Waters of Babylon

John's journey to the Place of the Gods makes him more knowledgeable,mature,  

brave, and independent. All of these qualities are shown during his excursion 
because he faces his fears and bravely travels alone, down the river going where 
none of his people have gone before. 

At the beginning of the story, John says "My father is a priest; I am the son of 
a priest." Throughout the story, John matures and evolves into a leader, and is 
recognized by the current leader of the hill people, his father, as their future 
leader. This is evident when his father says "Truth is a hard deer to hunt. If 
you eat too much of the truth at once, you may die of the truth." His father, 
through these words, recognized John as the future leader of the hill people. He 
cautioned John about sharing the lessons he's learned from the Place of the 
Gods. His father didn't want John to say anything because he was scared of the 
way people would react because the knowledge that John had was dangerous. 
"Perhaps in the old days, they ate knowledge too fast." According to his father, 
knowledge is power but too much knowledge might kill him. 

John's maturity has completed by the end of his journey as he returns home to 
his father. John's father reflects upon this journey when he says, "You went 
away boy. You came back a man and a priest." John's father is very excited about 
the discoveries that John has made in the Place of the Gods. He is so overcome 
with joy because John made the discovery of men in the Place of the Gods, 
something that he couldn't have done in his time.   "The law is not always the 
same shape-you have done what you have done. I could not have done it my time, 
but you come after me. Tell!"  John explains all about his discoveries in the 
Place of the Gods and his father is overwhelmed by the truth. He cautions that 
the truth is too much for the dear people. 

When John reaches adulthood, he asks his father for permission to go on his 
journey. "It is time for me to go on my journey. Give me your leave." John is 
brave enough to endure the trip on the river and to explore the Place of the 
Gods. He discovers the man and brings the news back to his father. He faces many 
perils during his journey. He was "afraid, afraid. The current of the great 
river is very strong- it gripped my raft with its hands." No one from his tribe 
has ever gone to the Place of the Gods, including his father. Knowing he will be 
alone, somewhere no one has been before, requires bravery and determination. 
John faces his fears and learns from his experiences and brings his knowledge 
back to his father.

John is very independent, his journey to the Place of the Gods has shown 
leadership and independence. When John's father says, " It is forbidden to 
travel east. It is forbidden to cross over the great river...," he expects his 
son to break the rules and do it anyways. This is how he knows that when he 
tells him not to go to the east of the river, that he will go to the Place of 
the Gods. 

Clearly, by the end of John's journey, he has grown in knowledge, independence, 
maturity, bravery, and is ready to take a leadership role as the priest of the 
hill people. His father recognizes these changes and respects the growth, but 
cautions him to slowly impart knowledge to the hill people. 

Private/ Public schools.

Up until this year I have gone to private or "catholic" school. Even though private and public are both kinds of schools you can go too, they are both very different. Private school and public schools are different when it comes to money, uniforms,  accepting students, subjects, class sizes, etc. When I went to a private school, I had to pay tuition, unlike in public schools which you don't have to pay. In order to be accepted into the private school that I went to, MSC, you had to take an entrance test. All you had to do was pass the test to be accepted into the school. The majority of my grade from my elementary school had taken the test too. About 75% of my old school got accepted into the school, so I knew a few people.  The next difference was class size. Each class was probably within the range of twelve to fifteen. In public school the range for the major classes is around 25-30. It was a lot easier in the private schools because the teacher could take control of a smaller amount of people easier than a larger amount. The only major difference with subjects was one, Religion. In private school we had to take it as a subject every year. Here, in private school we rarely ever even mention anything about the subject. Every year in private school we would basically be relearning everything but just in greater detail which got kind of boring. Another thing we had to do was learn a ton of prayers and read the bible. In elementary school at least once a week we would usually walk up to the church that was right down the street. In MSC we had a mass whenever the administration of the school felt like having one. At times this sucked because it was like an hour and a half long. The positive side of this was that we got out of classes to go to it. On top of going to mass during school, they expected us to go on Sundays too. Every once and a while they'd ask us questions about the homily to see if we actually had gone. Now that I switched this year it has basically gone to waste because I'm never really ever going to need to know any of this stuff ever again. A positive about going to private school was also that you got excused from almost every CCD class. I probably had to go to about five classes  in my life to receive all of the sacraments so far, while public school people had to do so many more. I have received Baptism, Holy Communion, Reconciliation, and Confirmation.  Lastly the dress code. Luckily, last year, my dress code wasn't as terrible as some schools. For girls, we had about three skirts: plaid, navy blue, and gray. We had a pretty good variety of shirts also. For boys, unfortunately they didn't have as many choices. A lot of rules came with these uniforms. The length for skirts on girls had to be two inches above the knee. This had been a problem for most girls. At random times there would be people with a ruler measuring to see if your skirt was actually the appropriate length. Since most girls rolled their skirts, they would rush to unroll them before the person checking got to them.  If it wasn't the right length, you would get sent to the office to either change into pants or a longer skirt. This would suck if you had to change because the skirts they'd give you were extremely ugly. A plus about wearing uniforms is it doesn't take more than two seconds to choose what you're going to wear. I like going to public schools because we're able to dress down. At times, this can be a pain to choose what you're going to wear. Since there's no dress code there's so many more choices of what you can wear.  I switched this year to private because I was getting bored of private school and I wanted to see what it was like to go to public. Overall I'm glad that I switched because public school is way more free and less strict overall. At times I miss my friends that rarely see now that I used to see everyday, but I got to meet a lot of new people here this year, so I'm glad I came.  Word count: 748

Theme of The Interlopers

The theme of The Interlopers is a long standing feud between two families. Both men despised each other for reasons unknown. They have known about their family history's since they were kids which caused them to be in dispute. The feud goes on for so long that the reason the families are feuding, is forgotten. The people involved in the feud in the end, Georg and Ulrich have trouble understanding the reason for the fighting. This occurred when they were trapped underneath the tree. Ulrich offers to have his men free Georg. Ulrich says to Georg, "We've been rather fools; there are better things in life than getting the better of a boundary dispute." Georg said that it would be weird if the people saw them together because everyone knew they were enemies. They each prayed that their men would arrive first so that they could save their new friend. The irony of the situation is that when something does come, it's wolves. This means that they will both die.

