Course Reflection

                                                    Course Reflection
  English IS class is kind of hard class for me, because we have to read a lot of books, and write a lot of blog or essay. When I start English class in this year, I just can write 200 words blog for my homework, and I can not finish reading books. After a few time, I can write at least 500 words for my blog. Also, my reading speed are faster than before. So, I learn lots of skills and knowledge.
  Firstly, it was very difficult to write a 500 words blog at the beginning of the year. I just can wrote 200 to 300 words on each blog. After a few weeks, I can write 500 words blog. Also, we read 6 books this year, I still remember I really did not want to read the book, but I still finish it. It was so hard to read books for me. Because there are a lot of vocabulary words in the book, and I translated everyone. When I was in China, I never read the novel. But when I came to America, I started reading books. Some books are really interesting, such as Me and You, We Were Liars. The story is really interesting. But some books I do not really like it, such as Frozen In Time. That is because, there are too many information in the book, and it was the history about a person.
  For my next year, I still need to work on vocabulary words, and reading more books. In my opinion, reading books is the best way to improve the English skills. Because English books have a lot of vocabulary, we can learn them easily from the book. Also, we can learn some grammar from the English book. Because there is no grammar issues in the book which is already published. For my writing skills, I have to improve it a lot.
  My favorite book is Me And You. This book talked about a boy who do not like talk with other people, and always lied to his mom. He just wanted to stay by himself. Then, he hided in the cellar and had a great time. One day, his sister found him, and she is homeless and poor. He let her stay for a while. After that, they talked a lot, and he knows that she hate her father. After a few days, her sister left, and she left a letter said you are my best brother. After a few years, her sister was died in a bar because of drug. I like this book, because it has real emotion with love between brother and sister. I want to read the book which is the style like Me And You. Because it is kind of easier to understand, and it has real emotion.
  In this year, I learned lots of things- write blog, reading book's skills etc. I like English class, and I will do my best in next year.

Review of Bone Chiller

                                                          Review of Bone Chiller
  On last Friday, there was a fantastic show called Bone Chiller in BlackBox, and I went there and saw the show. "Bone Chiller" was written by Monk Ferris. I am really like the show. 
  Firstly, some people get in the room, and they discussed who can get Josiah Travers' money. They have Josiah Travers' family members and officer etc, and they introduce themself. The only thing that Josiah Travers reserve is a puzzle. The puzzle has a lot of strange pictures, and it is very hard to find out what does it mean. Jerry leaned to crack the puzzle, and he led the rest of people to figure out. They had some problem when they figure out the picture which is like the sausage. After that, the servant killed by a mysterious person. Then, the one of cooker hide in a small room, and she faked died. At the story's ending, there were 2 killer in the room, the one of killer is the "officer", the other one is the women who wear black formal dress. I did not really understand all the shows, but I still think it is a very good show from 2 reasons. 
  The first reason is the actors has actual emotion when they were acting. I think actors' emotion is the most important part in the show, because spectator can input to the show from actors' emotion. For example, Luxi who act a fashionable woman did very well on her character's emotion, I know she is a rich, confident person from her expression and voice. However, other actor also did very well o emotion such as the one of little cooker. When the other cooker fake died, she cried like it is real. So, I think emotion is very important to the show, and they did really good job in the show. 
  Second, the show had fantastic background music and lighting changed. As we all know, this show is Jack Jack's last show to work on in Cheshire Academy. He control the light's direction and design the room's background. When I walked in the Black Box, I knew this show is obviously about murder, because they had dark lights and strange back ground music. So, it was a very good show because of background music and lighting changed. 
  I am appreciate the actor who works very hard on the show, but I think this show still can improved. For example, they had 2 hours conversation in the shows, even though we had 15 minutes to take a rest.
 At last, this show played successful, I am really appreciate people who works in the show again. 

Reaction of the novel

  As a reader of this book, I felt very sad and strange for this story's ending. The 3 Liars- Mirren, Johnny and Gat were died by the accident, and Cadence was the only person who alive. They did not plan very well, and when they were realized the danger, everything were too late.
  First of all, after reading the end of the story, I feel very sad. They were best friends for each other, and Gat and Cadence love each other. It supposed be a very good story, but after accident, everything are changed. Cadence was dye her hair, because she did not like Sinclair, and she did not want to be a member of Sinclair. The reason why she did not like Sinclair, granddad control all the money, and he felt that he is the boss of the family. Aunties were fight for the house which is in the Boston. Liars did not like that, and they planned to buried granddad's house. Then, the accident was happened. In Summer 17, aunties became better on division of property. Everyone can not told Cadence the truth of accident. When I was reading this part, I felt very sad to Cadence.
  Secondly, I felt strange on this story. For example, how did Cadence see the 3 liars? Why was Cadence only person who was get out of the granddad's house? After accident, Cadence always image the 3 liars who were died by fire, and they talked about the future and the motto together. Cadence was the only person who can see the 3 liars. One day, Cadence talked about Mirren with aunt Mess, but aunt Mess said what are you talking about. So, I think the 3 liars are Cadence's imagenation. Granddad also have some head problem after accident, because he always called Cadence "Mirren". Because of those several reasons, I felt this story is kind of strange.
 

