Los Das de la Semana
Monday |
lunes |
Tuesday |
martes |
Wednesday |
miércoles |
Thursday |
jueves |
Friday |
viernes |
Saturday |
sábado |
Sunday |
domingo |
Monday |
lunes |
Tuesday |
martes |
Wednesday |
miércoles |
Thursday |
jueves |
Friday |
viernes |
Saturday |
sábado |
Sunday |
domingo |
All Is Not Lost When You Have Determination
Could you ever imagine losing everything that was important to you? Ever visualized being so close to death? It is hard to believe it, but some people have experienced those things. On August 23, 2005, America encountered one of it’s most devastating and deadliest hurricanes. One of the worst hurricanes America has faced was called Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina has impacted many innocent lives in a way that many people will never forget. Dave Eggers, the author of an award winning book entitled, Zeitoun, is a well known American author who wrote a memoir about the dangerous experiences one individual faced during Hurricane Katrina. In his efforts in crafting such a life changing story, Eggers wanted to inform the readers that with hard work and determination people could make a difference in the eyes of danger.
The story Zeitoun is about a man named Abdulrahman Zeitoun. Abdulrahman Zeitoun is a middle aged Syrian American who is the father of four children. Zeitoun is a successful owner of a painting and contracting business. Because he wants the best for his family he values hard work. Zeitoun is married to a woman named, Kathy. Zeitoun and Kathy both went through numerous problems, racism being the main issue. Many Americans demonstrated prejudice acts towards the Zeitoun family all because of 9/11 considering their similar appearance to former terrorist. Despite all of the downfalls, his family manages to overcome these boundaries and carry on with their lives. Since the incident of 2001, Zeitoun has demonstrated great strength and determination for his life and the lives of others.
Two days before the storm arrived, thousands of people were already aware that the storm was coming. Many people were preparing to migrate away from the storm. However tensions arose in the Zeitoun household. Kathy decided to take the four children with her to Baton Rouge in order to get her and her children away from the storm. Kathy had persuaded her husband, Zeitoun, to come with them in order to get away from the terrible hurricane, but Zeitoun denied her requests and remained in Louisiana to keep watch over their home and business. Because Zeitoun was born in Jableh, Syria and worked as a sailor for most of his life, he believed that he could survive the tragic storm. At that time Zeitoun didn’t realize how dangerous it was. The next day Hurricane Katrina hit, tossing roofs off of houses and flooding many areas of Louisiana. Louisiana declared a state of emergency and that it was mandatory to evacuate the state.
Overtime Zeitoun made sure to call his wife daily to let her know what was going on. Later on in the story, six armed soldiers showed up at Zeitoun’s house. At first Zeitoun thought that the soldiers were there to help him, but they actually threatened him with a gun. After a few days goes past Zeitoun turns out missing and does not ever get in contact with his wife, Kathy. Kathy then believes that Zeitoun is dead and that he would not be coming back. This was very hard for her because she has mixed thoughts about her husband's whereabouts.
Shortly after this alarming event she received a phone call saying that her husband was arrested along with three other men. This was due to FEMA issues. Zeitoun was accused of being a possible terrorist in the United States. The men were held at a facility. This meant Zeitoun could not call his wife to let her know what had happened to him. Later in the story, Kathy found out where he was and bailed him out. After everything was resolved the whole family traveled back to Louisiana to help rebuild their home and community.
After reading this inspiring memoir I encourage other young readers to read this book. The book Zeitoun really touched my heart because it showed me that there are people in this world who are in need, but we as citizens don’t stop and take the time to help them. Instead we care mostly about ourselves and not others. When I think of what Zeitoun has done, knowing that he isn’t a US citizen, it really touched my heart and made me want to make a difference in this country. Zeitoun placed his life on the line for others. Not because he wanted to but it was because he cared. Despite losing everything in the storm he still made a difference in other people lives.
By: Laura De Jesus
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous is a 4 million best seller. It’s that good of a book, you never want to stop reading. Sends chills down your spin, keeps your mind wondering “What’s gonna happen next?”
I didn’t want the story to end.
Go Ask Alice is about a girl named Alice, she’s your average 15 year old girl who lives in a small town. Her father was offered a job in new job in a slightly bigger town. Thats when everything started changing. Alice was no longer the innocent young girl anymore. She was not the most popular girl in her old school, she thought she could start again, with the wrong crowd of people.
After Alice attended a party back in her old town in the summer her world turned for the worse. She was introduced into the world of drugs. It was planned that she go to a party once a week and do it only it during that time period, that lasted barely anything.
This is when the story went into a turn.
Alice started using drugs daily, with people, by herself and with her new boyfriend, her boyfriend was a college student who did everything in the book. He took her into a new world of fun and excitement, but never was she sober. The high was what she looked forward to.
