Thursday, October 30, 2014
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Literature Analysis #2
The Things They Carried- Tim O'Brien
1.Tim O'Brien returns to war after being shot for the first time and is shot again. It takes the new medic, Bobby Jorgenson, a long time to get to him and by the time he does, Tim has gone into shock and the medic treats him for the wrong thing. He lives but is unable to return to the field and begins a new job in the military, preparing supplies and weapons. Tim O'Brien suffers from PTSD and struggles adapting back to his normal life. He is now looked at differently by his Platoon. Tim seeks revenge towards Jorgenson for not fully caring for his wound, which led to infection. He attempts to get his old Platoon members to help him mess with Jorgenson, but they refuse because he is now apart of their crew. One man, Azar, agrees to help. They go to where Jorgenson is working late at night and attempt to scare him by making noises in the brush and making items float. Tim finds a lot of joy in scaring Jorgenson, but wants to stop after awhile. Azar convinces him to keep going. Jorgenson shouts out that he knows it's O'Brien messing with him. They meet and forgive each other. The rest of the Platoon accepts O'Brien back in as family.
The narrative fulfills the author's purpose in showing the impact of war on a person's life. The author also shows how the men really relied on each other's friendships to survive.
1.Tim O'Brien returns to war after being shot for the first time and is shot again. It takes the new medic, Bobby Jorgenson, a long time to get to him and by the time he does, Tim has gone into shock and the medic treats him for the wrong thing. He lives but is unable to return to the field and begins a new job in the military, preparing supplies and weapons. Tim O'Brien suffers from PTSD and struggles adapting back to his normal life. He is now looked at differently by his Platoon. Tim seeks revenge towards Jorgenson for not fully caring for his wound, which led to infection. He attempts to get his old Platoon members to help him mess with Jorgenson, but they refuse because he is now apart of their crew. One man, Azar, agrees to help. They go to where Jorgenson is working late at night and attempt to scare him by making noises in the brush and making items float. Tim finds a lot of joy in scaring Jorgenson, but wants to stop after awhile. Azar convinces him to keep going. Jorgenson shouts out that he knows it's O'Brien messing with him. They meet and forgive each other. The rest of the Platoon accepts O'Brien back in as family.
The narrative fulfills the author's purpose in showing the impact of war on a person's life. The author also shows how the men really relied on each other's friendships to survive.
2. The main theme of the book is guilt and burdens- the title is a clear example of that. All of the characters in the story carry physical burdens as well as emotional ones. These emotional burdens include fear, reputation, and vulnerability. Many of the men can't forgive themselves for deaths of their brothers, and suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. The different stories in the book exemplify the struggles the men of the platoon went through during and after the war. The characters must attempt to accept their experiences, but for some, the burden is just too heavy.
3. The author's tone is pretty straightforward and comfortable. The author is retelling stories and the reason behind why he is telling them. He is familiar with his subjects, and you can infer that he is feeling remorse. "I wanted to do something, stop him somehow... I was trembling. I kept hugging myself, rocking, but I couldn't make it go away," expresses Tim's guilt about torturing Jorgenson. "None of it mattered. The words seemed far too complicated. All I could do was gape at the fact of the young man's body." Plain and simple- he felt bad. It's easy to gather from this that Tim felt remorse-it's pretty clear. "You can't fix your mistakes. Once people are dead, you can't make them undead." Straightforward.
4. Point of View: Most of the time the story is told from first person, but at times third person is used to distance Tim and allow other characters to tell their story.
Foreshadowing: Tim mentions the deaths of men, and later recounts these stories.
Symbolism: The dead young Vietnamese soldier represents guilt.
Juxtaposition: The placement of the stories told.
Blend of fiction and non-fiction: He questions stories.
Repetitions: He frequently repeats stories, adding in details. (he retells Kiowa's death 5 times)
Imagery: He describes the battlefield to allow the reader to try and experience what he dealt with.
Similies/Metaphors: Allow the reader to get a sense of the severity of a situation.
