A gift of laughter by Allan Sherma

A gift of laughter is about father’s relationship with his son and his past.  The personage of the story is writer himself, Allan Sherman, because I read that it tells about Robert Sherman is narrator’s son. I can remember myself before. I cried several times because I want a candy or playing with friends outside when it already was dark. My memories are fragments for me now. I did remember I went to kitchen. My dad and mom was speaking about something important. I tried to attract their attention. They wanted me to let them talk rest, but I didn’t listen to them. My dad was frustrated. My mom also was crazy from me. They sent me to my room. I was crying in my room in whole time. I knew my behavior bad, but I tried to act as poor girl. It didn’t help before my family arrived. I washed my tears fast and tried to show that nothing was happening to me.  When my family left, my parents took me and putted on the chair and waited for my excuses. Before I as child I refused to bid my excuses. My parents said I may to eat dinner if I said sorry to them. Then I realized I was very hungry. I told them I’m sorry. Now I still am stubborn, but I know I have to say sorry if I went wrong.  I also read in the story and know that after bad time or quarrel the relationship between two people were better than before. I had quarreled with my parents many times. Our relationship were very strong now. I realized I have to thank them for everything they taught me.

Just then Robbie slammed the door of his room. But I heard a different door, a door I once slammed – 25 years ago – in my grandmother’s house in Chicago.¹

That’s a suddenly moment for Allan Sherman. The memory did come back through his brain. He remembered the moment from past. He did do that it before too. He slammed his door when his mother was laugh at him.  He did realize his son has committed same feeling as he had before.

Before Uncle sol could answer, Grandma continued, ‘’ it’s beautiful, yess – because from a child is beautiful, anything.’’ ²

Allan must be very happy to hear that sentence. Maybe grandmother did hear what Allan’s mother said to Allan and felt guilty with saying wrong words. She wanted to do something for Allan. Because from a child is beautiful, anything: It impressed Allan too. He did realize that art of his son is beautiful. Whatever he did draw anything. It did help Allan to realize and did do good thing for his son to thank him. He had to thank his grandmother’s lesson.

1. Leaving my home 4^th paragraph, pg 30.

2. Leaving my home 14^th paragraph, pg 32.

My ideal green campus

Until now Gallaudet University and Brown University are only two universities I have touched because my country Netherland doesn’t have campus. The Netherland has only college buildings or area with many college buildings with different majors. The students don’t live in dorms, but they live in a student house.  Student does share kitchen and bathroom with their housemates. So, I’m not used with a campus.

When I walked through campus, I noticed there are many trashes. I didn’t like if many people did throw plastic papers or used drink canned. I like clean environment, so I want to see clean ground and bring and drop – save resources by recycling. The good thing from Gallaudet that I see is vegetable patch with growing plants. That is good way to use the plants for cooking food by dinning center. I want to see more things that are good for environment, such as solar power, biomass boiler, or unique fitness. You see a good image of green campus¹ under. My ideal campus need to have environmental friendly design, innovation, and architecture. 

Not only this claim of environmental friendly things should require, but I also want to have structure map. For example, you see an image of Harvard University map² next. My point is not because Harvard University is famous of the world, but it does have good map, every major has own area. Education part is west of the map and design part is east of the map. The students of Education can cooperate with their mates in same area. They can find each other are easier than all majors mix in one area or building. I have visited Brown University. It is different from Gallaudet University because Brown University doesn’t really have border around campus. Some building, for example church, aren’t belong to Brown, but placed in the middle of university. Gallaudet University has border to protect people from outside because Gallaudet is in the middle of bad area, so Gallaudet University is more isolated than Brown University. 

The architecture of buildings on the campus is difficult to choose because I didn’t touch many universities in USA. Before I started with this blog, I check famous universities, such as Harvard, Brown and Oxford. I noticed I like the architecture of Oxford University because I like the history of medieval. I find out that oxford is city of dreaming spites³ because it has spite towers. The oxford University does have modern buildings too. Every university does have modern building because old buildings can’t stay forever, but I like that kind architecture. It has beautiful color yellow and shape. If you walk between buildings, it gives feeling ambience of old fashioned. But it does have a disadvantage for environmental. Old buildings need more heating inside or good light. It also is difficult to put solar energy on those kind buildings.

For my ideal campus, I want to have a green environmental with environmental friendly design, innovation, and patch for vegetable. The campus map should be structure and easy to find, as Harvard University. The architecture of Oxford University should be there, it gives good atmosphere through area. The university should focus on students. It’s important to have good name to attract students.

Sources

1.     Map of Green Campus

http://www.mihoa.com/architecture-green-campus/green-campus-trail/

2.     Map of Harvard University Campus http://www.map.harvard.edu/?ctrx=759881&ctry=2961624.5&level=6&layers=Campus%20Base%20and%20Buildings,Network%20and%20Communications,Map%20Text

3.     Oxford university

http://www.oxfordcity.co.uk/

Dancer



Dancer by Vickie Sears

I did read the text. The story is about the foster care child. I did remember I read the story about stereotype of foster care child.  Most people thought Foster care child are aggressive or ‘sociopathic¹’. I did look for the page of stereotype. I could not find the article that I had read about this. But I did find another citation of stereotype.

