1st Reflection

Imagine being born to a mother who used to be a maid. Then imagine that the man she was a maid for was your father. This leads onto only seeing your father that you love so much only once a week, because he was not supposed to be your father. This was Mariams life. Her and her mother lived in a house outside of the city. They get hardly any money from Mariams father. And Mariams mother is one of those people that say, "Don't mind me, i'll just read in the dark." Meaning that when a good opportunity comes along, she never takes it. Mariam, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. If i could describe her with three adjectives, it would be hopeful, smart, and loving. The reason i say hopeful is because Mariam is hopeful that one day her father will take her into the city and take her to a movie with the rest of Mariams half brothers and sisters. I would say smart because Mariam desperately wants to go to school, even though her mother would never let her, and i would say loving because, even though her dad only comes to visit once a week, she still loves him the most out of anyone in the whole world.

A 1000 Splendid Suns

I choose to read A 1000 Splendid Suns because i read the Kit Runner and i thought it was a really good book. I find The authors writing style very intriguing. I also choose this book because i felt that cover made me want to read more about the book and find out what happens in it.

Jackie Robinson

Today, I read an article about Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson was the first African American man to play in major league baseball. This article talks about how Jackie leaped over the racial barrier a decade before Rosa Parks's incident. Jackie Robinson showed great strengths in many areas. He was one of the best player in the majors, ever, and he was really strong in the emotional department. Many people hated him and wanted him out of the league. Some people would spit on him during games and he would sometimes even get threatened. Even though his life may have been in danger, Jackie Robinson kept doing what he loved the most, play baseball. Jackie did not only help in the baseball department. Him getting into a big league paved the way for many other African Americans trying to play sports. Jackie Robinson, no doubt, overcame the greatest challenge of all, and that was leaping over the racial barrier to sports.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/r/jackie_robinson/index.html

Goldstein, Richard. "Brooklyn Dodgers Legend And Civil Rights Pioneer." New York Times. 13 April 2007, 22 March 2009.

Love

This week i read an article about how a woman who is going to Morocco for a year. This woman was in an on and off relationship and she decided to end it before she went to Morocco. This relationship had been going on for two years, and she had been wanting to end for a while, and when she finally did, she completely lost control. All this woman could do was cry, and when she was not crying, all she could do was cook to get her mind off crying. She tried to make herself realize that she is getting exactly what she wanted, and now she was hating everything about it. When this woman went to Morocco, she had a single bed in a hotel room, and she could feel was loneliness. This article makes people realize that, once someone is in love, it is very hard to be away from it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/fashion/22love.html?_r=1

Monroe, Rachel. "My Back-Seat View Of A Great Romance." New York Times. 21 February 2009, 18 March 2009.

Pearl Harbor

Tonight I am Writing about the movie Pearl Harbor. This movie brings viewers inside Pearl Harbor, before the attack during it, and after it. This Movie illustrates how much fear, glory and bravery went into world war two. In the movie, living in a time of war is told through eyes of two child friends. These two friends names are Rafe and Danny. Here Rafe Meets and girl named Evelyn. Then, Evelyn and Rafe fall in love. When everything looks like it is at its best, Rafe's plane was shot down. He was presumed dead. After, Danny consoles Evelyn, and they end up to drawn closer to each other. After Danny and Evelyn get over their sadness about their friend, Rafe is found alive. This movie shows how much the war messed with peoples minds. People can really experience the attack on Pearl Harbor by watching this movie, or, if they a more realistic feeling, they can go the actual Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. 

Europe Colonize Africa

The article that I read this week was about many European countries colonizing in all parts of Africa. These European countries include: France, Britain Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal and the Dutch. In this article it talks about how on the last three decades of the 1900's, there was a major scramble to take over the inner parts and cities of Africa. Even though these countries are nice and often visited, their controlling of these African cities was very cruel. For example, I have met a man from the country of Togo in Africa. France colonized this country. He some how got out of Togo and I got to hear brutal stories of some of the things that these foreigners would do. Not only did the Europeans treat Africans poorly, just the fact the they would waltz right into some one else's culture, and try to change it. This just makes them seem cruel and a country that has no conscience.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEEDE113EF93BA15751C0A96E948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all


Boyd, William, "Carving Up Africa" New York Times. 28 Febuary 1988, 11 March 2009

Iraq War

This weekend I read an article having to do with the Iraq war. The Iraq war has been going on for some time, and Spy agencies believe that the war is making the terrorism threat level higher than it needs to be. In the article it says that America occupying Iraq has spawned a newer generation of Islamic Radicalism. It says that since September eleventh, 2001, the threat level has grown even higher. If things stay this way, this war will never end, and Iraq and America are not the only two countries suffering from this war. Many countries feel the effect of it. The Iraq war has a bad effect on the American economy, which affects a lot of different countries in the world. Not only are people affected money wise, they are emotionally as well. Many loved ones have died due to this war, and according to this article, this war has only made the threat level even higher. Hopefully, peace can be brought to each country, and the Iraq war will end.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/24/world/middleeast/24terror.html

Mazzetti, Mark, "Spy Agencies Say Iraq War Worsens Terrorism Threat" New York Times, 24 September 2006, 9 March 2009.