Flashback: To help the reader understand the character's experiences and their constant remembrance of the unfortunate events.
Structure: The book was written with interconnected short stories.
Characterization
1. Indirect:
"He would look them in the eyes, keeping his chin level, and he would issue the new SOP's in a calm, impersonal tone of voice, an officer's voice, leaving no room for argument or discussion."
"...I sometimes felt the fear spreading inside me like weeds. I imagined myself dead. I imagined me doing things I could not do- charging an enemy position, taking aim at another human being."
Direct:
"Lavender's left cheek bone was gone."
"There was a large Band-Aid at the back of her head, a row of black stitches, a piece of gauze taped above her left ear."
Tim uses indirect characterization to show psychological development, adding to the effect that Vietnam was this crazy place where you slowly lose your mind if you haven't already lost yourself as a whole. Tim uses direct characterization to be more blunt about the horrors of war. By telling the reader exactly how it looked, they can envision it for themselves.
2. When focusing on a character, the author's diction stays the same as he develops the characters specifically; some characters are emphasized more. The syntax slightly changes with an increase in dialogue when stories are being told.
3. The protagonist, Tim O'Brien, is a dynamic character. Before the war he doesn't want to be a part of it and tries to run away from it. By the end of the story, however, Tim can't leave the military life and his platoon-mates, and he continues to reminisce on his experiences. He is also a round character because by reading about the stories he was in and his experiences, the reader sees that he is a developed character.
4. After reading the book, I felt like I actually met a person. In the following passage, "They didn't know history. They didn't know the first thing about Diem's tyranny or the nature of the Vietnamese nationalism, or the long colonialism of the French- this was all too damned complicated, it required some reading- but no matter, it was a war to stop the Communists, plain and simple, which was how they liked things, and you were a treasonous pussy if you had second thoughts about killing or dying for plain and simple reasons. I was bitter, sure. But it was so much more than that. The emotions went from outrage to terror to bewilderment to guilt to sorrow and then back to outrage. I felt a sickness inside me. Real disease," all of Tim's emotions are shown. Throughout the book you get an understanding of who Tim is. I felt like i was personally told all of these stories.
Foreshadowing: Tim mentions the deaths of men, and later recounts these stories.
Symbolism: The dead young Vietnamese soldier represents guilt.
Juxtaposition: The placement of the stories told.
Blend of fiction and non-fiction: He questions stories.
Repetitions: He frequently repeats stories, adding in details. (he retells Kiowa's death 5 times)
Imagery: He describes the battlefield to allow the reader to try and experience what he dealt with.
Similies/Metaphors: Allow the reader to get a sense of the severity of a situation.
Flashback: To help the reader understand the character's experiences and their constant remembrance of the unfortunate events.
Structure: The book was written with interconnected short stories.
Characterization
1. Indirect:
"He would look them in the eyes, keeping his chin level, and he would issue the new SOP's in a calm, impersonal tone of voice, an officer's voice, leaving no room for argument or discussion."
"...I sometimes felt the fear spreading inside me like weeds. I imagined myself dead. I imagined me doing things I could not do- charging an enemy position, taking aim at another human being."
Direct:
"Lavender's left cheek bone was gone."
"There was a large Band-Aid at the back of her head, a row of black stitches, a piece of gauze taped above her left ear."
Tim uses indirect characterization to show psychological development, adding to the effect that Vietnam was this crazy place where you slowly lose your mind if you haven't already lost yourself as a whole. Tim uses direct characterization to be more blunt about the horrors of war. By telling the reader exactly how it looked, they can envision it for themselves.
2. When focusing on a character, the author's diction stays the same as he develops the characters specifically; some characters are emphasized more. The syntax slightly changes with an increase in dialogue when stories are being told.
3. The protagonist, Tim O'Brien, is a dynamic character. Before the war he doesn't want to be a part of it and tries to run away from it. By the end of the story, however, Tim can't leave the military life and his platoon-mates, and he continues to reminisce on his experiences. He is also a round character because by reading about the stories he was in and his experiences, the reader sees that he is a developed character.