In class writing

  In my opinion, the three Liars- Johnny, Mirren and Gat are Cadence's imagination. The three liars were died by fire, and they were actually died. Cadence losed her memory by the accident, and her brain got physical damage. So, she might image something that other people can not see. For example, Cadence talked with aunt Mess about Mirran, and aunt Mess said what are you talking about. After accident, only Cadence can talk with other 3 liars, and other people can not see them. Why Cadence can image 3 liars? I think they were best friends for each other, and Gat and Cadence love each other. So Cadence might image them and talk to them. During the accident time, Gat said "we can meet each other in the other world" to Cadence. However, Cadence still love Gat, and she imaged them start over. So, I think the 3 liars are Cadence's imagination, they are not ghost. 

Chapter 50-70

Cadence, Johnny, Mirren and Gat were swing together. Cadence's mom made her write to Grandad, and Cadence love her Grandad. Aunties filled in for Gran, making slumps and fussing around Grandad as if he hadn't been living alone in Boston since Tipper died in October. Gat and Cadence went to swimming at night, and they fell in love. 

2 thinking questions

1 Why did Gat said Grandad thinks he is Heathcliff who is the character in the book?

2 Why did Gat want to start over with Cadence?

Ch31-40 notes

Chapter 31: Cadence was have conversation with Mirran, and they talked about the Email. Mirran said she doesn't like email because it is like homework.
Chapter 32: Cadence was meet with Gat, and she still like Gat. That is because Gat asked her to start over, and Cadence agree.
Chapter 33: Cadence's aunt's behavior was very strange. When Cadence asked her about Johnny, she said what are you talking about?
Chapter 34: Liberty and Bonnie went to Cadence's room, and they saw drugs. 
Chapter 35: Cadence's aunt has been trying to get out of Cuddledown for years. 
Chapter 36: Liars were playing tennis together, and they talked about the Europe. They also wanted to go to Rome. 
Chapter 37: Grandad's 3 daughters wanted to get the house for million dollars. 
Chapter 38: Cadence talked with Gat, Johnny and Mirran about drugs, but other people can not see them. 
Chapter 39: Gat kissed with Cadence, and he told her how he feels.
Chapter 40: There is a story in this chapter, and it talk about a mouse and a pricess just like Cadence and Gat. 

important events

  In chapter 16, Cadence's father gives her some books for the gifts. She thought about the love from the story. The story talk about the 3 daughter of the king. Only the third daughter knows what is love, and she really love her father. But her father didn't understand. Cadence realized she love her granddad, but she is not sure that she likes him.
  She also remembered her friend-Gat, and she think Gat didn't love her and she didn't love Gat either.
  Then, the story back to the Island.

Vocabulary words

Glamorous P.39

Adj.

Having an air of allure, romance and excitement – charming

Book: it is hardly glamorous the way Mummy and I quarrel now that Dad is gone. 

Stagger P.30

V.

Walk as if unable to control one's movements

Book: I’d stagger from the table or collapse in quiet shameful agony.

Recuperate P.32

V.

Regain a former condition after a financial loss.

Book: Mummy took me home to Vermont to recuperate.

Villainous P.32

Adj.

A villainous person is very bad and willing to harm other people or break the law in order to get what he or she wants.

Book: they always look villainous in the dark of the evening.

Heroine. 39
N.

The main good female character in a work of fiction

Book: When she’s there, her pale skin and watery eyes make her look glamorously tragic, like a literary heroine wasting from consumption.

Agony 30
Adj.

Intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain

Book: I’d stagger from the table or collapse in quiet shameful agony.

Ivory 28

Adj.

