The Kite Runner Ch. 18-20

What type of growth have we seen in Amir? 


He has started his journey for redemption and is finally taking responsibility for his actions. Amir is beginning to become the man Baba always wanted him to be in the sense that he is growing up and fighting for himself.

What was your reaction to the 'state' of Kabul upon his return? 


When he came back everything he knew had completely changed and his country was under the control of the Taliban. For example with the mention of them only being able to afford meat and what other limitations of the people.

Where do you think the story is going from here?


I believe Amir will try to help his country along with raising Hassen's son as his own. And going back to find him is ones step towards redeeming himself. 

The Kite Runner Ch.8-9

1. Personally my feelings towards Amir have not changed, he still is not able to find the courage to admit running away when he could have stopped the incident. He has tried to make Hassen punish him for what he did however Hassen will not. Amir throws pomegranates at him in the tree and begging him to show any emotion towards Amir. I feel Amir has only made things worse between them and their friendship is over because he refused to tell Baba what had happened. Also if he did confess, Hassen may have thought he had Amir's loyalty and not have been betrayed leading to him ad Ali leaving. 


2. The purpose of the scene with the pomegranates was simply to get a reaction. Amir wanted Hassen to punish him for what he did and so he could move on with the lie no longer over his head.


3. Amir- continuing to struggle with the lie and it has ended Hassen and his friendship entirely


Hassen- Told Ali everything, always wants to sleep, feels betrayed by Amir but continues to be loyal to him, still feels he did something wrong because Amir no longer played with him


Assef- acting polite to Baba and pretending like he was a friend instead of the person who raped Hassen 

This represents the slipping of Amir and Hassen's friendship and how Amir is struggling to deal with his actions. And how they see each other in a different life and Hassen leaving taking with him his loyalty for Amir.

The Kite Runner Ch. 1-4

I thought how even by the first page I was hooked on what possibly this man had done to feel so ashamed of his past and the descriptions are not as detailed however they are still effective in painting a picture in your mind. You really get to see the relationships unfold as you begin to read. I found the rape scene to be the most significant event in the novel because we find out what mistake in his past that continues to haunt him into his adulthood. You get to experience the guilt and how this lie has changed Amir and he has regretted the decision he made ever since. And how Hassen continued to serve him and act as though nothing had ever happened. You also get a sense of how these people live and their culture with very different names for objects and the way they do certain things.

3rd MP Reflection & 4th MP Preview

1. I was very happy with the grade I received for this theme. I worked hard and wanted to express my passion for art and how it has impacted my life.

2. Overall I feel like my group did a great job on our TMD project. We worked very well together and the product showed when we presented it to the class. I really wanted to get a good grade of this project and show my creativity through the different choices we could choose from.

3. My expectations for the 4th marking period is curiosity for what the Kite Runner will be about and what I will do for this film project. I am also interested in the graduation speech theme for this marking period.

IR Blog Post 3

Symbols:
- The box Jeremy's dad left for him
-The meaning behind each of the rock as memories in Jeremy's dad's life
-Mosley Lake ( where Jeremy and his dad use to fish)

Themes & Ideas:
-Purpose in Life
- Living life to the fullest
-Family
-Friendship
-Memories


Connections & Questions:
-Why did Mrs. Fink give Mr. Oswald the keys and box?
-Why did Jeremy's mother make up Harold Folgard?

IR Blog Post 2

Characters:
Grandma- Jeremy's grandmother who takes Lizzy and him to the State Fair
Mrs. Fink- Jeremy's mom


Events & Places:
- They continue their community service by making several deliveries
- Go to Atlantic City where they visit a church and sit through a service and Lizzy gets a LIFE temporary tattoo as a Chinese symbol
- Jeremy's thirteenth birthday comes up and his grandmother takes Lizzy and him to the State Fair and for a picnic at Mosley Lake
- Used the set of keys they found and opened the box Jeremy's dad left for him
- A note from his dad and a pile of rocks explaining what each of them symbolized in his dad's life and he wanted Jeremy to do the same as he grew older.
- Find out that Jeremy's mom gave Mr. Oswald the keys and box to sent to him all along

Link:
http://www.taiwanese-secrets.com/chinese-symbol-for-life.html

Final IR Blog Post 1

Jeremy and Lizzy continue to do community service for Mr. Oswald by making deliveries around New York. They then decide to take a trip to Atlantic City. On the boardwalk, Lizzy gets a temporary tattoo of a Chinese symbol meaning LIFE. Afterwards they walk in on a beach church service where the minister discusses living life to the fullest. When they return, Lizzy has her first milestone in becoming a woman.