4. After reading the book, I felt like I actually met a person. In the following passage, "They didn't know history. They didn't know the first thing about Diem's tyranny or the nature of the Vietnamese nationalism, or the long colonialism of the French- this was all too damned complicated, it required some reading- but no matter, it was a war to stop the Communists, plain and simple, which was how they liked things, and you were a treasonous pussy if you had second thoughts about killing or dying for plain and simple reasons. I was bitter, sure. But it was so much more than that. The emotions went from outrage to terror to bewilderment to guilt to sorrow and then back to outrage. I felt a sickness inside me. Real disease," all of Tim's emotions are shown. Throughout the book you get an understanding of who Tim is. I felt like i was personally told all of these stories.
Literary Fiction & Empathy
After reading this article, I found that the study done was awesome. They concluded that reading literary fiction "allows for more imagination and encourages readers to make inferences about characters and be sensitive to emotional nuance and complexity." Over any other genre, literary fiction teaches readers to be more empathetic. I feel like this can be very beneficial to me. In regards to Hamlet, this strategy may help me see the deeper meaning of Hamlet. This will allow me to see the real character of Hamlet rather than what is just on the surface or what one can read on Sparknotes. Reading about Hamlet's thoughts and struggles may make me more open-minded when trying to understand someone.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Communities studying Hamlet
If you search the topic Hamlet on Twitter, many related posts will come up of students just like us studying Hamlet. Many of these posts say that people are dreading it.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Vocabulary #6
abase - cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of
Ex- I watched my colleagues abase themselves before the board of trustees.
abdicate - give up, such as power, as of monarchs and emperors, or duties and obligations
Ex- The government was accused of abdicating its responsibilities.
abomination - an action that is vicious or vile; an action that arouses disgust or abhorrence; a person who is loathsome or disgusting; hate coupled with disgust
Ex- This law is an abomination to all mankind.
brusque - marked by rude or peremptory shortness
Ex- She is known to be brusque and impatient.
saboteur - someone who commits sabotage or deliberately causes wrecks
Ex- The saboteur was punished severely.
debauchery - a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity
Ex- One may find another's personality debauchery.
proliferate - cause to grow or increase rapidly; grow rapidly
Ex- Apple products continue to proliferate.
anachronism - an artifact that belongs to another time; a person who seems to be displaced in time; who belongs to another age; something located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred
Ex- Everything was as it would have appeared in centuries past apart from one anachronism, a bright yellow construction crane.
nomenclature - a system of words used to name things in a particular discipline
Ex- For one thing, the basic nomenclature was confusing.
expurgate - edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
Ex- The editors expurgated hateful references to the government in the author's book before publishing it.
bellicose - having or showing a ready disposition to fight
Ex- There is a group of bellicose men.
gauche - lacking social polish
Ex- Some will find it gauche; others will enjoy its boldness.
rapacious - excessively greedy and grasping; devouring or craving food in great quantities; living by preying on other animals especially by catching living prey
Ex- His landlord is very rapacious.
paradox - a statement that contradicts itself
Ex- The man lied many times before, but when he told his friend, "I'm lying right now," the paradox confused him.
conundrum - a difficult problem
Ex- Jane was confronted with a large conundrum and didn't know what to do.
anomaly - a person who is unusual; deviation from the normal or common order or form or rule
Ex- There are a number of anomalies in the present system.
ephemeral - lasting a very short time; noun anything short-lived
Ex- Fashion is ephemeral.
rancorous - showing deep-seated resentment
Ex- Many people became rancorous because of the man's ignorant speech.
churlish - having a bad disposition; surly; rude and boorish
Ex- It seems churlish to complain.
precipitous - extremely steep; done with very great haste and without due deliberation
Ex- The cliffs on the North Atlantic coast are precipitous.