A hard smooth ivory colored dentine that makes up most of the tusks of elephants and walruses

Book: inside, it is full of original New York cartoons, family photos, embroidered pillows, small statues, ivory paperweights, taxidermied fish on plaques.

shore 32 n.

the land along the edge of a body of water

Book: There are big rocks in off the shore, craggy and black.

hilariously p31

Adv. marked by or causing boisterous merriment or convulsive laughter

Book: covertly,  hilariously, behind Granddad’s black while he drove the motorboat. 

stunning p27

Adj. strikingly beautiful or attractive

She was a stunning woman, even when she was old. 

pitiful p36
Adj.

inspiring mixed contempt and pity

Different from my pitiful voice messages, these were charming, darling notes from a person without headaches.


collapse vt. an abrupt failure of function or health
12“I’d stagger from the table or collapse in quiet shameful agony, hoping no one in the family would notice.”
Giddy vt. having or causing a whirling sensation; liable to falling
11“Johnny, Mirren, Gat, and I snuck glasses of wine and felt giddy and silly.”
embroidered adj adorned with embroidery
11“Inside, it is full of original New Yorker cartoons, family photos, embroidered pillows, small statues, ivory paperweights, taxidermied fish on plaques.”
Surpasses 
V. distinguish oneself
16“Eventually she surpasses her employer in skill and her food is known throughout the land”




(n.)Taxidermy: the art of mounting the skins of animals so that they have lifelike appearance
 11“Inside, it is full of original New Yorker cartoons, family photos, embroidered pillows, small statues, ivory paperweights, taxidermied fish on plaques.”
Page 28

Quarrel: an angry dispute
15“It is hardly glamorous the way Mummy and I quarrel now that Dad is gone.”
Page 39

Constellation: an arrangement of parts or elements
8“I was glad Gat didn’t try to sound knowledgeable about constellations or say stupid stuff about wishing on stars.”
Page 21

Snorkeling: skin diving with a snorkel
11“WHEN I WASN’T bleeding, and when Mirren and Johnny were snorkeling or wrangling the littles, or when everyone lay on couches watching movies on the Clairmont flat-screen, Gat and I hid away.”
Page 30

Stagger: an unsteady uneven gait
11“I’d stagger from the table or collapse in quiet shameful agony, hoping no one in the family would notice. Especially not Mummy.”
Page 30

Traumatic: of or relating to a physical injury or wound to the body
13“Migraine headaches caused by traumatic brain injury.”
Page 34

chapter 1-5 blog

                                                    Rich people and beautiful place
  When I started reading this book, I felt peaceful and beautiful. That is because the Sinclair family has no criminal, addict and failure. People who is Sinclair have lots of welfare such as if credit card bills go unpaid, it is doesn't matter. So, it is a very good place for living.
  Cadence Sinclair Eastman is the main character in this story. He live in Burlington, Vermont, with his mum and 3 dogs. He had a bad experience that he suffer accident. His father was a middling successful professor, and he had lots of good habits suck as fond of bicycles and art museums. But his father didn't love his parents, and just spent only summer in Windemere house with family. And then, he left. He was leaving him and his mother because of Saab. That feel like he pulled out a handgun and shot Cadence Sinclair Eastman. Eastman loves his father, and his father broke his heart. His mother was very sad too, and she was crying. So, his mom is his all that he had. After that, they went to Beechwood Island.
  Tipper and Harris Sinclair had 3 daughters who named Penny, Carrie, and Bess. Harries came into his money when he 21 years old. Granddad has only one failure that he never had a son, but it doesn't matter. His girls were very beautiful and rich. Granddad and Tipper loved those girls, so they can not say whom they loved best.
  Johnny, Mirren and Eastman called liars by their family, they were all nearly same age, and they all had birthdays in the fall. They got "liars" when they started going to Beechwood the year they were eight. Johnny didn't like playing with girls. "Johnny, he is bounce, effort, and snark." According to this sentence, I think he was very smart, and lively. "Mirren, she is sugar, curiosity, and rain." I think Mirren was very cute, and smart. So, I think they are main characters in this book, because they called "liars".  In my opinion, Cadence Sinclair Eastman was pathetic and lucky. First, he was pathetic, because his father left him and his mother. Then, they moved to Beechwood Island. Second, he was lucky, because he had a rich, and lovely family. His mom  and granddad loved him, and he had lots of friends. So, I think he will have a good time in Beechwood Island.
  As the reader of this book, I think their community and welfare are much better than ours. For their environment, they had nearly best environment in the world, because they lived on the island. The air is wet, and has no toxic substance. They moved to Beechwood Island with granddad after Eastman's father left his family. After read chapter one and two, I thought they lived in the place where like paradise. The writer used lots of adjective to describe the "paradise". So, I like reading this book, it is interesting.

