PW#7 – My Christmas Break

 

This Christmas my family and I went to Mexico for Christmas. It was our first time going somewhere hot for Christmas but I enjoyed it. I spent a lot of time in the sun with my family and playing volleyball with my cousins. I also loved walking on the beach and hanging out with other people at the resort at night. When I got back I also did lots of winter activities here like ice skating, looking at Christmas lights and hanging out with family friends. With my family we also made gingerbread houses and decorated for Christmas before we left and decorating is one of my favourite parts of Christmas. Next Christmas I am hoping that my family goes to the East coast to see the rest of my extended family. I really like going there for Christmas because it really is like a winter wonderland with all the snow and trees, I think that is my favourite place to be for Christmas. 

 

PW #6 – Birthday Party

I personally don’t really have big birthday parties anymore, I usually just go to dinner or be with my family. At least that’s what I have been doing recently, I had bigger parties when I was younger. I faintly remember them, but I do have pictures to jog my memory. My favourite birthday party was one that was in this karaoke place in Cuba. My parents invited my whole family and a lot of my friends. I got to sing in the microphone, and I had a really pretty princess cake. I have a whole photo album full of my birthday parties in Cuba. I also had another one for my 3rd birthday and that was at my grandparents appartment with again a lot of my family and a lot of my friends. I had a big poster of me at a photo shoot and it had “happy 3rd birthday Sofia” on it. I have pictures of me with everybody individually in front of that poster. I remember I was wearing a yellow dress with a matching headband and some bracelets. I remember getting dressed downstairs at one of my aunts appartments and then we went upstairs and went to my birthday party. I do remember walking up the stairs and I was so excited. It was so long ago but I still remember the feeling.

IRJE#7

This book is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The author of this book is J.K Rowling. In this part of the book Harry’s best friends Hermione Granger and Ronald Wesley had taken him to the head quarters of the Order of the Phoenix.  They are accompanied by Ron’s brothers Fred and George. They are talking about the ministry of magic and how Ron’s oldest brother Percy was promoted.

Trouble is, Fudge suspects Dad, he knows he’s friendly with Dumbledore, and he’s always thought Dad’s a bit of a weirdo because of his Muggle obsession But what’s this got to do with Percy? asked Harry, confused. I’m coming to that. Dad reckons Fudge only wants Percy in his office because he wants to use him to spy on the family — and Dumbledore (p.66).

This quotation was interesting because they think that Fudge only wants Percy to be in the office because he wants to spy on their family. I find this interesting because even though Fudge throughout the books has been very set on his ways he has never been the type of person to spy on people. I also chose this quotation because it really represents how unfair the wizarding world is. Even though Ron’s father is a wizard he is considered to be weird because he is not pure blood. Which means his parents are not wizards. This would be unfair because if he is a wizard he will always be treated different because he is a muggle ( a human).

Girl in pieces – IRJE #7

I have now finished reading Girl in Pieces. Overall, I thought it was a powerful and emotional book, and I believe the author, Kathleen Glasgow, did a great job in capturing the experiences of the characters. The way she wrote about Charlie’s trauma and healing process felt very raw and authentic, and it really drew me into the story. Despite this book having heavy themes such as mental health, abuse, and personal struggles, it was very well-written and The narrative was so vivid and detailed that I could feel Charlie’s struggles throughout reading, from her emotional pain to the moments of growth. all the characters were very well written and were all complex and relatable, and their journeys were inspiring.I was very moved by the way the author portrayed Charlie’s journey and how the book highlighted the importance of finding people who support and believe in you,

“I wanted to tell someone what had happened to me, to say the words out loud, but the words were stuck in my throat, like a thick knot of sadness I couldn’t get rid of, no matter how hard I tried.”  (p. 102)

This quote reflects Charlie’s internal conflict as she struggles to speak her truth. The words being stuck in her throat symbolize the burden she carries and show how trauma can silence someone and make it difficult to open up.