They celebrate Jeremy's thirteenth birthday a few days later. Lizzy, Jeremy and his grandmother spend the day together going to the fair and visiting the place where his dad use to take him fishing. They go out to the Big Rock and slide the keys in the keyholes and the box opens. Inside it is a note from his dad explaining the contents in the box. There was a pile of rocks for each important event in his dad's life and he wants Jeremy to do the same. They also found out that Jeremy's mom had given Mr.Oswald the keys and box.

Quote: "How about this one?" she says, pointing to a set of Chinese symbols. Underneath it is the English translation. I lean closer to read it. LIFE p.207

This is the part where Lizzy gets her temporary tattoo with the Chinese symbol meaning LIFE.

IR Blog Post 3

Symbols:

-The book that the kids delievered to Mabel Billingsly and the regrets she had after selling it for a new dress.

-Snickers bar

Themes & Ideas:

-Consequences for your actions

-Bribing

-Regret

-Lost relationships

Connections & Questions:

-What will Mrs. Billingsly do with the book now that she has it?

-How did Mr. Oswald know it meant that much to her to get it back?

-Where is Bitsy Solomon now?                                                               

                     

IR Blog Post 2

Characters:
-Officer Polansky: On duty security guard who caught Lizzy and Jeremy breaking into the office
-James: The man who works for Mr. Oswald and drives the kids around in a limo
-Mr. Oswald: Old man who Lizzy and Jeremy have to do their community service for
-Mrs. Mabel Billingsly: Woman the book the kids delieved belonged to

Events & Places:
-Lizzy and Jeremy were caught breaking into an office
- Had to do community service to pay for the damages they caused
- Were driven in a limo around the city to Mr. Oswald
-Mr. Oswald gives them their first delievery to Mrs. Mabel Billingsly
- The kids realize the book is Winnie-The-Pooh and means a lot to this woman
-They also learn that she sold this book to get a new dress which ruined her friendship with her old time best friend

Links:

http://www.poohcorner.com/Alan-Alexander-Milne-Author.html

http://www.winniethepoohbear.net/

IR #3 Blog Post 1

Lizzy's plan was to go to the man who wrote the letter to Jeremy's mother. However the security guard on duty catches them trying to break in to Harold's office to hopefully find the keys to the box. They decide against bribing him with a king-sized Snickers bar. Lizzy cleverly tried to slip out of the situation by telling the security guard Jeremy was her brother and that they had passes to go up there. The secuirty guard was not convinced considering the office they were searching was rented out to J &J Accountants. And they end up having to do community service to pay off the damages of the office with Mr. Oswald. The next day Jeremy and Lizzy are picked up in a limo by a man named James who drives them to Mr. Oswald. They are given a book and an address, and have to deliever it to a Mabel Billingsly. The kids later learn what the book meant to her. The book was Winnie-The-Pooh that she and her best friend Bitsy Solomon owned. She had sold  it for a new dress and Bitsy confronted her. However, Mabel was too embarassed to tell the truth. And the fact that the book was signed by the author abled her to sell it.

Quote: To Bitsy and Mabel, Pooh's biggest American fans Best regards, A.A. Milne  (p.122)

This is the signed message from A.A. Milne in Mrs. Billingsly's book that Jeremy and Lizzy returned to her.

RAFT-Peru

Role:Ernesto
Audience: You
Format: Wild Card - Tweet
Topic: Obstacles/ Challenges


Here, the desert climate has left us exhausted. There is no moon and the night as become very dark. Wrapping ourselves tight in our blankets as we try to wait until dawn. Alberto informed me he was frozen solid  so we decided to gather firewood and sit making fire with the twigs and rocks we managed to find around us. Hunger and the cold enabled us to bare this conditions, so we pack up camp and begin once again on foot. We have so many questions for our country and it's way of life. Coming from the wonderful country of Argentina, we have seen so much poverty and how these people suffer just to provide for their family.