I knew I was reading an amazing story when I hit the first page. "Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice Acid & Smack & No Way Back." The quote explains the whole book. Once you start to use drugs, especially heavily they play an important part, had to go back, thats what the quote is explaining.
I managed to read this book in less than a week, and me personally I dislike to read, but this book… this book made the way I look at reading change for the good.
As the story goes on you begin to see why the things that happened to Alice were her fault. She went so heavy into her addiction that she would sell drugs to kids in middle school. Working for her boyfriend is how Alice and her friend made money to support their habit. It was a shock to the both of them that their boyfriends were gay. Reporting them to the cops was the best option, but they had to escape before they got put into the issues too.
Alice went from the girl that her parents adored flaws and all, into the biggest bitch to walk the planet. She ran away on various occasions, she was never alone. In the mist of "finding herself" as she liked to call it, she went through rape, sexual harassment, and overdoses. Home sickness is what brought her back to her home.
Reading this far into the book, my jaw dropped.
Trips back and forth, getting sober and falling right back into the trap was her biggest problem. There was no more hope for Alice. Her parents placed her into an Institute. She overdosed as she was babysitting, it was a trap. Bugs were eating her female parts away, her hands were gone, her feet was fractured in casts. There was nothing anyone could do for her. She was a lost cause at the moment.
Months and months went passed, Alice received an education within the Institution and figured she would want to work with people in the same predicaments as her when she got older. Home Sweet Home. Sad to say Alice died three weeks after she made her decision to no longer keep a diary. No one knows the cause of death.
The story did not end the way I thought it would which makes it even better, its an excellent book. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading books in general but more to the people who love reading books full of suspense. That's what Go Ask Alice is all about. Young adults would fall in love with it, just as I did.
Sharon M.Draper is a bestselling author that received an award for two of her books, Cooper Sun and Forged by Fire. Sharon is also known for winning many awards on her book, “Out of my mind.” Sharon wrote Out of my Mind because she always wanted to know what goes on in a persons mind when they can not express their thoughts. Also, because Sharon has a daughter that is disabled and decided to write a story about a funny, smart and wonderful person that has a future and goals just like everyone else. As Sharon M. Draper says “Get ready to meet a girl whose voice you will never, ever forget.”
Have you ever wanted to tell someone something, but you did not know how to say it or you could not say it at all? Did someone ever say that you were not smart? Melody, a character from the book Out of my Mind, goes through this everyday. Melody is an amazing child who is intelligent but no one knows. Melody remembers everything she sees or hears and she wishes there was a way to stop it. Melody can not walk or talk. She can not do anything herself and faces many challenges on a daily basis.
Melody never catches a break, there is a new challenge everyday that she needs to figure out. Melody is in 5th grade and is eleven years old. She attends school normally, but goes into a classroom that has other students with similar problems. Since no one knows melody is brilliant she does not learn anything past 3rd grade. After a couple months in fifth grade, Melody is put into a classroom with able bodied students and some of them do not accept Melody. Later she is faced with obstacle that seems impossible to face. Melody felt like all her hard work and progress in the classroom was not useful anymore. Melody always has someone by her side helping her and she appreciates everyone who does. Mrs.V for example has been with her since day one, and will never give up on her. Mrs.V is Melodys next door neighbor. She believes in Melody and will do anything to help her succeed. Everyone needs someone to look up too and sometimes it’s someone other than a child’s parents. If you have someone by your side every step of the way, you feel more confident and you know there is someone that will help you if something is not going the way you planned. Melody also has a new born sister Penny, who is very different from her. Melody wishes she can be a normal big sister but penny can always look up to melody in ways that are exteremly different from her parents because melody has been through so much then someone can even imagine and still as a huge smile on her face.
This book will teach the reader a lot. One essential lesson that is expressed in the book, is to never give up on something you want because anything is possible. Every page of this book is so detailed and it makes you really feel like you are with the characters in the book. If you are interested in fiction books this is the perfect book for you. It is not based off of a real events but while reading this it feels real and makes you want to meet Melody. Everyone may not look the same or not everyone is able to things “normal” people can do but it doesn't matter everyone is unique in their own amazing way. “Out of my mind” is an unbelievable book that everyone should read.
Below are charts that state the Spanish words into English, and what time it is
|
Spanish | English |
De la mañana | In the morning (AM) |
De la tarde | In the afternoon ( PM) |
De la noche | In the evening (PM) |
Y media | Half past |
Y mediodia | Noon |
Y medianoche | Midnight |
Y cuarto | Quarter after |
Menos cuarto | Quarter of |
en punto | On the dot |