PW #6 – How my cat died – Suzy

Before I start, I really should clarify that I don’t actually have a cat and never have. Also, out of all those non-existent cats, none of them have died. But, I bet you that title caught your eye, didn’t it? Anyways, to get to the story. Wait, I haven’t come up with a story idea yet… Maybe I’ll just type and see where I go. You know, sometimes it’s good to just let your mind wander and see what crazy scenario you come up with. I’ll tell you one of mine: I started really high above on a platform. Then I looked over the edge and saw a square. That square looked like it was just a chunk of a city but in the middle of space. Suddenly a unicorn charged at me from behind. We went flying over the edge and towards the ground. When I was spinning through the air the night sky turned neon green. Then I turned to face this octopus that falling with me, Carl, and he was eating a cantaloupe. Then, a bunch of balloons and confetti stopped me from falling and I came back to reality. I like doing that when I’m bored because it always turns out very interesting. Also, you might have realized now that a lot is going on in my head. Anyways, that is the end of my story. Bye 🙂

IRJE- #7

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is a classic coming-of-age novel published in 1868. The story follows the lives of the four March sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy as they grow up in Civil War-era New England. The novel talks about themes of family, love, independence, sacrifice, and personal growth. The story begins with the March family living in modest circumstances after their father goes off to fight in the Civil War. Despite their financial struggles, the sisters share a deep bond and face life’s challenges together. Each sister navigates her personal ambitions, flaws, and relationships. Jo struggles with her desire for independence, Meg learns to balance family life with her aspirations, Amy pursues her artistic dreams, and Beth’s quiet strength influences everyone around her. 

“Touched to the heart, Mrs. March could only stretch out her arms, as if to gather children and grandchildren to herself, and say, with face and voice full of motherly love, gratitude, and humility–‘Oh, my girls, however long you may live, I never can wish you a greater happiness than this!'” (p. 578)

It reflects her immense joy and fulfillment as a mother. The context of this moment highlights her dreams for her daughters’ happiness, love, and unity as a family. When Mrs. March stretches out her arms, it symbolizes her desire to embrace all her children and grandchildren both literally and emotionally. Her words express a heartfelt blessing, wishing them the same happiness she feels in that moment. The combination of “motherly love, gratitude, and humility” shows the blessings in her life and her selfless devotion to her family.

IRJE #7 Hunger

Right now I am reading Hunger by Michael Grant. This is the second book in the gone series and shockingly focuses on the problem of hunger. Kids are trapped in the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone) and everyone over the age of 15 has disappeared. The second you turn 15 you poof out of the FAYZ, but we don’t know where they go. So far 2 kids have survived the poof and are 15 they are twin brothers Sam and Caine. Buuuuut they didn’t know each other until the FAYZ began and then had no idea that they were brothers, but they figured it out when people started checking birth certificates to see when they would poof, although Caine had already believed that Sam was his brother. Anyways, 3 months after a big showdown between everyone in the FAYZ Caine is in some sort of hut and has been badly injured and only semi conscious. Now he starts to ask questions about people and things that have happened while he has been losing his mind.

‘And my brother?’

‘Sam?’

‘I don’t have another long-lost brother do I?’

I just thought the quotation was funny. I also just started the book so I didn’t have many other options.

IRJE # 7 Allegiant

I am half way through the book Allegiant, by Veronica Roth, and so far it has been very interesting. Allegiant picks up right after the events of Insurgent, with Tris, Tobias, and their friends escaping their so called home; “the city” to explore what is beyond the fence.

The book walks through the dystopian world of Chicago, uncovering shocking secrets about the beginning of the factions and the purpose of the experiments made by the genetically enhanced individuals. They learn that the genetic difference between “Divergents” and “non-Divergents” is way deeper than they thought, and their efforts to fight for a better future take them to dangerous places.

“She taught me all about real sacrifice. That it should be done from love… That it should be done from necessity, not without exhausting all other options. That it should be done for people who need your strength because they don’t have enough of their own.” (p. 166)

This quotation highlights Tris’s changing understanding of sacrifice towards her loved ones, showing that it should come from love and certainty, not responsibility. Tris learns that true sacrifice is a selfless act done for those who can’t help themselves, and it should only be made after all other options are impossible.

ski trip – PW #7

In two weeks, I’ll be heading to Mount Washington for the upcoming school ski trip, and I couldn’t be more excited, I’m looking forward to exploring the mountain, looking at the beautiful landscapes, going on the chairlift and the overall trip. Having skied before, I feel confident in my abilities as I’ve even taken lessons in Whistler, which have helped me significantly improve my skills. While I wouldn’t consider myself a professional skier, I’m able to navigate difficult blue and moderate black runs. During my last trip to Mount Washington, however, I faced some unexpected challenges as My friend Isabella and I were unfamiliar with the Mount Washington trails and ended up on a chairlift that took us to the top of the mountain and on a double black off-trail run. Isabella, being a more advanced skier was able to ski to the bottom easily unlike me who was struggling to go down due to being inexperienced in off-trail skiing and due to my skis constantly detaching throughout the day anytime a small amount of snow got into them causing me to fall. Thankfully, in the end, a kind stranger offered me their help and helped guide me down the mountain. This time, I’m determined to learn from my last ski trip and explore the maps in order to avoid any mishaps or accidents. I can’t wait to create many memories on this trip!