RAFT- Chile

Role: Alberto
Audience: Chilean Couple
Format: Letter
Topic: Lessons Learned


Dear Chilean Couple,

We thank you for helping us with fixing our motorcycle and my friend Ernesto can not stop talking about the thoughts and ideas you shared with us. You can already see the wheels in his head turning. The journey has been long and we have encountered several interesting individuals on our travels including the two of you. We hope this experience will become something greater than ourselves and that we can learn something about the cultures and countries we visit. Lessons we learned so far are that life is not fair and that you have to take what you get. Except what happens and never regret what you did something it may impact you in the long run.

Sincerely,
Alberto

IR Blog Post 3

Symbols:

-The keys could represent the steps in which we take through life and each one brings us closer to finding out our purpose.

Themes & Ideas:
-Friendship
-Trust
-Adventure
- To never give up
-Finding a purpose in life

Connections & Questions:
- How will Jeremy and Lizzy be able to find all the keys in time for Jeremy's thirteenth birthday?
- What could possibly be in the box that Jeremy's father left him?

IR Blog Post 2

Characters:

Larry- Owner of Larry's Locks and Clocks, who helps Jeremy and Lizzy try to find the keys to the box
Bobby Sanchez- five year old in the building
Samantha and Rick- Two new kids that moved into the building who are both fourteen and are twins
Grandma Annie- Lizzy's grandmother who emailed her about the state fair
Mr. Muldoun- hefty man, who has an idea of where they can find the keys
Mitch- Works at the Fink's Comics and Magic store

Events & Places:
-Jeremy and Lizzy start looking for the keys that will unlock the secret box Jeremy's father left him.
-Have several plans on how to find these keys including the flea market, locksmith and going to Larry's Locks and Clocks shop.
-After going through the box of keys Larry had in his shop, they moved onto the next item on their list.
-Jeremy and Lizzy then take the subway to the 26th street flea market in hopes a vender would have a st of keys.
-They came down to the last option on their list which they had hoped would not come down to.

IR #2 Blog Post 1

Jeremy and Lizzy continue to question the mysterious box that came in the mail for him and they put their heads together to come up with several plans in order to retrieve the missing keys. Crossing off Plans A,B and C for they had already tried those. They discuss their options, Plan D- Taking the box to Larry's Locks and Clocks, Plan E- Take the subway to the 26th street Flea Market or a locksmith and Plan F- Hopefully it does not have to come to that.  So they decide with Plan D and go to visit Larry Senior to see if he could help them open it. They go into the back room and to start try all the keys Larry's store, unfortunately none fit. Jeremy and Lizzy move onto Plan E, the flea market hoping to have more luck at a vendors table. When this fails, Lizzy describes the supplies they need for Plan F which may involve bribing a security guard with candy.

Quote: I have a plan. Come over at 10 am. Bring the letter and the box. Sorry it took so long to get back to you, what with the whole Friday Night Is Family Movie Night thing. Field of Dreams again. AGAIN!! Don't be late! Lizzy

- Message sent through the wall between Jeremy and Lizzy's apartment rooms telling him she has a pan to find the keys for the box. (p. 25)

R.A.F.T Argentina

Role- Alberto
Audience-Ernesto's mom
Format- Tweet
Topic- Obstacles/ Challenges

We are leaving Comeback in Miramar and riding to Necochea where a friend of mine lives. However, Che getting sick has steered us off course but eventually we get back on our way reaching San Martin de los Andres where we are welcomed with open arms and plenty of food. Che even manages to steal a bottle of red wine by pretending to be drunk. On the Seven Lakes Road, just our luck...a flat. Have to patch that up at a shed of an Austrian caretaker and accidentally shot the couple's dog, Bobby.