Ex- I watched my colleagues abase themselves before the board of trustees.
abdicate - give up, such as power, as of monarchs and emperors, or duties and obligations
Ex- The government was accused of abdicating its responsibilities.
abomination - an action that is vicious or vile; an action that arouses disgust or abhorrence; a person who is loathsome or disgusting; hate coupled with disgust
Ex- This law is an abomination to all mankind.
brusque - marked by rude or peremptory shortness
Ex- She is known to be brusque and impatient.
saboteur - someone who commits sabotage or deliberately causes wrecks
Ex- The saboteur was punished severely.
debauchery - a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity
Ex- One may find another's personality debauchery.
proliferate - cause to grow or increase rapidly; grow rapidly
Ex- Apple products continue to proliferate.
anachronism - an artifact that belongs to another time; a person who seems to be displaced in time; who belongs to another age; something located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred
Ex- Everything was as it would have appeared in centuries past apart from one anachronism, a bright yellow construction crane.
nomenclature - a system of words used to name things in a particular discipline
Ex- For one thing, the basic nomenclature was confusing.
expurgate - edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
Ex- The editors expurgated hateful references to the government in the author's book before publishing it.
bellicose - having or showing a ready disposition to fight
Ex- There is a group of bellicose men.
gauche - lacking social polish
Ex- Some will find it gauche; others will enjoy its boldness.
rapacious - excessively greedy and grasping; devouring or craving food in great quantities; living by preying on other animals especially by catching living prey
Ex- His landlord is very rapacious.
paradox - a statement that contradicts itself
Ex- The man lied many times before, but when he told his friend, "I'm lying right now," the paradox confused him.
conundrum - a difficult problem
Ex- Jane was confronted with a large conundrum and didn't know what to do.
anomaly - a person who is unusual; deviation from the normal or common order or form or rule
Ex- There are a number of anomalies in the present system.
ephemeral - lasting a very short time; noun anything short-lived
Ex- Fashion is ephemeral.
rancorous - showing deep-seated resentment
Ex- Many people became rancorous because of the man's ignorant speech.
churlish - having a bad disposition; surly; rude and boorish
Ex- It seems churlish to complain.
precipitous - extremely steep; done with very great haste and without due deliberation
Ex- The cliffs on the North Atlantic coast are precipitous.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Unphotographable
This is a picture I did not take of my sister and I driving down A.W. Grimes in Texas. I rolled down the passenger side window on the jeep and the warm night air filled the car. The street lights glowed in the rear view mirror. We were singing I Hold On by Dierks Bentley. In that moment I felt infinite.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Canterbury Outline
Body Paragraph 1: A significant tale and what the tale was trying to teach the reader
- The Clerk's tale was trying to teach people to be constant in adversity and in the face of God (like Griselda was to Walter). People under God must live in virtuous patience, accepting whatever will God serves on them.
- Moral/philosophical tale
Body Paragraph 2: Why is the main character of this tale so important and how are they portrayed
- Griselda is the main character: humble, patient, virtuous, loyal, accepting, etc.
- She is the opposite of the Wife of Bath and her tale about women having control/power over their men
Body Paragraph 3: What ideas and techniques Chaucer used to describe this tale and get his message across
- direct characterization was proved with indirect characterization
- very structured: each "part" had its own main problem
- told the reader exactly what happened in a straightforward manner and what he wanted the reader to gain/learn from the tale
- The Clerk's tale was trying to teach people to be constant in adversity and in the face of God (like Griselda was to Walter). People under God must live in virtuous patience, accepting whatever will God serves on them.
- Moral/philosophical tale
Body Paragraph 2: Why is the main character of this tale so important and how are they portrayed
- Griselda is the main character: humble, patient, virtuous, loyal, accepting, etc.
- She is the opposite of the Wife of Bath and her tale about women having control/power over their men
Body Paragraph 3: What ideas and techniques Chaucer used to describe this tale and get his message across
- direct characterization was proved with indirect characterization
- very structured: each "part" had its own main problem
- told the reader exactly what happened in a straightforward manner and what he wanted the reader to gain/learn from the tale
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
The Point of Canterbury Tales is...
