Hopes and Milestones

Hope can give us strength, it's what keeps us going. Here are some of my hopes for the future

Hopes

• To have a house in Canada with a backyard
• To visit the great cities of Europe
• To go with lots of friends to the beach for summer
• To be able to go to college and graduate

Milestones, on the other hand, are what make us who we are. For example, my milestones are:

Milestones

• Starting French lessons
• Being an older sister
• The day I got glasses
• My trip to the Bahamas

          One of my biggest hopes in life is to live in Canada, have a house there and have some of my life there. I want to try and study there in a good university, and start to live there in such great place. I have this hope because I have heard about life there, it looks like a pretty good place to visit and, for me, to live there, hopefully. There are safe neighborhoods, it has great views and there's great education in Canada. I have been dreaming on going there for a long time, even if it is just for a visit. I hear it is an amazing place with great life opportunities, and I hope to once day, go to Canada. 


        Most of my milestones can help me reach my hope to go live in Canada, specially my french lessons. Since some Canadian cities speak french, I will be able to move around Canada easier and understand what is going on. Besides, if I want to study in Canada, by knowing french I would be able to get more opportunities in more Canadian universities. By speaking french, I would understand my surroundings communicate better and receive more chances in Canada, one of my life hopes. This milestone, however, can help me in many other great hopes. 

Life Roles

We've all played roles, and not just for school plays, but in life in general. Some of these roles are chosen, other are just part of us and we don't have a choice. But, in the end, all our roles complete us and make us who we are.

Some of my roles in life are the following:

• Best friend: I have had many friends throughout my life. Some just come and go, but
  
  my real friends stay by my side and have been around to help me. Some friends of mine know my entire life, in and out, and give me solutions to most of my problems. Others stay by my side and live most of my memories with me. And, before you know it, some of them will know you better than you know yourself. Most of my friends are from my school, and they stay by my side most of the day. Some, I recently became close to, and they still help me in everything. Others, like a friend I've had forever, she's in another school, but we still find ways to keep in touch. 
• Sister: who else is the older sibling? I am, and I can tell you that most of the time it is not the best role in life for many reasons. First of all, you are supposed to set an example, which means that anything you do, or you'll be watched doing so, or you'll be copied by your little relatives. Second, for some weird reasons, your sibling will always, always find a way for you to get in trouble. And besides, going back to point one, since you are the example, you will get blamed for either way. Finally (and the worst thing of all), a small disguise they use called innocence. When I'm around friends, sure, they become the most sweet people in the planet; once there is no one to blame them, they start to torture you again and again. But, as all siblings, we love each other (even if it is deep, deep, deep down in our hearts).
• Student: I've been a student for the most part of my life. I graduated from Kindergarten in 2007, and since then I remember school as a completely different thing. Sure, you're in kinder and you don't worry about anything. But once I entered primary school, I realized it was completely different, and, I was somewhat scared about this new world; same thing for secondary school. But throughout the days, I realized it was not so bad (besides homework, tests and assignments). And the best part is, you look back at some of those years, and you realize you make new friends, live new memories and you learn a lot. 
  

Mixed Emotions

Who has not had those crazy, sad or happy memories? Here are some of my memories: 

Disappointments: I never got to play a single championship. Just training and that was it. 

Accomplishments: I made it. I got to finally go to a cruise, one of the many things I want to do in my life, and it was one of the best experiences I've had. 

Conflicts: Who knew dealing with two younger brothers would be so difficult? It is like they get together to make my life a whole disaster. 

Fear: It was one of the biggest roller coasters I've seen, and I was one of the riders who was about to take its last breath. Luckily, once it kept running, the roller coaster was fun and all the fear vanished. 

Luck: I am so lucky to have gone to the Bahamas in 2014. It was a great trip and I had lots of fun.

Enemies: I don't know why, it must have been rumors or her actions, who knows. But something in her personality did not seem right. 

Gratitude: I never thanked someone so much for showing me to never give up.That lit up my day, and I will never forget her kind, encouraging words. 

Jealousy: I did not want to show this, but I sometimes I felt like just taking his place in the world. His life seemed so easy..... he had nothing to worry about. 


Who knew dealing with two younger brothers would be so difficult? It's like they get together to make my life a whole disaster. Their both younger than me, one's 11 and the other one's 6; it looks like all they think about when I'm around is to bother me all. day. long! And then, guess who is the one who gets blamed most of the time? That's right, this girl, their older sister who,according to parents, is supposed "to act responsibly and ask them politely to quit, not make things worse". Once, they just decided that I needed to be hit by their shoes, so I got shoes thrown all over my house, mostly aiming for me. And, when they broke our TV, they did not "act responsibly", they simply pointed their finger at me and said in a nice chorus, "she did it, she broke the TV"! 

I am so lucky to have gone to the Bahamas in 2014. It was a great trip and I had lots of fun. It all started with a cruise trip through the Bahamas with my cousins and my grandpa. In the cruise, we ate a lot (sometimes, we decided to have pizza and ice cream at 1am), got lost a couple of times and met new people. When we got off the cruise, we got to know new places, great places with amazing landscapes. The activities were great, we got to see a man make an ice sculpture, there were many contests and, most of all, we had fun, as a family. When all those fun memories were made, I forgot about reality, just focused on those days filled with light, not even remembering that vacation was going to end soon. It was a great trip. 

Decisions and Thoughts

Everyone makes decisions, right? Some of them lead us to good consequences and others to not-so-good consequences. And our thoughts can also lead us in many directions. They fill our mind and sometimes drown us in a maze of thoughts, that only our decisions can lead us to the exit.