 

PW#7: My Hero, My Dad

I believe that most of the times, when people are supposed to write about someone, they usually write about their mom, I have done that a million times and every mom deserves it but, also dads, so I am going to write about mine. My dad, his name is David. He was born on January 22nd of 1972. He is the man that I admire the most in the world, he is the most hard-working, kind-hearted, honest, funny, intelligent, dedicated, patient, charismatic person ever (there´s a million other words to describe him). He has always been there for me when I needed it, he always wakes up at 6:00 am to leave my brother at school so later, he´ll go for work. He stays at work more than he is supposed to, making every cent he can so my mom, my brother, him and I can live in comfort and not worry about tomorrow. He is the one that goes to the stores with me and my mom, carries the bags and waits for us outside of the dressing room without saying a word of complaint. When I don´t understand something, he explains it to me. He even makes me laugh when I am about to cry but, most importantly, he loves me with all his heart and I know that I can always count on him no matter the situation. I counldn´t have asked for a better dad, I am so so so grateful for having him on my life and having the priviledge of being his daughter. So, yes, he might be just another human on this world but, I can say that my world would be destroyed without him.

PW#7 Why I’m exited because of the ski trip

I really wanted to go on the ski trip. I wanted to go with my friends and have a new and good experience skiing! Not only that, but I would like to go to many ski slopes. For some friends, it will be their first time skiing or snowboarding, but I prefer to ski rather than snowboard. I have been gone like 10 times to ski in winter. I’m really excited to go.

PW#7- The Eddie & Backdoor shootout

Over the break, I visited Hawaii. To start the trip off, we went to a big surf competition called “The Eddie”. This competition only happens if the waves are above 40 feet. The competition is to honour Eddie Aikau, who was a lifeguard and surfer. We had to climb a tree to watch this due to tens of thousands of people being there. This event is held at Waimea Bay, which is known for having massive waves. Landon McNamara ended up winning which was cool to watch. I got to see all of my favourite surfers except for Kelly Slater who backed out due to the waves being so big. The competition lasted all day and we ended up watching almost the entire thing. We had to wake up early (around 5 am) so we could make sure we would get a spot. We had to walk 30 mins because the roads were closed. A few days later a surf competition “Da hui Backdoor Shootout” was happening which is much more low-key than The Eddie. This Competition happens at Pipeline which is my favourite beach. I got to meet all of my favourite surfers such as Moana Jones Wong, Landon Mcnamara, Bethany Hamilton, Koa Rothman, and Jamie Obrien. I was especially excited to meet Bethany Hamilton because I’ve been looking up to her since I was 6. Koa Rothman ended up winning the competition. Overall, this was such a cool experience and I was so lucky to meet them.

PW#7

2 summers ago I went to New York. It was one of the best experiences I have ever had while traveling. I would say the best part of the entire trip was walking around and seeing all the places. We also went to see the statue of liberty which was really fun because we got to go on a boat and get really close to it. It smelled really bad because of the sewers so it was really annoying going close to them. When we were walking around we saw a story that had some really cool souvenirs so we got some. We got a mug and some key chains for some of my family. We also went to see a show that was a live broad way act on The Lion King. It was really cool because I have never seen anything like it before. We also went to New York square and the was so many people which was very interesting to see all the people. There was also some people who were singing in the middle and it was fun to see all the people gathering around them. New York was so big so it was kind of hard to try and get back to the train station because we were staying in New Jersey. We also got to go on a bus which took us all around New York so we got to see all the best buildings in New York. We also saw the arena where the New York Rangers play. But we only saw it from the outside because we were not allowed to go in.

