK OVER TO MEXICO."
PLEASE MAKE IT STOP
WE'RE HUMAN
JUST LIKE YOU.

Social Awareness #1

Hey Mama by Kanye West

Lyrics from:http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/kanyewest/heymama.html

[Chorus]
(Hey Mama), I wanna scream so loud for you, cuz I'm so proud of you
Let me tell you what I'm about to do, (Hey Mama)
I know I act a fool but, I promise you I'm goin back to school
I appreciate what you allowed for me
I just want you to be proud of me (Hey Mama)

[Verse 1]
I wanna tell the whole world about a friend of mine
This little light of mine and I'm finna let it shine
I'm finna take yall back to them better times
I'm finna talk about my mama if yall don't mind
I was three years old, when you and I moved to the Chi
Late December, harsh winter gave me a cold
You fixed me up something that was good for my soul
Famous homemade chicken soup, can I have another bowl?
You work late nights just to keep on the lights
Mommy got me training wheels so I could keep on my bike
And you would give anything in this world
Michael Jackson leather and a glove, but didn't give me a curl
And you never put no man over me
And I love you for that mommy cant you see?
Seven years old, caught you with tears in your eyes
Cuz a nigga cheatin, telling you lies, then I started to cry
As we knelt on the kitchen floor
I said mommy Imma love you till you don't hurt no more
And when I'm older, you aint gotta work no more
And Imma get you that mansion that we couldn't afford
See you're, unbreakable, unmistakable
Highly capable, lady that's makin loot
A livin legend too, just look at what heaven do
Send us an angel, and I thank you (Hey Mama)

[Chorus]

[Verse 2]
Forrest Gump mama said, life is like a box of chocolates
My mama told me go to school, get your doctorate
Somethin to fall back on, you could profit with
But still supported me when I did the opposite
Now I feel like it's things I gotta get
Things I gotta do, just to prove to you
You was getting through, can the choir please
Give me a verse of "You, Are So Beautiful To Me"
Can't you see, you're like a book of poetry
Maya Angelou, Nicky Giovanni, turn one page and there's my mommy
Come on mommy just dance wit me, let the whole world see your dancing feet
Now when I say Hey, yall say Mama, now everybody answer me (Hey Mama)

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
I guess it also depends tho, if my ends low
Second they get up you gon get that Benzo
Tint the windows, ride around the city and let ya friends know (Hey Mama)

[Verse 3]
Tell your job you gotta fake em out
Since you brought me in this world, let me take you out
To a restaurant, upper echelon
Imma get you a jag, whatever else you want
Just tell me what kind of S-Type Donda West like?
Tell me the perfect color so I make it just right
It don't gotta be Mother's Day, or your birthday
For me to just call and say (Hey Mama)

[Chorus (with variations)]

This song is VERY emotional to me. This song is about how Kanye went through his life as a kid when his father left. Even though, thank God, I still have my father, this song actually makes me feel how it is without a father. Kanye really explains his life in a meaningful way.

In the hook (the beginning of the song) Kanye is talking to his mother. He is saying that he REALLY appreciates his mother. He loves her very much and he's saying he's sorry for droppping out of high school but he's going to go back just for her.

In the first verse, Kanye said that he wants to tell the world about a "friend" of his which he is referring to his mother saying that she isn't only his mother, but she is like his best friend too. He starts off to going back in time to when he was only three years old and him and his mama just moved to Chicago because of his parents divorce. He's talking about all the punishment that his mom went through just for him. He's talking about after his mom got divorced, she did have a couple of boyfriends but he knew that he was his mom's number one man in her life and she would do anything just for him. He says that he's going to fulfill their dreams which he did and is still doing right now. In the last four lines, he describes and calls his mother an angel.

I found this verse very touching because just on verse can do that much to you. He explains pretty much his whole childhood in that verse. It's gives you so much information on how they dealt with life.

In the first line Kanye mentioned that they said "Life is like a box of chocolates" in Forrest Gump which he connects to his life. In a box of chocolates you have an assortment of fillings inside each chocolate and without a the directory printed in the box you have to taste each one to see what is inside. He connects that to life because you never know what each person or event that occurs in your life is going to bring you. Kanye compares his mom to Maya Angelou and Nicky Giovanni which were famous poetry writers. After that he says "turn one page and there’s my mommy," he's saying that mother is beautiful just like the poetry they created.

In the last verse on the last two lines Kanye is saying how he does whatever for him whether it's her birthday or not, which shows how good he's saying that their relationship is.

Kanye really taught many things in this song. He shows that you don't have to have a father to fulfill your dreams. He did this all by himself and everyone else could too. He's showing how much his mother really cared for him and how much he is blessed to have a mother like her. You could tell that Kanye really loves his mother from just this song. But you don't need to make a song to show how much you love your mother, your actions show it.

Theme of Marked

This book was really good to me. Marked by P.C. and Kristen Cast is about a girl named Zoey who just been marked by a vampire and joins the House of Night. After Zoey transfers to the House of Night she trains to become an adult vampire.
I think that the theme of this book is not to trust everyone. I think it is because when Zoey first transferred to the House of Night she had trusted Aphrodite, the leader of the Dark Daughters, which got Zoey to look like the bad one.
Zoey had gotten humiliated because of the trick that Aphrodite did on her. That really shows you cant trust anyone. Just like my last post it was the same theme too. Zoey had actually listened to Aphrodite rather then her real friends which ended up doing her bad and it was her fault. Trusting everyone is not a good thing. On the news there are plenty of news about men going up to kids and telling them certain stuff just to get them. That really popped up into my head while reading the book especially. Haha, I don't know how.
I really liked this book though. There was a lot of suspense which made it so good. Though my cousin let me try it, I don't look forward to reading the other series from this book because I sometimes get enough about vampires and things.

Dreamland

This is my second time reading Dreamland. This is one of my favorite books. It teaches you such an important lesson.
Caitlin, the main character, met a guy named Rogerson at party. On that same night Caitlin feels like Rogerson is the one for her. She JUST met him! Caitlin described him as magnetic and compelling. It's crazy what boys do to you. So later on is when things start happening. Rogerson is not what Caitlin really thinks he is. The hot, nice, magical Rogerson turns out to be the opposite when she gets to know him. She's soon filled with bruises on her face.
This book teaches you about when you grow older, you cannot trust anyone. No matter how nice they are when you first meet them. The other side of them could be dangerous. Don't just go with a random person you just met. That's a real dangerous situation. The more I read this book, the more it cautions me about life. The danger certain things could cause you.