I went on the secondary bus towards my first day in secondary, and got to school nervous. In that moment I realized that I just had to find a way through this new world. I did not know what to do, where to find my friends, what class to go to, how to be or survive secondary school.

If only my brother would have made a good impression on my uncle George. My brother all he did was jump around and act all silly, I feel like my uncle now hates me, too. I had to change his point of view on me, I was not the troublemaker. 

It started out as an ordinary day, but then I made the worst decision ever. I went to summer camp, spend the day there and then it happened. I did not go to my house directly, but stayed at a friends house.... my parents punished me for the silly action I made. They kept telling me how I gave them a heart attack because I didn't tell them where I was. 

My Life

Who can describe their life in three sentences? I can, here it is

My life is a basic routine that repeats itself daily. School, home, listen to music and sleep. Most of the time, there's nothing more to it. 

How would your life be described in 3 sentences? 

Alphabetical Autobiography

Here are some of my memories throughout my life so far; each event or memory matches with one of the alphabetical letters.

Anaconda: I went to a museum and saw an anaconda with my cousins 

Beach: When we first bought our beach house, 2013

Cirque Du Soleil: When I saw it for the first time in Las Vegas in 2013

Disney: When I first went to Disney in 2012

Elephant: When I went to the Bronx Zoo in 2007 and saw an elephant

Farm: The times where I go to my farm to spend the weekend there

Glasses: When I went to the eye doctor and got glasses just last August

House: My family moved of house when I was about 4 to another building in the same neighborhood

Islands: My trip in a cruise to the Bahamas, 2013

Juan Javier: When my young brother was born, 2008

Kenny: My cousin's name

Lost in a supermarket: I got distracted and had to find my parents soon.... awful experience and long story 

Mascot: In third grade, I took a picture with the 2010 World Cup mascot

Nevada: My trip to Nevada with my uncle and aunt in 2013

Ocean: On my trip in a cruise, I went to some very light-colored oceans and the water was so clear we could see fishes swimming around us

Papayacta: With my family, I went to the thermal waters of Papayacta

Quito: The city I live in 

Rabbit: When I had a pet rabbit named Pinky

Stitches: Getting stitches just underneath my left eye when I was 5

Tooth: My first tooth out when I was 7 

Universal Studios: My trip there with my cousins in 2014 

Vacation: Visiting Boston and New York during the summer of 2009

Washington: I visited some friends in Washington during the summer of 2010

Xylophone: The first open music class, where I played the xylophone 

Yosemite National Park: The vacation of 2013 where I went to such national park to visit and spend all day there

Zoo: Going to the Guayabamba Zoo as a class trip

The Test

Exam Time!

The short story by Henry Sleaser, "Examination Day", the main character, Richard (Dickie) Jordan, lives in a country where the government takes a test of intelligence to all kids when they turn twelve, and it's Dickie's turn. Before the exam though, his parents explain to him about the test his is going to take, what will it be like; his father also answers the questions roaming through Dickie's mind, about grass, sun and colors. It's exam time, and Dickie is called in to take the test, where they gave him a substance he is supposed to drink before the exam, with a peppermint flavor; and the test goes on. Hours later, Dickie's mother receives a call, informing something, well, unexpected........ she receives a call asking them what do the Jordans (Dickie's parents) want to do about Dickie's body because he, well, Dickie got killed because he was too smart!?!

Characterization and Imagery

In this story, imagery is a big part of the tale and it helps all readers get an idea of what certain part looks, sounds or even tastes like. An example of strong imagery is:

They were at breakfast table, and the boy looked up from his plate curiously. He was an alert-eyed youngster with flat blond hair and a quick, nervous manner. He didn’t understand what the sudden tension was about, but he did know that today was his birthday, and he wanted harmony above all. Somewhere in the little apartment there were wrapped, beribboned packages waiting to be opened, and in the tiny wall-kitchen something warm and sweet was being prepared in the automatic stove. (1).

In this example, we can observe how the sense of sight is shown here with descriptive words that illustrate their kitchen and Dickie.

The protagonist of the story, Dickie (or Richard, however you want to call him), is also described a lot and, based on these descriptions, we know what Dickie's personality is. For example,

‘Why did it have to rain today?’ he said. ‘Why couldn’t it rain tomorrow?’
His father, now slumped into an armchair with the Government newspaper rattled the
sheets in vexation. ‘Because it just did, that’s all. Rain makes the grass grow.’
‘Why, Dad?’
‘Because it does, that’s all.’
Dickie puckered his brow. ‘What makes it green, though? The grass?’ (1).



The example above shows the readers that Dickie is a curious boy who likes to learn and enjoys expanding his knowledge. He likes to learn and he wants to understand things that trouble him. Another example:

‘Your classification number is 600-115. Drink this, Richard.’

He lifted a plastic cup from the desk and handed it to the boy. The liquid inside had the consistency of buttermilk, tasted only vaguely of the promised peppermint. Dickie downed it, and handed the man the empty cup.

This example demonstrates us that Dickie is quick kid, not afraid of much things and does not like to cause much problems., which makes him an obedient kid.

Final Thoughts

This short story was a really good one, the ending was shocking, though it really emphasizes the message. It talks about how government control could bring a lot of problems due to its high standards on ordinary citizens, since the government could be afraid of superior things. I mean, if the government would have not been afraid of smarter people..... why kill them? There is no other explanation than the fact that this strict government is killing many innocent, yet bright, people, and that this story was great in demonstrating that to its readers.