Life Lessons

When i was in elementary school my sister and i were having problems with one girl who lived in our neighborhood. We didn't get along well and she would say things that would bug us. when we told one of my friends parents about that days confrontation with her she gave me some great advise. She said "Don't let it get to you. Be like a duck and let it roll off your back like water." at first i didn't understand but as i thought about it more it made sense. if i didn't let her words hurt me i would be a lot better off. I would never come home again mad because of the things that girl said to me.

That small bit of advise taught me for the future to take the high road. If its with my sister or a neighbor i can let the hurtful things people say go. I don't have to hold onto them and because of my friends mom, Leah, i have taken the advise with me. Through two elementary school, two middle schools and now a high school i can always look back on that slightly odd advise to be like a duck and put it into effect.

My Best Friend

My best friend has an ever changing appearance. When i first met her, she had long, dark brown hair, that contrasted with her pale white skin and went past her shoulders but is now short and slowly going closer and closer to blond. She used to always have some sort of black on, from her jacket to the rings on her fingers, something would be black, but just like the hair, the color choices get lighter and lighter. When you see her come into a room you immediately notice her wonderful smile that brightens up your day. She will break out in song and dance with no warning what so ever but it is a welcome event in my daily life. Even though she is shorter then some other people but you hardly notice when you start to talk to her.

She doesn't just go with what everyone else says. When something needs change she is one of the first people to do something about it. No matter what happens she is out to do the right thing and stands by her beliefs. She constantly brings change, new views, and adventure into my life. She can pick me up no matter what when I'm feeling down and i know i will never have to face a difficult experience alone and i always have someone i can go to no matter what time of day or night. The best word that would describe her would be extrovert because she loves being with people.

Early Memorys

After moving, having a birthday, and getting new school supplies for the upcoming days of Kindergarten, it was time for me to make friends in my new neighbourhood in Vancouver. I was sitting on the couch watching some afternoon cartoons when my mother comes back in from the balcony and informs me of a nice young boy riding his bike outside around the park. I would not let this chance to make friends and ride my new bike go to waste. I quickly ran down stairs, into the garage and strapped on my helmet. I sped out past the cars parked in my driveway and down the street to meet a new friend. It was not long before I caught up to him and introduced myself. When I heard his name the first thing that popped into my head was, 'Its Stuart Little!', as a young six-year-old that was immediately announced. I was then corrected by him that, no in fact, it is NOT Stuart Little, just Stuart. Stuart Jackson if you wanted to know his last name. I noted this and replied telling him that my last name was Burley and i had my birthday not too long ago making me six and no longer five. (I could tell he was amazing with how old i was.)

For the next few days before the wonders of school began we rode our bikes around the park and played on the playground that happen to be in front of his house too. The day that school started i walked to the bus stop with my mother and was astonished to see non other then my new friend Stuart standing and waiting for the bus with HIS mother. My day just got better then i had thought possible. that is until i found out we were in the exact same kindergarten class and got to play all day together with the blocks, paints, and crayons at school. Now i would like to thank my mother for interrupting me in the middle of afternoon cartoons to tell me about the mystery bike rider.

A Farewell To Arms: imagery

The author used imagery so heavily in the book to show what was going on when the characters point of view was slightly detached from the things going on around him. He was alone a lot of the time and everything was in Frederico's point of view so the added imagery compensated for the lack of action. It gave more detail and focus when the narrator wasn't the most elaborate about his feelings towards what was going on in the war.
Also the war is very graphic and needs more imagery then most other genres to show the great depth of each and every important event going on. From the very beginning the scenery and people around Frederico had imagery and description packed into every paragraph and sentence making it impossible not to think of it as the main literary element.

Outside reading

A Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway is not a book that immediately grabs your attention and it is slightly hard to get into but after six or seven chapters it is easier to read. I found it difficult to get into because the first chapter and a half was nothing but description of where the man is living and the scenery. I am enjoying it for the most part but there is not a lot happening so far.

The dominate literary element seems to be imagery. In the book there is a lot of description and some interesting word choice but it is in normal diction so it is nothing too out of the ordinary. I will be able to tell better later on in the book after i have seen more of the literary elements. This element may have been used to give a better understanding for the place the war is going on and how even in a beautiful place a horrid thing, such as war, can go on and peoples lives can be lost so quickly. I believe that Hemingway wrote in this manner to show more detail in the way people in the war handled it and their views towards it.

The tone switches from chapter to chapter and sometimes in the middle of one. One moment everything is good and some what happy where people are going to get food to share and then the next moment the same people are running into cover to save their lives. Even when the men are going into a battle zone they are still happy and looking into the scenery with wonder and the tone of the writing is calm. It changes to a dramatic tone of war fighting in mere sentences and then back to a clam state where he talks of being in love in the next paragraph. It goes through all the ups and downs of the war and its effect on the men with the tone and word choice.

Writing About Reading

I enjoy reading books of all lengths and genres but the novels that have a more exciting plot line to them keep my interest more then slower books. I like to read but I have the most troubles starting the book because most begin slowly.

To get into a book that I don't understand or that is boring I will take notes on it to get a better understanding of it and if that does not work then I will ask my parents to help explain it or if a book is slow then i will remove any distraction so that i can give it my full attention and have a better comprehension for it.

It is easiest for me to read a book and really get into it when I am listening to music in my room. When I do not have the luxury of my ideal spot it does not bother me too much because reading is not that difficult for me in any setting. Unless the book is slow then i will remove the music to give the book my undivided attention.

I like to read all genres of books, fiction being one of them. I like to read fiction because it is more exciting then everyday life. Reading about made up places and people is a break from history. Books that are nonfiction give away the ending because they already happened. Fictional writing is just more fun then writing about events that already took place. They leave less room for the imagination and mind to work and have a more set path they take.