‘’ Have the wrong idea about children and young adults in the foster care system. Most people feel that the youth in foster care are troubled, hardened, aggressive, delinquent, irresponsible, and, in some aspects, dangerous’’²

The personage of this story did adopt the child. I respected her decision. It seemed she did hear about the negative, but she didn’t focus on that. Later in the story personage was worried about Clarissa because she’d tried to kill one of the cats. Later the personage discovers that she was special. Then she truly cared about her. Until now I didn’t really think about the adoption of child, but I could do that if I can’t give birth of the child. The story also talked about the dance. It seemed Clarissa was talent for dance. I did remind myself, I did practice dance, Jazz style, when I was young girl. It was about three year. I did really enjoy it. Because of hearing less I followed others members dance and tried move on it by myself.

‘’ One time I got her to tell me what she was seeing, and she told me how she was being chased by a man with a long knife what he was going to kill her with and nobody could hear her calling out for help’’ ³

‘’ They said her tribe was Assiniboin, but they weren’t for certain. What was for sure that she was fine darked-eyed girl just meant for someone to scoop up for loving’’ ⁴

‘’I’m an Assiniboin’’ Clear as it can be, she says it again. Don’t nobody have to say nothing to something that proud said’’⁵

Clarissa did know about her originative. At the beginning of text Clarissa was with Eaglespirit woman. That sounded Indian. It could be her family. I suspected Clarissa did already know who she was, but she could not to be open-mind with that at first period. Later the personage succeed to get hear the story from Clarissa. She told she was being chased by a man. The most of foster care child have trauma-experience.  Later she became more comfortable. She did identify herself as Assiniboin.

‘’ I called for Clarissa to come to my room. I told her, ‘’ I think it’s time you have something special for you self’’. Then I held up the green satin and saw her eyes full up with glitter. She didn’t say nothing. Only kisses m and runs off to her room’’⁶

It took long time to have good contact with Clarissa. She was difficult child with large memories of her youth. If you did keep the foster child for long time, the contact become better than before. She only needed the time.

Citations

1: Dancer by Sears, Victie pg 21 second paragraph of article.

2: http://www.kon.org/urc/v6/howard.html the citiatons of Dent, V (2001). Don’t prejudge teens in care. Retrieved March 26 2006. Beyond of this website I could not find true article of Dent, V.

3. Dancer by Sears, Victie pg 21-22 third paragraph of article.

4. Dancer by Sears, Victie. Pg  22 third paragraph of article.

5. Dancer by Sears, Victie. Pg 25 11^th paragraph of article.

6. Dancer by Sears, Victie. Pg 25 12^th paragraph of article.

A house of my own & Saturday at the canal

There are two short stories

A house to my own.

The story is about a woman, who wants to be alone in her house or apartment. You can say it the lonely woman because it say ‘’ nobody to shake a stick at ‘’.  Now I live in a house. That house is not strong as rocks. It fells out a little of bit. You have to care it good. I share the house with 6 another people. Sometimes I can image that you have moments that you actually want to be alone. I do have those moments. The moments I want to be alone because I feel bad about things that I did, but later I realize I want to be by people. People, who did know you well, can help you to get you out the sadness. I have something to relate with this story because I also have purple pillow and I can use porch, if you want to entry to it you have to go in my room first. My dream is to have small and beautiful house with porch. A place you get good rest.

Not a man’s house. Not a daddy’s. A house all my own. With my porch and my pillow, my pretty purple petunias.

I can indefinite she’s a woman because there is no men and daddy in house. She said there are no men in house. So who are not men? That’s woman. And ‘my pretty purple petunias’. You can indefinite the color. This is true woman color.

Only a house quiet as snow, a space for myself to go, clean as paper before the poem.

She wants to have a space to clean her mind because her mind is full of sadness, so she started with her poem. Then she can express her feelings in a poem. Her mind becomes empty. ‘Quiet as snow’ the words mean so quiet, figuratively snow doesn’t move and its same color white. If you look at an area is coated with snow the space is doubled than it is. The color white makes looking bigger than normal. You can watch at it quietly.

 Saturday at the Canal.

The story is about seventeen year person, who tried to be happy by seventeen ages. Most teenagers before becoming adolescence have a difficult phase.  I memorize myself as seventeen year old. I was struggle with school. I want to be finished with school. I want to go out, but I could not because I was in the middle of year. That was during my last year. I studied so hard for my final exams. I felt I have a large pressure. I could not focus on my school. My thoughts were full with negative things, such as fail my last exams and not going to Gallaudet. That made me down and loses my self-confident. When I tried to think positive, I feel better and get self-confident. Finally I graduated my last exams. I could go out. I threw my pressure out of my mind.

 Stank of poor grades and unwashed hair

Because of poor grades the boy didn’t focus for school good. And the unwashed hair definite that he didn’t wash himself well. He didn’t go into the shower. He didn’t brush his hair. Probably he dresses up same clothes every day.

By hurling large rocks at the dusty ground and feeling awful because San Francisco was a postcard on a bedroom wall. We wanted to go there,

The postcard of San Francisco lured them out. They could not focus on anything, like school, tuba and care for themselves. Only thing what they want to is going out. ‘’ We wanted to get out’’ They wanted to be happy and free from normal things they were doing. They wanted to travel to San Francisco and enjoyed themselves. At this moment they were struggle again the feeling of pressure.