Reaction for ending

In my opinion, the end of the story is kind of sad. First, Olivia just left a paper for Lorenzo, then she left. She was the only person who Lorenzo wanted tell the truth. Second, Olivia was died in the bar because of drug overdose. She was only 33 years old. They promised that Olivia never ever drug each other. But now, Olivia was broken that. I think Olivia was very pathetic, because she didn't have parents, money, and she never get love until meet Lorenzo. So, I think it is a sad ending for this story.

Haiku poems

John is a sad boy

He is also a student

He likes playing games

I enjoy my life

Everything is good to me

So I am happy

3 thinking questions

1. If you were Lorenzo, what should you do when Olivia was sick?

2. Why Olivia hated her father?

3. Do you think Lorenzo's father was a good man? Why or why not.

Lorenzo's sister

  After read chapter 5, I think Olivia who was Lorenzo's sister was a kind of strange person. First, she didn't listen to her parents when she was young, and she was lied to her parents. For example, when she got in trouble, she told to her parents that she is a photographer. Second, she didn't care about his Lorenzo. Although they had same father, but actually Olivia didn't care about her family. She hated her father, and left her family to somewhere. Third, I think Olivia is kind of rude, because when Lorenzo didn't want her live in Lorenzo's cellar, Olivia used very sly way to live in his cellar. So, in my opinion, I don't like Olivia for now.

Summary of chapter 5

  Lorenzo was recall his memories in chapter 4, but in chapter 5 he back to the real world. He still lied to his mom, and stayed in the cellar. He likes having this life that stay in the cellar by himself. Then, his sister who named Olivia called him, and talked with him for a while. His sister was strange in the phone call, asked strange questions and said don't tell mom that I called you. He thought it was a crap, but it wasn't. His sister was his father and the other woman's daughter, and she was very naughty when she was young. His sister also liked lying to her parents, for example, she pretended a photographer, actually she was in trouble. So, Lorenzo was kind of similar with his sister Olivia. After that, Lorenzo wrote a letter for his mom, and said he is having fun. Then, Olivia went to Lorenzo's living place. They were looking for the their father's stuff. His sister was king of angry about the letter, and she just stayed for a while then left. Then, Lorenzo read the letters between his sister and his father. After that, his sister came back, and wanted sleep in the cellar for 1 night, but Lorenzo disagree with that. But his sister were sly, she yelled in the park that Lorenzo is hiding in the cellar. Then, Lorenzo opened the door for Olivia.

Chapter 4 in class writing

  When Lorenzo and his mom were in the car, they had traffic jam. There was raining outside. It was hard to move in there. First, scooter slalomed between the cars, his mom felt unhappy with them, and pushed hard on the car horn.Then, Lozenro talked with his mom for a while. After that, his mom saw a free space to park, and drive to there. Suddenly, there was a yellow Smart Car drive into them. The man who was the driver had argue with Lorenzo's mom, and said lots of bad words to her. Lorenzo can not do anything, al last his mom fell down. 

  Lorenzo was sitting in the car when his mom argue with the bad man. Lorenzo wanted to help his mom, but he can not move out the car. He didn't understand why the man said so many bad words to his mom. When his mom fell down, he fainted. I think Lorenzo was a little bit scared when they were argue. Also, he was hate the man.

  I think he didn't like the song because of this. And also, he didn't like people maybe also because of this, because his mom did nothing wrong when the man said lots of bad words. He thought everyone like that bad man. His mom fell down on the street, and no one helped. So this chapter is important. 

The summary of Chapter 3

                                                       The summary of chapter 3
  Chapter 3 talk about Lorenzo lived in the dark cellar. He used a rest of morning to read a book and sleep. He enjoyed his holidays in the cellar. After that, his mom called him, and asked a few questions about himself. And he told his mom he is in the pizzeria, and everything is fine. He had a bad mood when he went to home, because he hates that song. His mom was three floors above him, and his father would wake his mom up and take her to bed.

I like Lorenzo as a character

  Actually I don't really like Lorenzo when I started reading this book. But after reading, I like Lorenzo as a character. Even though Lorenzo was a weird person, but he still was a good boy. When his mom and he went to ski, he had some issue with his mom. He wanted go to the ski field by himself. But his mom didn't want him to do that, and she didn't understand why he wanted to get there by himself. He just didn't want to be a loser who turned up with his mom, and he also didn't want other people make fun of  him. He wanted other people to respect him, and he tried to change himself. 