The Canterbury Tales aims to incorporate many themes through various stories told from various perspectives. In the collection of tales told by diverse characters, attitudes about life and literature are exemplified in a satirical manner.
Green Eggs & Hamlet
a) The only thing I know about Hamlet is that it was written by Shakespeare.
b) The only thing I know about Shakespeare is that he wrote Hamlet.
c) Students frown when they hear Shakespeare because his works are known to be long, uninteresting, and hard to comprehend.
d) To make studying this play an amazing experience, we can approach Hamlet from a different perspective and do more than just read about it.
b) The only thing I know about Shakespeare is that he wrote Hamlet.
c) Students frown when they hear Shakespeare because his works are known to be long, uninteresting, and hard to comprehend.
d) To make studying this play an amazing experience, we can approach Hamlet from a different perspective and do more than just read about it.
Monday, October 6, 2014
Vocabulary #5
Shenanigans - secret or dishonest activity or maneuvering.
Ex- Widespread financial shenanigans had ruined the fortunes of many
Ricochet - a glancing rebound; spring back; spring away from an impact
Ex- The bullet ricocheted off a nearby wall.
Schism - division of a group into opposing factions; the formal separation of a church into two churches or the withdrawal of one group over doctrinal differences
Ex- There is an unfortunate schism between scientists and power.
Eschew - avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of
Ex- He appealed to the crowd to eschew violence.
Plethora - extreme excess
Ex- There was a plethora of committees that attended the meeting.
Ebullient - joyously unrestrained
Ex- Jane sounded ebullient and happy after she got off of the phone with her boyfriend.
Garrulous - full of trivial conversation
Ex- Alan is foolish, garrulous old man.
Harangue - a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion; deliver a harangue to; address forcefully
Ex- He is the kind of guy that would harangue total strangers about gun laws.
Interdependence - a reciprocal relation between interdependent entities (objects or individuals or groups)
Ex- Indeed, the relationship among advanced postindustrial countries is one of complex interdependence.
Capricious - determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason; changeable
Ex- His capricious humor elevated and deposed them with the same disconcerning suddenness.
Loquacious - full of trivial conversation
Ex- The teacher is known for being very loquacious.
Ephemeral - lasting a very short time; anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day in its winged form
Ex- Fashion is ephemeral.
Inchoate - only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
Ex- Their thinking moves by leaps in the dark, through fruitful errors and inchoate visions.
Juxtapose - place side by side
Ex- Black and white photos of slums were juxtaposed with colored images.
Perspicacious - acutely insightful and wise; mentally acute or penetratingly discerning
Ex- It offered quite a few facts to the perspicacious reporter.
Codswallop - nonsensical talk or writing
Ex- Some people believe other religions are just codswallop.
Mungo - cloth made from recycled woven or felted material.
Ex- Many high end fashion designers hate mungo.
Sesquipedelian - characterized by long words
Ex- The scientific journals were sesquipedelian.
Wonky - inclined to shake as from weakness or defect; turned or twisted toward one side
Ex- Your sense of judgment is a bit wonky at the moment.
Diphthong - a vowel sound that starts near the articulatory position for one vowel and moves toward the position for another
Ex-The production of a diphthong acoustically is a glide between two sounds.
Ex- Widespread financial shenanigans had ruined the fortunes of many
Ricochet - a glancing rebound; spring back; spring away from an impact
Ex- The bullet ricocheted off a nearby wall.
Schism - division of a group into opposing factions; the formal separation of a church into two churches or the withdrawal of one group over doctrinal differences
Ex- There is an unfortunate schism between scientists and power.
Eschew - avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of
Ex- He appealed to the crowd to eschew violence.
Plethora - extreme excess
Ex- There was a plethora of committees that attended the meeting.
Ebullient - joyously unrestrained
Ex- Jane sounded ebullient and happy after she got off of the phone with her boyfriend.
Garrulous - full of trivial conversation
Ex- Alan is foolish, garrulous old man.
Harangue - a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion; deliver a harangue to; address forcefully
Ex- He is the kind of guy that would harangue total strangers about gun laws.