pw #7 – Fiona

I have a dog her name is Fiona, she’s 9 weeks old and we got her for Christmas but she was so small she had to go back to her mommy for 2 more weeks before we got her. she’s a bull mastiff and is so small that she sneaks under people or sneaks outside and eats stuff between the garden boxes and runs away when you try to pick her up and take her back inside. she’s kinda stupid but also stupidly smart being 9 weeks old and pees outside and knows where she sleeps in her cage without biting the crap out of me. besides the biting and the peeing and the constant need for someone to be next to her she’s a sweet heart she loves our cat and meeting people and is obsessed with being outside. she’s sweet when it comes to people wants to be everywhere all over everyone whenever she can and is nicer to people she’s just met instead of biting them like she does to me. the dog is teeny tiny and has so much energy but at the end of the day its worth having her at the house even if she pees on the floor all the time

PW#7 – The First Time I Went to Italy

The first time I went to Italy I went for 3 weeks, and I had a lot of fun. It wasn’t just my family who went, we also went with my grandma. Since we weren’t just visiting 1 place, we were driving all around Italy, we had to rent an old-style VolksWagen van. It really was quite comical, especially because it was a manual, like most cars in Europe. So, my dad was not only driving a manual, which he doesn’t usually do as our car is automatic, but he’s also driving an 8-person massive van, on Italian roads and European traffic, and some places we stayed, we had to drive up or down really steep turns and stuff, so sometimes my dad had to do the drive forward, then reverse, then drive forward again. We went to a small town on the top of a mountain in Florence, we went to a city in Tuscany, we went to Milan, then a more central city in Florence, Venice, Napoli, and then we went to my favourite place in the whole trip: A house in the middle of nowhere in Tuscany, it might not sound good, but the AirBnB we had had wild fruit plants near, it had a ping-pong table, a pool, and dogs we could play around with. And we weren’t exactly in the middle of nowhere, but we were 15 minutes away from the nearest town. It was so hot especially while we were at the house, and there nothing like sitting in a pool in the backyard of a house in the middle of nowhere in the valley of Tuscany, while watching the Tuscan sunset. We finished it off in Rome, and we took a very scenic photo in front of the Colosseum on our last night, then I flied home.

PW #7 – Basketball

I have barely played basketball over winter break and I really missed it. Practices are starting back up again and I am very rusty and out of shape. Im very excited to start playing again with my club team and school team. Basketball is my #1 passion and I love playing. I had my first practice back with the school team yesterday and today we are already playing a game against a school called Victor Brodeur which is a french school. We lost to them last time but today we are very motivated and i’m sure we will win. Another thing that I really missed was travelling to Vancouver basically every weekend with my club team. We always participate in tournaments and club games across the province and its aways very competitive and fun. We improve every game as a team and it’s the best feeling to win games against some of the other best teams in BC. I’m so glad I get to hooping again.

PW 7 – Christmas

This december, my family and I went to Nigeria. It is a Family tradition to go back and visit family at least once a year, regardless of where you are. This year, we went back to a place my family used to live, Bonny Island. I like traveling out, but going to Nigeria is a very long and stressful journey. From Victoria, we have to go to Vancouver airport by Ferry, then back to kitimat, B.C. . I stayed there for 2 days before we went back to the vancouver airport. THen there are 2 flights to land in Nigeria, and one in nigeria to get closer to our stop. It takes over 2 days to get to nigeria from where I live, and an extra day to get to our destination in Nigeria. So in total 3 days. It’s the second time i’ve made this trip and we plan on doing it again next christmas.

pw#7

My winter break was great i had so much time to relax and sleep but also so much time to see my friends and family. There was so many family dinners  and late nights with my friends so many good memories made. Although i did stuff all day with my friends and relaxed all day i also put time aside for school and working out. One thing i didn’t like about winter break was there was no snow i was so mad and disappointed that it did not snow. If it did snow my whole break would of been spent in the snow either sledding or playing with snowballs. For this reason i am praying for it to snow sometime this January i am very doubtful that it will but maybe a miracle will happen. Another thing i love about snow is when it snows at school i find it makes every won much happier and brings the mood up makes people less stressed.

PW #6 – What I Want My Life to Be 10 Years From Now

In 10 years from now, I’ll be 24 years old.

By that time I hope I would’ve finished my undergrad degree for medical school, and would now be in medical school fully. I imagine myself waking up everyday, and feeling excited for what’s ahead about something I’m extremely passionate about.

I hope by this time that I will be living, and studying in California, and that I will still have my friends that I love and that feel like family to me!