  When he was 3 years old, he wanted everyone leave him alone. But there were some students wanted to talk with him. Then he will though anything that he can hand on to the student who wanted talk with him. When he grow up, he learned how the other students to leave him alone. So, I think he didn't want hurt other people, he just was a special student in his school. 

  I like Lorenzo, because he knew his wrong, and he tried to change them. 

a short reaction of chapter 1

  I think this book is kind of interesting, because it talked about a boy who name is Lorenzo's life . He is not a optimistic boy, and he is very shy, don't want to talk. He is 14 years old. I like reading the book that talk about a person's special life. And I think this boy who's name is Lorenzo has a special life. So, I don't think this book is boring. It might be interesting.

Top three choices of books

If I stay

The fault in our star

Half wild

Spelling bee review

                                                                Spelling Bee review

  The 25th Annual Putnam Country, Spelling Bee is a long one act musical comedy. There are 5 students in the game. Every student has various kinds of styles to preform their special art of spelling. They have different ways to spell words.What’s more, we also have splendidly surprising Spelling Bee drama in our school. It is shown in our school’s black box which is a special place for performance located in gym next to Motter Hall and John.J White building. I saw the Spelling Bee drama yesterday and I felt my body was relaxed from the stress of hard studying, my knowledge was enlarged, my vocabulary was increased, my version was elaborated and my imagination was inspired. 

  

I went there a little bit late, so I missed the very beginning of the drama which was such a huge pity. When I came in the Black Box, there was a big boy who was in yellow jeans and a brown hat in front of the audience sing songs smoothly with dancing elegantly. His vocabulary was astonishingly large which impressed me and I knew he worth me to emulate. Moreover, I had heard of that he won the championship of the Spelling Bee last year so he definitely was a strong rival of other candidates. He gave the speech with strong self confidence and loud voice. However, he left very early with shocked me from head to toes. As far as I am concerned,the reason why he left so early was not because of his English level, he was unfairly treated by the judges. He originally spelt the word right but the judge said he was wrong. However, he lost his demeanor by yelling at the judges which I thought was inappropriate. All in all, I felt sorry for him.

The second candidate was a girl with grey cap and glasses. She preferred to spell the word on the ground and use dance step to represent each letter. I was impressed by her beautiful steps and her creation. Everyone was dancing and singing behind her. The dancing team was great and I recognized many faces of my classmates. I felt very proud of them because I knew they practiced very hard to prepare this event. 

The farewell ‘celebration’ for the lose candidate was extremely sarcastic. They repeated the ‘goodbye’ rhythms with alto and base. It sounded cheerful but I thought that was nothing to be happy about.

There was a girl who was very shy and dressed in pink. She talked very little and always lowered her head. One of the judges came to rise her head but lately she lowered her head again.

In conclusion, I have learnt a lot strategy and vocabulary. I hope in the future I can be brave enough to stand on the stage and enlarge my vocabulary. 

Books

Overview

 

Phaet Theta has lived her whole life in a colony on the Moon. She’s barely spoken since her father died in an accident nine years ago. She cultivates the plants in Greenhouse 22, lets her best friend talk for her, and stays off the government’s radar.

 

Then her mother is arrested.

 

The only way to save her younger siblings from the degrading Shelter is by enlisting in the Militia, the faceless army that polices the Lunar bases and protects them.

Overview

 

"You will have a powerful Gift, but it’s how you use it that will show you to be good or bad."

 

In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, seventeen-year-old Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world's most powerful and violent witch. Nathan is hunted from all sides: nowhere is safe and no one can be trusted. Now, Nathan has come into his own unique magical Gift, and he's on the run—but the Hunters are close behind, ..

Overview

 

Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.

 

LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy

Overview

 

A critically acclaimed novel that will change the way you look at life, love, and family.

 

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful.

Overview

 

Limited collector’s edition of Eleanor & Park features a new jacket, an exclusive Q&A with author Rainbow Rowell, and several stunning pieces of fan art. 

A 2014 Michael L. Printz Honor Book for Excellence in Young Adult Literature...

 

brief summary of spelling bee

The 25th annual putnam county spelling bee is a long one-act play.Music comedy conception and music and lyrics by William Finn Rebecca feldman, a book by jay, Rachel Sheinkin and additional material.Exhibition center in group a fictional spelling geographically ambiguous putnam valley high school.Six eccentric teenagers to bees, by the same three eccentric adults.

2005 Broadway production by James Lapine and by David stone, James l. Holland Barbara Whitman, Patrick Catullo barrington stage theatre company and the second stage, praise and box office success and was nominated for six Tony award, won two, including the best books.This program has given rise to a variety of other products in the United States, including the national tour products in Canada and Australia.