Interdependence - a reciprocal relation between interdependent entities (objects or individuals or groups)
Ex- Indeed, the relationship among advanced postindustrial countries is one of complex interdependence.
Capricious - determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason; changeable
Ex- His capricious humor elevated and deposed them with the same disconcerning suddenness.
Loquacious - full of trivial conversation
Ex- The teacher is known for being very loquacious.
Ephemeral - lasting a very short time; anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day in its winged form
Ex- Fashion is ephemeral.
Inchoate - only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
Ex- Their thinking moves by leaps in the dark, through fruitful errors and inchoate visions.
Juxtapose - place side by side
Ex- Black and white photos of slums were juxtaposed with colored images.
Perspicacious - acutely insightful and wise; mentally acute or penetratingly discerning
Ex- It offered quite a few facts to the perspicacious reporter.
Codswallop - nonsensical talk or writing
Ex- Some people believe other religions are just codswallop.
Mungo - cloth made from recycled woven or felted material.
Ex- Many high end fashion designers hate mungo.
Sesquipedelian - characterized by long words
Ex- The scientific journals were sesquipedelian.
Wonky - inclined to shake as from weakness or defect; turned or twisted toward one side
Ex- Your sense of judgment is a bit wonky at the moment.
Diphthong - a vowel sound that starts near the articulatory position for one vowel and moves toward the position for another
Ex-The production of a diphthong acoustically is a glide between two sounds.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Character Narrative
We've been in classes for about a month now and I was still getting use to the place. Baylor was now my home. I sat there in my Sociology of Medicine class thinking about how different my life was a year ago. I was in high school, trying to balance college applications and having the fun senior year experience. But boy was I glad I had applied for early action. The stress I had drove me crazy, but it was well worth it. I snapped back to reality when I realized the professor had asked me what I thought about the lecture. I twirled my pencil around my long, blonde air as I quickly pulled an answer out of thin air. He replied with a smile. Phew.
After class, my dad called and offered to pay for my plane ticket to fly back to Santa Maria for a few days to visit because I don't have classes Monday or Friday. Since I wouldn't be missing school and I didn't have to pay for it, I figured why not. I flew in late that Thursday night and decided to hike Point Sal Friday morning. On my hike that morning, I ran into a couple in desperate need of help. The boyfriend had fallen and hurt his leg. I helped the panicked couple and as we were waiting for assistance we began to get to know each other. I had found out that the girlfriend, Courtney, was a fan of adventure and that we had a lot in common. She thanked me for my help and promised to stay in touch. I spent the next few days visiting with friends and family and then I was back off to college.
After being back at school for a few weeks, I was walking around campus when I saw a sign hanging from a bulletin board. It said that if we wanted to earn extra school credits we could go on a mission trip to Africa. I hesitated to call the number. Would I be safe? Would I be able to do it without all of my materialistic things? I should do it. It'll be good for me. I called the number and got all of the information I needed. It was settled. In 3 months I would be going to Kenya with my fellow students. Later that night while writing up a paper in my dorm room, I thought of the sweet, adventurous girl I had met on my hike back at home. I called her up and told her about the opportunity. A few days later she called me and had said she would be going to Kenya with me. I sat there in Starbucks smiling. I was now looking forward to the mission trip.
We all met at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport with our passports and vaccinations in hand. We had our single carry-on bags with us filled with necessities. Electronics, anything that required being plugged in, and anything with a fruity scent were prohibited. 12 of us, including Courtney, boarded Kenya Airways for our 18 hour flight. Boy this is gonna be a long one.
After class, my dad called and offered to pay for my plane ticket to fly back to Santa Maria for a few days to visit because I don't have classes Monday or Friday. Since I wouldn't be missing school and I didn't have to pay for it, I figured why not. I flew in late that Thursday night and decided to hike Point Sal Friday morning. On my hike that morning, I ran into a couple in desperate need of help. The boyfriend had fallen and hurt his leg. I helped the panicked couple and as we were waiting for assistance we began to get to know each other. I had found out that the girlfriend, Courtney, was a fan of adventure and that we had a lot in common. She thanked me for my help and promised to stay in touch. I spent the next few days visiting with friends and family and then I was back off to college.