Glenn Beck's Video Post

I felt that Glenn Beck's view of Ernesto or Che was not at all surprising from what I found out about Che as Beck and the other man mentioned different facts about him. From both opinions, it seems that the men believed that Che was this horrible person and refered to him as " a Stalin wanna be". He was aslo linked to have become a icon on t shirts which was not recommended to wear if you have no idea who this person is or what he stands for. What made Glenn's point so persuasive was the tone in his voice, he spoke loudly and was practically screaming at the viewer so they would pay attention to what he had to say. Overall, both views of Che were very negative and after learning more about the man behind the picture I can see why these two men felt this way.

RAFT Intro

Role- You
Audience- Classmates
Format- Tweet
Topic- What do you expect to study this M.P. ?

Sitting in English class writing bout wat I expect 2 study this marking period. I think thro the Motorcycle Diaries, I will study bout the struggle of 1 man & his journey of transformation and corruption. How a young & spiritual man becomes the most known icon in all of Latin America.

TMD Preview

1.The book we are about to read is considered a 'travel diary.' In terms of writing style, what do you expect from this type of book? I expect this trip to later turn into a journey or quest that either one of these characters thought would happen. They will meet some interesting people and experiences that will change their outlook on their own lives and those of others.

2. Based off the clip, 180 South, your research, the preview, and the timeline/bio you looked over, what are some of the major issues you expect to read about? Possibily strong political influeneces, corruption of the government and the people of their country suffering under the dictatorship.

3. How will this differ from the previous two books we've studied? I think the difference is how these people live and it is a journey that they have to overcome by on their own. It's more of a story of where they ended up after all this is over.

IR Blog Post 3

Symbols:

-The box: Jeremy's hopes and dreams, the only thing he has left of his father

Themes & Ideas:
Friendship
Meaning of Life
Curiosity
Exploring the world around you

Connections & Questions:
-If the box was so important why did Harold lose the only set of keys to open it?
-What is our purpose in life?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3SajbRpVRc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aboZctrHfK8&feature=related

IR Blog Post 2

Characters:

Jeremy-Main character, thirteen years old, sweats peanut butter ( his mother serves him never but peanut butter sandwiches at every meal).

Lizzy- Jeremy's best friend, has red hair, has a tendency to shoplift that has no monetary value and is a very loud person.

Nick- Mailman that delievers the package to Jeremy's apartment.

Harold- Name on the letter to Jeremy's mother explaining that he lost the set of keys in which opens the box Jeremy's father left him.

Events & Places-

- Lizzy steals a Bettie and Veronica comicbook from Fink's Comics and Magic store

-The reader learns a little bit about Jeremy's father who passed away when he was thirty-nine years old after a fortune teller predicted that he would die at the age of forty.

-Meet the mailman, Nick and convinces him to let Jeremy sign for his mother's package promising to wait until she gets home before opening it.

- The package gets ripped and the two friends end up opening it anyway. They find a box full of crumbled up newspapers covering a wooden handmade box from his father with a letter addressed to Jeremy's mother.

- After reading the letter, they realize that Jeremy's mother knew about this box and that Harold lost the only set of keys to open it and Jeremy's thirteenth birthday was a month away.

Digital Portfolio, IR MP3, RSS, Blogs - IR #1 Blog Post 1

The book I am reading for my Independent reading project is called Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass. The main character is a thirteen year old boy named Jeremy Fink who lives in an apartment building with his mother and best friend Lizzy in New York City. Coming home from Fink's Comics and Magic store, they convince the postman to hand over a package addressed to Jeremy's mother. The package is "accidentally" opened and the two friends discover under a pile of newspapers is a box handcraved by Jeremy's father. This is the inscription on bottom of the box:


"Um, you might want to turn it over," Lizzy says. I just keep shaking the box back and forth, mesmerized. She finally grabs it from my hands, flips it over, and hands it back. Staring up at me are the engraved words THE MEANING OF LIFE; FOR JEREMY FINK TO OPEN ON HIS 13th BIRTHDAY.  (pg.13)

Theme #4 Reflection

1. I feel I did very well however it was not as good compared to my last theme grade I received. I think the overall paper was well written but I know I could have done better on certain areas such as citations and explaining the examples more clearly.

2. Some opportunity areas for my writing might be going into more detail when explaining quotes and examples to support my thesis.

3. Some things I could improve on for next time would be to look closer at my sentence structures, making the paragraphs and examples flow with together and give myself more time in order to complete the paper.