By 24, I hope I had made a life for myself that feels like a good balance of hard work and happiness. I’d be confident in myself, and proud of how far I’ve come. As much as 10 years is a lot of time from now, I know that the journey will take hard work and dedication. But, I believe that it’ll be worth it to make a life that’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of.

Personal Response to A Christmas Carol

I think that so far A Christmas Carol  has been one of my favorite things that we have read this year. One of the reasons that I enjoy it so much is because there is a good moral to the story and a lot of character development, which we can see by comparing Scrooge’s behaviors in the beginning of the book to his behaviors in the end. I have also always enjoyed the idea of ghosts and spirits, and have always enjoyed that they are featured in this story. I also think that the book was written in an incredibly unique and creative way, which has greatly contributed to its popularity, and lead to the several different versions of the story that have been produced over time. It also makes me think about how peoples early lives can affect their actions and behaviors later in life, because Scrooge wasn’t born as a grumpy old man, when we are born we are only born with 2 fears, falling, and loud noises, the rest are learned and that is the same for opinions and behaviors. The book also makes me think about the fact that people can’t often choose the situation that they are in, but they can always choose how to react to it. So to some degree, Scrooge is to blame for the way he has chosen to act and think. Another interesting part about the book is that we get to see things from very different points of view. Scrooge starts out by being very wealthy and really couldn’t care less about his family. Whereas the Cratchits don’t have a lot of money, and are in a difficult situation, but still show love and kindness towards their family. I also thought that this story had the end that everyone was hoping for, which was nice because I feel like some of the other things that we read this year didn’t have very satisfying endings to be honest. I enjoyed “Our Town” but I mean SERIOUSLY WHY DID THEY KILL EMILY?????!!!!! Anyways that is how I feel about A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

PW# 7 My winter break

My winter break was good. I got a new PS5 a few days before winter break and it had NBA 2k 25 on it, so I played that for the majority of the break. I did go to the mall sometimes with my dad and brother to go shopping and to eat. Friday and Saturday I had a basketball tournament. I think we did good, but not great. We won most of the games and only lost three, but we didn’t go to the finals though, but we lost is the quarter finals. I feel like we could have done better but we just couldn’t beat the last team we faced. After The tournament I got to go on a trip to Vancouver to visit my grandparents and cousins. We got to go shopping, bowling, and we played football against each other in the field and it was really fun. My grandparents also gave me a lot of money for Christmas and right now I’m saving it to get something I really want in the future. When we got back, I did some more shopping and basketball with my friends. I did get to watch the new movie gladiator two with my friend Billy and it was the best movie I had ever seen. On Christmas day we got to go to a restaurant and for Christmas I got new shoes, a headset, and some basketball cards. After Christmas I just played some more video games and play basketball with my friends. There was just nothing else to do because I had already done everything I wanted to do during the last week of the break. So, I played more basketball and video games with my friends and before long the last week was over, and the break ended. That is how my winter break went this year.

PW #7 Maya and her cookies

Maya has a bag of mini oreos and she crumbled them all into dust so that she could eat them with a spoon. Then she started talking to someone from her glasses and she was YELLING. I mean she was SOOOO loud I don’t think she can hear AT ALL! Then Ms Campbell cam in and because maya was holding her oreos and talking to someone with her glasses Ms Campbell asked her if she was talking to the cookies. It took her like 45679894000 tries to hang up and say goodbye. Then she turned her head to the side and said “Ok, Bye Brandon!” But she said that to Mr Tom. And now she keeps calling the oreos hot.

PW #7 – Hawaii (reversed)

Recently, I did not go to Hawaii. It was really fun not being in the sun. When I didn’t go to Hawaii I did not stay at a very fancy hotel. We did not go on a walk every day. On each non-existent hike, we ended up at a non-existent beach. We never saw a ton of lizards and geckos. We also never went swimming multiple times each day. Neither in the pool in our non-existent hotel or on the non-existent beach. One of my favourite things that we didn’t do on the beach was to swim far out with snorkeling gear that we didn’t have and a non-existent floaty. When we didn’t swim out we would not go and swim over coral reefs and look at sea life. My least favourite part of the non-existent trip was when my non-existent brother pushed me into a pool that did not exist. Overall I really liked my non-existent trip to Hawaii.