An unusual aspect of the show are, four stage the real audience was invited to a spelling bee and six young characters.Tony award in 2005, a former presidential candidate al sharpton competition.Show another interesting aspect is that the pronunciation of the official, are often improvisational comedy actor, provide the usage - in - a - what a ridiculous example when asked to use in a sentence.For example, for "gym," he said, "Euripides said, stay in the gym what will happen in the gym." in some programs, adult audience only are invited to "parents," also known as the "adult bees at night."These performances by the sexual references and profane the restricted level improvisation rehearsal.

Haiku poems

John is a sad boy

He is also a student

He likes playing games

She is beautiful 

He is very handsome too

I am so uglily

I enjoy my life

Everything is good to me

So I am happy

Essay of cover image

                                    Memorise just like pearls

 Everyone have their own memories, and sometimes they want to review them or think about them. Sookan who is a Korean international student and studied in America. She also has her own memories, and she collected them together. The college life changed her life, just like pearls. Sookan was an only international student in her collage.When she was in the school, she felt uncomfortable, because she is Korean, and she has very different culture and life habits. After a few month, she got some friends, and her life got better. She studied very hard, and she got sick because of studying hard. Marci was Sookan’s best friend, and she did not listen to her parents’ advices, so she has bad relationship with them. She had some good memories, but she also has a few bad memories. As the cover image shows us, Sookan is picking up one of the pearls, and looking at it. The pearls are just like her collage memaries. She want to review them. This book talks about Sookan's 2 years life in college. These 2 years are very important to her, because it changed her life. The cover shows how important these pearls are to Sookan, just like her experiences.

 First, Sookan changed her minds when she came to college. She was an only international student in her school. There were a lot of differences between Korean culture and American culture. For example, she always obeyed her sister, and she wrote lots of letters to her family. But her best friend Marci did't listen to her parents, and she always had quarrel between her parents and herself. Then, Marci advise Sookan did not need to follow her sister, and told her something that is everyone has their own life. So, Sookan followed herself, and she became a independent person.

Second, Sookan had difficult life when she came to America first time. Because of cultures different, Sookan felt strange and a little bit scared. When she get off the plane, she saw a couple people were kissing. The girl can shake hands with the stranger. When she went to school, she tried get together with American, but she failed. Then, her roommate who named Ellen helped her to make friends and adapt new envirement. She got lots of experience from her roommate. At last, she blend in the new envirement, and got together with American friends. She also was used to enjoy American life. Sookan not only overcome the difficults, but also used American life.

 Third, Sookan studied very hard, and she became a students leader from a bashful student. When she started the school, she studied exceeding and got sick. Because of cultures and habits are differences, she did not like talk too much when she started the school. But she did not keep quiet, she made some friends to help each other. She was very nice to her friends, and she also cooked Korean food for them. Sometimes, she took part in school activities. Then, she enjoyed living in America, studing. At the end, she became a students leader in the collage.

 At the last of the book, Sookan’s mother told her “Though times are the times when one gathers one’s pearls” (Choi 163). I think it means life’s difficulty is not a bad experience, sometimes it might like pearls. Even though her mom was died, she still face to fact, and became to a tough personSookan had a difficult life when she came to the collage, but she got success by herself. As an international student in America, I have lots of things that can learn from Sookan’s experience. Her collage’s life changed her life forever. At last, she review her college, just like she is picking up one of precious pearls.

Citation:
Choi, Sook Nyul., and Sook Nyul. Choi. Gathering of Pearls. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Print.

Kaihu poems

Basho Matsuo

Here are three examples of the haiku of Basho Matsuo, the first great poet of haiku in the 1600s:

An old silent pond...

A frog jumps into the pond,

splash! Silence again.

Autumn moonlight—

a worm digs silently

into the chestnut.

Lightning flash—

what I thought were faces

are plumes of pampas grass.

Yosa Buson

Three examples of the haiku of Yosa Buson from the late 1700s are offered here:

A summer river being crossed

how pleasing

with sandals in my hands!

Light of the moon

Moves west, flowers' shadows

Creep eastward.

In the moonlight,

The color and scent of the wisteria

Seems far away.

Kobayaski Issa

Here are three haiku from Kobayashi Issa, a haiku master poet from the late 1700s and early 1800s:

O snail

Climb Mount Fuji,

But slowly, slowly!

Trusting the Buddha, good and bad,

I bid farewell

To the departing year.