After being back at school for a few weeks, I was walking around campus when I saw a sign hanging from a bulletin board. It said that if we wanted to earn extra school credits we could go on a mission trip to Africa. I hesitated to call the number. Would I be safe? Would I be able to do it without all of my materialistic things? I should do it. It'll be good for me. I called the number and got all of the information I needed. It was settled. In 3 months I would be going to Kenya with my fellow students. Later that night while writing up a paper in my dorm room, I thought of the sweet, adventurous girl I had met on my hike back at home. I called her up and told her about the opportunity. A few days later she called me and had said she would be going to Kenya with me. I sat there in Starbucks smiling. I was now looking forward to the mission trip.
We all met at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport with our passports and vaccinations in hand. We had our single carry-on bags with us filled with necessities. Electronics, anything that required being plugged in, and anything with a fruity scent were prohibited. 12 of us, including Courtney, boarded Kenya Airways for our 18 hour flight. Boy this is gonna be a long one.
We spent the next 3 months educating the people of different tribes on how to stay safe, we learned about their religion and beliefs, and we helped build schools and clean up their villages. I learned more on this trip than I thought I would. I went into this thinking that I would be the one making the difference in people's lives, little did I know they would make a difference in mine as well.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Character Study III
Because I don't have classes on Friday or Monday, my dad offered to pay for my plane ticket to fly back to Santa Maria for a few days to visit. Since I wouldn't be missing school and I didn't have to pay for it,I figured why not. I flew in late that Thursday night and decided to hike Point Sal Friday morning. On my hike that morning, I ran into a couple in desperate need of help. The boyfriend had fallen and hurt his leg. I helped the panicked couple and as we were waiting for assistance we began to get to know each other. I had found out that the girlfriend Courtney was a fan of adventure and that we had a lot in common. She thanked me for my help and promised to stay in touch. I spent the next few days visiting with friends and family and then I was back off to college.
After being back at school for a few weeks, I was walking around campus when I saw a sign hanging from a bulletin board. It said that if we wanted to earn extra school credits we could go on a mission trip to Africa. I hesitated to call the number. Would I be safe? Would I be able to do it without all of my materialistic things? I should do it. It'll be good for me. I called the number and got all of the information I needed. It was settled. In 3 months I would be going to Kenya with my fellow students. Later that night while writing up a paper in my dorm room, I thought of the sweet, adventurous girl I had met on my hike. I called her up and told her about the opportunity. A few days later she called me and had said she would be going to Kenya with me. I sat there in Starbucks smiling. I was now looking forward to the mission trip.
We all met at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport with our passports and vaccinations in hand. We had our single carry-on bags with us filled with necessities. Electronics, anything that required being plugged in, and anything with a fruity scent were prohibited. 12 of us, including Courtney, boarded Kenya Airways for our 18 hour flight. Boy this is gonna be a long one.
After being back at school for a few weeks, I was walking around campus when I saw a sign hanging from a bulletin board. It said that if we wanted to earn extra school credits we could go on a mission trip to Africa. I hesitated to call the number. Would I be safe? Would I be able to do it without all of my materialistic things? I should do it. It'll be good for me. I called the number and got all of the information I needed. It was settled. In 3 months I would be going to Kenya with my fellow students. Later that night while writing up a paper in my dorm room, I thought of the sweet, adventurous girl I had met on my hike. I called her up and told her about the opportunity. A few days later she called me and had said she would be going to Kenya with me. I sat there in Starbucks smiling. I was now looking forward to the mission trip.
We all met at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport with our passports and vaccinations in hand. We had our single carry-on bags with us filled with necessities. Electronics, anything that required being plugged in, and anything with a fruity scent were prohibited. 12 of us, including Courtney, boarded Kenya Airways for our 18 hour flight. Boy this is gonna be a long one.
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