PW #7 – The Best Day of My Life pt. 2

After the first hole I was in a great mood and very excited. The second hole was a par 4 so I hit driver off the tee.  I hit a good drive which led me to a shorter shot in and a 2 putt of par. The third hole was very similar to the second as it was a short par 4 which i made par on. Hole 4 was the first par 3 of the day and it was 145 yards so I decided to hit my 7 iron and I stuck it to about 5 feet which I was really happy with. When I got to the green I realized that it was a harder putt then I originally thought and it was a huge slider. I narrowly lipped out but still made par so I forgot about it had moved to the next hole. The next hole was a long par four. I hit my drive and drew it a little too much and was just under the tree line to the left. For my second shot I was not able to hit an iron because it would hit the tree branch so I had to hit a punch shot with my 5 iron. Once I did that I had a shirt wedge shot In which I hit to 10 feet but 2 putted. This resulted in a bogey so I was back to even par. The next hole was a par five. I hit a great tee shot down the fairway which then proceeded me to hit my 5 wood next. I was able to reach the green in 2 which I was very happy with. When I got to the green I was just green side and had a little chip. I chipped it to around 5 feet which I wasn’t to happy about because I knew I could get it closer but I ended up 2 putting for par so I wasn’t to mad. The next hole was also a par five. I hit a great drive and great 5 wood which led me to have a short wedge in. I hit my wedge shot to a couple feet and made the putt for birdie so I was now 1 under. The next hole was a par four and I hit a great drive down the fairway and ended up having a wedge in. I again hit my shot to around 6 feet and made the putt for another birdie. Now for the ninth hole. It was a longer par 3 so I decided to hit my 4 hybrid. I hit an ok shot on the green and it led me to having around a 40 footer. Thankfully I was able to 2 putt for par. So I was 2 under going into the back nine.

Back Nine continuation is PW #8….

PR to “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens

I think the book A Christmas Carol  by Charles Dickens was an overall good read, I personally enjoyed it more than some of the other books we have read, but it’s also not my favourite. I think out of all the books we’ve read, it was probably 2nd or 3rd on my list. This is a very famous book, and I have watched movies about it, read variations of it, even preformed a play of it at school, so the basic idea of the book is not uncommon, and I already knew what it was. But reading the original thing was different. There are certain details that are only in the original book, such as exactly where each ghost takes Scrooge and what he sees, and what he does before meeting Marley, and what he does after. I think overall the idea of changing someone is an idea that is closely related to real life, and how despite what people think, everyone has the ability to change, whether they want to or not is their decision, and whether they can by themselves or not just depends on the person. I think the lesson behind this book is valuable, saying that even if it seems like someone doesn’t have the ability to change, and will always be the same, that with maybe some help from the right people, that person can indeed change and become a better person. The book again, was written in an older English style, so it was a lot harder and took a lot longer to read, as it was written in a confusing, unusual way. I think what all the ghosts combined showed Scrooge were all very interesting and valuable things to show, and it makes you think about how each event or moment in your life compares to both someone else’s life and your life in later years.

PW#6: Verde, Blanco y Rojo… That´s Mexico

Mexico, a country known for a lot of stuff, it could be because of the incredibly colurful streets and markets it has, the amazing food and variety of flavors it offers, its diverse flora and fauna, more than a 1000 touristic places to visit, a huge narcotraffic market, a long story of how mexicans became independant, a mix of cultures and languages or that it has a really bad government but, let me tell you, as a mexican, I´m still trying to figure out how to describe my country and that is because throughout my life, I´ve experienced, heard and seen so many things that I don´t know if they make me hate or love Mexico. Let me start by saying that child traffic is something pretty common there so no kids can walk or play alone anywhere. I´ve heard devastating news of other women who were walking alone on the street and got killed, it is impossible for a woman or girl to walk alone on the street without being harrased. I have hated every single day of school because most of the mexicans are extremely rude (I am not generalizing but when talking with most of the mexicans here we agree on that because all of us have at least had a bad experience at school) so yes… that side of Mexico that I really really hate. On the other side, my family leaves there and I love them so so so much, they are the reason I can stand Mexico. I also LOVE the food, it has a mix of different flavors that makes it unique and special. Mexico´s history is incredibly surprising and I believe it formed the way of being of most of us. The places it has for tourists makes me question if the world is actually real because it is so impressive to see how beautiful everything is. To end this personal writing, I also want to add that at the end of the day, Mexico is my home, I´ve lived there for a pretty long time and I am not trying to say it is a bad place. I´m just giving some points of view of why I don´t know what to think about it.