Everything I touch

with tenderness, alas,

pricks like a bramble.

First draft of essay

  Everyone have their own memories, sometimes they want to review them or think of them. Sookan who is a Korean international student studied in America also has her own memories, and she collected them together. The collage life changed her life, just like pearls.

 Sookan is an only international student in her collage. When she was in the school, she felt uncomfortable. That is because, she is Korean, and she has very different culture and life habits. After a few month, she got some friends, and her life get better. She studied very hard, and because of this, she got sick. Marci is Sookan’s best friend, she don’t listen to her parents’ advices, and she has bad relationship with them. She has some good memories, but she also has a few bad memories.

 As the cover image shows us, Sookan is picking up one of the pearls, and looking at it. The pearls are like her collage memaries. She want to review them. This book talk about Sookan's 2 years life in collage. These 2 years are very important for her, because it change her life. The cover shows how important these experiences are to Sookan, just like pearls.

 First, Sookan is an only international student in her school. There are a lot of differences between Korean culture and American culture. For example, she always obey her sister, and she wrote lots of letters for her family. But her best friend Marci did't listen to her parents, and she always has quarrel between she and her parents. Then, Marci advise Sookan don't need to follow her sister, and told her something that is everyone has their own life.

Thesis statement

There are lots of pearls on the cover image. Sookan is picking up one of the pears and looking at it. I think these pearls are like her college memories. She wants to pick up the memories and review them. This time period is very important to her and changes her life. The cover shows how important these experiences are to Sookan, just like pearls.

Brainstorming

What does the cover image and title symbolize? How does it represent Sookan's experience? Come up with as many ideas as you can.

This book talk about a girst who name is Sookan’s study abroad in America, and it is a memory of the writer of this book.

She wanna put those memory together, and then named this book Gathering Of Pearls. Pearls like her memory.

First, the girl who is in the cover image is an Asian, and she has a sad face. I think she is thinking something. This girl is sitting on the grand, and also picking up one of the pearls.

I think she has lots of memory. This pearl might replace her memory of her life when she was in collage.  

I think this girl is wearing the school uniform. There are a few pearls behind her, and she don’t care them. May be it means some sad memory for Sookan. She just wanna recall the collage life.

There are some flowers in the cover. I think it is peach blossom, peach blossom can embody a person who is kind. So, it can replace Sookan’s character. 

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                                                      The epilogue to the novel
It's been seven years since I stepped on this unpredictable land called United States of America.

   My name is Sookan, I came here for college at the beginning, and I've graduated for five years. I look back, look back at my path, wonder how I've come here, but never get an exact answer from it. Everything seemed happen so quick that I can't catch up. Well, who is able to?

   I've been in love with a man, and we got merry. However, things didn't go the way we expected, they just always don't. Life is complicated, yet easy to see through after all. I wish I have the power to go back then and stop being naive and ignorant, but I can't. 

   We argued, we fight, standing on different side of road staring at each other uncomfortably, neither dares to step closer. Divorce comes after all. It's hard to say goodbye to someone you got used to and live with for that many moments. Even harder to recognize the stranger who seems so familiar, but you don't the courage to talk to. That's how it feels like after all these. I wonder.

   Yep, I have lost everything I had. Mom has gone to another world. And my only sister has married to a man and became someone who seems doesn't care about me at all. What else has left in my life, endless energy of young blood? Which just the unacceptable excuse for irresponsibility and fatuous.

   I unpacked the letters written by my family when I was still in college, the letters full of hope, full of the love from another side of the world, and those don't exist anymore. It was the best part of my life, picking up and putting back a lot of treasure there. I met Marci, Kyle, Mr. Bennett and some many other wonderful people. Those people just show up and disappear in your life, probably been forgotten after ten years, but still makes a great memory.

   It's time to start a new journey, it will be full of challenge, danger, everything will be unexpected. But that's how we keep our last breath in this world, to survive, to live. I have learnt how to love myself, and make the right decisions from this path, and never regret.

Group work

Sookan came back the school. Sookan wrote a letter about her life for her all family members. Sister Reed gives Sookan a pearl necklace from her aunt, because she thinks Sookan is extraordinary enough to have this necklace. Ellen is engaged with Kyle, and Sookan had an argument with her. Because Ellen thinks she can decide her own life. However Sookan thinks that she should care more about her parents' opinions. 

Important: She gets argument with one of her best friends. Because it is about her relationship with her best friends. Different thinking. It is really important to find the reason and study it. 