180 South Reflection

"It's like the quest for the holy grail. Who gives a [darn] what the grail is, its the quest that counts...its the transformation that is within you that is important."


1. I thought this quote was very inspirational and it discusses how the quest counts no matter if you succeed or fail. It is all about the journey and the people you encounter along the way that make it all worthwhile. And how something like Jeff and his friends did transformed them as a person and made they all aware of nature and living to protect something you love. 


2. I can apply this quote to my own life as well considering I am transitioning into adulthood and going to college becoming independent. This is a huge transformation in my life learning how to take care of myself and getting more responsibilities as I venture out on my own.

MP #2 Reflection- Looking Back and Moving Forward

1. This marking period is very involved with the work ethic that we can expect in college next year so I felt it was a huge help to prepare us for the real world and accepting the challenge. I believe we had a lot of material to cover and it gave us examples to relate back to the text and I think I really stepped it up to keep up with the work we were given this marking period. Some things I struggled with were certainly the discussions and the amount of work however I was up for the challenge.

2. I feel I did well the first marking period regarding the themes and projects. I could improve on my communication skills and being more active in the discussion.

3. Definitely the class discussions, I am going to work on improving my score and getting more involved in them. Some challenges I may face are making sure I remember due dates and staying on top of my schoolwork.  

IM Section IV

1. I feel the most important was the narrators funeral address to Clifton and the argument between him and the Brotherhood after his speech.
2. The crowd's reaction and the tension while the narrator was speaking.
3. The entire argument between the narrator and the Brotherhood about involving the group in his speech. 

IR MP #2 Blog Assignment - Reflection

1. Overall I like the assignment because it is a lot easier to handle with all the other work we have to do for Invisible Man and it gives us the opportunity to pick articles in the three categories that interest us. And I like how they are assigned on Fridays which gives us a chance to get them done during the week.

2. I learned a lot about the world around me and how other people live their lives. Especially through the different articles on tattoos and art, I found that the most interesting to me because I was able to read about what things mean to me and how art has changed their lives.

3. The only thing I would change is to research articles in sports and politics that I am more interested in so I will be more excited to share them as I am with each tattoo article I do.

4. Yes, but more in the art direction with artists blogs and people who are proud to be an artist and how they choose to express themselves. 

IR Blog Post 4 Boehner takes charge as new Congress convenes (3)

Facts:

•  Rep. John Boehner of Ohio became the 61st speaker of the House of Representatives
• Democrats maintained control of the Senate for the new 112th Congress
• Republicans now hold a 242-193 majority in the House

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/01/05/pelosi.boehner/index.html

Questions:

• Why was Boehner chosen to be the 61st speaker of the House of Representatives? 
• Was the election the only reason for Replublicans to gain the majority?

Link:
http://www.boehnerforspeaker.com/site/c.ouIWL8MOJrE/b.5406213/k.AEB6/About.htm

IR Blog Post 4 Mark Sanchez recalls Aidan Binkley (2)

Facts:

• Binkley was suffering from a rare form of cancer, wanting only two things,  his two brothers to stay healthy and to meet Sanchez
• Aidan visited the Jets' training facility and received the VIP treatment
•  There was a lemon-sized tumor that spread from his pelvis to his lungs, requiring 60 weeks of chemotherapy.

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/news/story?id=5991920

Questions:

• What kept Binkley motivated to live after battling rhabdomayosarcoma?
• Why was meeting Mark Sanchez such an important thing to Binkley?

Link:
http://blog.newyorkjets.com/tag/aidan-binkley/

IR Blog Post 4 What's Beneath It All (1)

Facts:

• John Birdsall, a 32 year old who is confined to a motorized wheelchair 
• Speaks through a typing device 
• Has also written a book called The Never-Ending Sun
• Got a silver fern incorporating a koru on his back to symbolize new life and growth

http://www.tattooblog.com/2011/01/whats-beneath-it-all/

Questions:

• Why did he choose this particular symbol to get tattooed on his body?
• What made he decide to get a tattoo in the first place?

Link:
http://www.boneart.co.nz/meanings.htm

http://www.shopenzed.com/maori-designs-their-spiritual-meaning-xidc13209.html