PR – A Christmas Carol

Reading a Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, I thought it was fun to read something I had heard so much about and pieces of this book through my childhood. When Scrooge’s journey in the book took him from greedy and rude to joyful and generosity shows that nobody is exempt from changing. This book also made me think how compassion and kindness can really change lives. It really shows how people can let their past define them and allow their circumstances to become more closed off, especially towards others.  Scrooge’s transformation is proof that everyone can change and it’s necessary if they want to live meaningful lives. This book makes me think about how Scrooge was taking his privileges for granted and not sharing them with others, like his family. This book for me was very slow for reading and I felt a little bit bored while reading it because I had heard parts of it my whole life and felt like I was just re-reading it. I also tend to not like older books because of the type of language they use and I find it harder to read because it is more confusing. I noticed how Dickens depicts the joy of simple human connection. The Cratchit’s, despite their poverty, are very warm and loving, contrasting the sharp and coldness of Scrooge. In the end the Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, reflects on people taking life for granted, and how they need to be more kind and loving to anyone because you never know what they are going through.

PR – A Christmas Carol

We just finished reading a christmas carol by Charles Dickens. My original thoughts on the book at the beginning were a bit odd, as the book started with a stern reminder that somebody was dead and had become a ghost. There was a lot of eerie vibes in the book because of this.

The book was still a good book to read, and i enjoyed it, however, i would have enjoyed it more if it was longer. I also wanted to know how Marley died – not that it would have improved my reading of the book, but i would have had a deeper background knowledge of the book.

This was a good, appropriate book for grade 9, not too difficult to understand, and I would definitely recommend it for the next year learners and the following too. I would give this book an eight out of ten mainly because of its length, and lack of a complete backstory. but i gave it an eight because it has a good and well thought out plot.

Setting aside the odd feelings of the presence of a ghost, it did give off a lot of christmas vibes in the book, and it would set someone into the christmas spirit. Dickens also made multiple comments in the book that are supposed to make the laugh and feel relaxed. Only a few of the jokes were funny, in my opinion of course, but his sense of humour may not be shared with other people as much as it is with himself.

To sum up everything, this was a good, interesting, well thought out and written book, and i would support the idea of setting the book to be read by upcoming english learners as it has fundamental vocabulary – old and new – and it is also very interesting and fun to read book for the christmas period.

PR on A Christmas Carol

I really liked this book because it was very interesting and it really made me think about what the author was trying to tell us. My favorite part is when Scrooge decides he is going to buy a turkey for the Cratchit family. This is my favorite part because it really show the transformation of Scrooge. At the start of the book he does not like Christmas and thinks happiness comes from money. At the end of the book he is just as exited as everyone else and he tries to change what people think of him. At the end of the book he is a lot happier then at the start this made me think that change can be a good thing and it is okay to try and be open minded to new things. A part I found interesting was when Scrooge said that he would rather see his nephew die before expecting the invitation. This was interesting because this is not something you would say to anyone especially to someone in your family. I would say I did not have a least favorite part of the book because the author made it very clear what was happening so I knew what was going on at all times which really makes me enjoy the book more. This makes me like the book more because I know what is happening where as if I did not I would not be interesting because I do not know what is happening so I cannot picture what everything looks like in my head which really helps me when I read a book. This book makes me think that there is no time to be a bad person and to respect others and live my life to be the best I can. It also makes me think that anybody can become a better human being no matter what they were like before. This makes me feel that anybody is good and to give everyone a chance.

PW #6 – My trip to Mexico

My family and I went on a trip to Mexico over winter break. We left Victoria on the first of January. The resort we stayed at was made up of 5 different hotels. It had a very beautiful seawalk that was a little over 2 kilometers long. Over the whole trip, the weather was on our side. It was very sunny and warm, but there wasn’t a burning heatwave. One time as I was walking to the beach, I saw a very large iguana! I was always active and doing fun activities like playing volleyball, surfing, go karting and even parasailing! I went swimming a lot with my little sister in the ocean and in the pools, we also played a card game called “Love to Hate”. The days flew by really fast and before we knew it we were already packing to fly back. I am very thankful to my family for a trip full of amazing memories and this was the best way to start the new year.