1. Why does Sookan get into argument with Ellen?

2. How would people in the dinning hall feel when they heard Ellen gets engaged? What if it happens at Korea?

3. If you were Ellen, what would you say to Sookan? Would you agree with her after the argument? 

  

Chapter 13-18

Chapter 13
1. They are not that close, we can tell by their reactions during diner.
2. She suggests her thrown the letters out and do not think about them.
3. I don't think so, because she is a calm thinker.

Chapter 14
1. A red velvet box, with a necklace inside, because she thinks Sookan is a extraordinary woman.
2. She was invited to a lunch.
3.They missed her a lot.
4. I agree, because that's respect that Sookan needed.

Chapter 15
1. Because those are experiences that never happen to her before in Korea.
2. I wouldn't do the things she did.

Chapter 16
1. She has completed her work, and the relationship with friends improved.
2. She has became more and more American, including thoughts about family and other relationship.

Chapter 17
1. It was the news that her mom was dead.
2. It was incredible for her, but she didn't show much sadness either.

Chapter 18
1. She realized she was being silly.
2. Just be herself, but don't follow the trend too much.

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  In my opinion, the book seems pretty interesting to me so far. I have learnt a bunch of things from it.
  Sookan is still my favorite character. I am a boarding student as she is, thus we have a lot of same experiences. She is intelligence, patient and hard working. A lot of details in the story impressed me a lot. Such as she keeps trying to involve in the environment around her. I understand that America is a whole new place for her and she had a hard time understanding other friends' culture and communicate with them, but she still did it. She is really warm hearted, an example from page 32: " Marci had left Friday afternoon to go home to Scarsdale. I wished I could have joined her; she looked lonesome" We can tell by this quote that Sookan consider her friends' feeling. Another quote from page 57: "Everything is so different here, I said slowly. In Korea, such a thing would not be possible. Even married couples do not show such affection in public." She is trying to compare the two different cultures together to show her friend her thoughts. It's been tough for her to improve the friendship, but since she is willing to open her mind and try to communicate, I bet she is going to be successful later.
  I have noticed that Sookan is kind of shy though she works so hard. A quote from page 61" Sookan Bak, they called. I was stunned. I could not believe someone had nominated me. My heart started to pound. I wanted to accept the nomination. I would have loved to serve on the student council, and I was sure I could do a good job." This paragraph really show her mind. It happened to me too, when I was competing for the group leader in my Biology class, it's really excited to competing in a unfamiliar environment, but when I actually did it, I just couldn't believe myself.
  This book has motivated me a lot. First, Sookan is a only international student in her school, and she tried to talk with her classmates. I also is a international student, but sometimes I feel a little bit scared to talk in class or some places. I need to speak more in class. Second, Sookan studied very hard. She always sick because of study, but it is not good to study that hard. I need to focus on study, and also learn from Sookan's skills.

Questions

1 Why Sookan's sister wanted her to write journal for her?

2 Why Sookan didn't go to meeting?

chapter 6-12 study guide

Chapter 6
1. Sookan's sister wanted her write about her school life, and write it everyday. Sookan has lots of work to do, so she can not write everything for her sister. That is problem between Sookan and her sister.

Chapter 7
1. Quote from page 55-56: (Ellen said." It's important for you to check out the social scene.)
2. The gap between their culture makes her have new understandings on independence and making choices.
3. I think she should follow her new understanding because she is in a new environment.

Chapter 8
1. Because she was absent.
2. No, because it's always good to face the problem.
3. It was a letter to her mother, telling about her current situation.

Chapter 9
1. It's good because she can understand new environment and the trip can improve her friendship with Ellen, but it's also bad that she will trouble Ellen's family.

Chapter 10
1. It's the shower room.
2. her stomach felt like twisted knots.
3. Quote from page 76: " You are all right and the only thing you have to do now is get plenty of sleep"

Chapter 11
1. Her mother's main focus is on her health, and her sister just want her to face her life full of challenges.

Chapter 12
1. She wanted to prepare Korean dinner.
2. Marci baked some brownies and Ellen, Kyle bought come poinsettia and cut flowers.
3. Sister Reed, Sarah and Mrs Bennett.
4. She is all alone away from home, she needs people to support her, and take care of her. The gathering can improve the relationship between her and the people around her, especially friends.

Letter from Sucan

Good afternoon, sister. 

My travel was safely, and I went to school before 2 weeks. I took a long time in the travel, but I enjoyed that. I'm the only international student in my school, and I'm trying to talk with American students. But I can not play with them very well. Marci is my roommate, she has bad relationship with her sister. 

I love you!