Naswa Resort

Since 2006 we have been going to New Hampshire every year. We meet up with about 
7 other families, about 30  people all from my mothers side of the family. We 
stay at the Naswa Resort. In order to fit us all, we rent all of the cabins in 
our row. The cabins are located right on the lake with all of the summer 
activities. One of the activities includes a boat ride tour of the lake, Lake 
Winnepausauke. Other activities include snorkeling, paddle boating, kayaking, 
jet skiing, tubing, and much more! 

Out of all those things my favorite was probably jet skiing. As you're going 
across the waves, you have an adrenaline rush. On the jet ski, you can either 
sit or stand to navigate across the waves. Jet skiing was outstanding, and it 
also gave you a chance to view the lake as you're going by at high speeds.
Located right on the lake was also the bar. I tried just about every "virgin" 
drink they had. My favorite was either the strawberry daiquiri or the mudslide. 
We were able to buy the drink glasses, which we still have to remind us of our 
trip. 

Another fun activity we did was go to Fun Spot. Fun Spot was the second largest 
arcade in the world. Since it was raining every day, we went every day to the 
indoor arcade. This was a good way to waste my parents money. I would like to go 
from game to game, I didn't exactly have a favorite one. Whenever I was running 
low on coins I'd play a 'circus game' where you put a coin in and tried to knock 
multiple ones down. This was the type of game where you win some and you lose 
some. Every day we probably spent about two hours here. The arcade had three 
levels so it kept you occupied. 

The most memorable year of these summer trips was in 2009. We knew this wasn't 
going to be a good week by the looks of the weather forecast. Five of the seven 
day trip it poured  all day long. This killed most of our plans because they 
required sunshine. The fifth day was  by far the worst. The day began with 
torrential rain so as it was we had to stay inside. By the afternoon, the roads 
were flooding. I had noticed that the water being flooded was getting closer and 
closer to the propane tank. We of course were located right beside it, lucky us! 
My sister and I at the time weren't even in our cabins. We had been in the cabin 
with our grandparents. We watched the rain and wind carry my grandparents' grill 
and swing set into the lake. The sand around the house had eroded and the water 
had just been flooded even more, almost to the point of reaching our house. Soon 
after, I saw people leaving their cabins. This made me wonder why people would 
be leaving in such weather. A couple minutes after, we heard a knock on the 
door. The person at the door said we were being evacuated to the hotel across 
the street. The guy said the water was getting too close to the propane tank and 
if it had got closer, it would blow up.  After hearing this, we ran to our cabin 
and grabbed all of our belongings because we didn't know what would happen. 
After we were in the hotel, we just stared out the window and watched the rain 
destroy anything in its path. 

The next day we were allowed to go back to the cabins and get the rest o our 
belongings. We saw the parking lot had eroded away, the swing set and grill were 
gone, and the sand had huge holes in the ground. We decided to go home since our 
trip had been washed out. On our way home we stopped at Fun Spot to redeem our 
weeks worth of tickets. We had about 20,000 tickets! We didn't waste them, we 
put all of ours together and got an electric scooter. Surprisingly we had just 
enough to get it. By the time we arrived home, it was a beautiful day. It was blue 

skies and 80 degrees. Of course that's just our luck. 

Bryson's Irony

Sometimes the things we want aren't necessarily what we need. This irony is shown in Bryson's junk food experience. While cleaning out the fridge, Bryson uncovers a breakfast pizza "the last  surviving relie of a bout of very serious retail foolishness on my part." Several weeks earlier he convinced his wife to purchase a great variety of junk food because "we are living in a paradise of junk food." Once Bryson had the junk food, it wasn't as great as he thought it'd be. Particularly the breakfast pizza which Bryson found to be "lim, chewy, and listless." Bryson's dilemma can be an analogy for what we feel we have to have in our lives. When someone really wants something, but doesn't actually need it, the importance diminishes once it is attained.

The Lonely

Corry's confinement to the asteroid is an example of cruel and unusual punishment because no one should be treated this way. Corry was punished for killing someone that was trying to attack him; it was self-defense.  The loneliness that Corry feels is made worse by the space ship that brings him food every three months because he has the human contact at those times and realizes what he is missing.  When Corry is first seen, he has been imprisoned for four years and is suffering from loneliness, expressing thoughts of desperation, insanity, and suicide. The humane Captain Allen takes pity on Corry and brings him a female robot named Alicia for companionship. Corry feels like he is being mocked and rejects Alicia's companionship because she is a "machine." Eventually he comes to value her company and spends nights star gazing and talking with Alicia. Alicia offers a convincing replica of a human woman and interacts with Corry in convincing ways. When the spaceship comes back, Corry learns that his sentence has been shortened and he can now return to Earth. Unfortunately, the spaceship only has room for Corry and Alicia has to stay behind. In his heart, Corry believes Alicia is a woman and he begs Captain Allen to take her back to Earth. He says it is murder if they leave Alicia behind. They shoot Alicia in the face and Corry can see that she was a robot; her face is all computer boards and screws. Corry sadly goes to the spaceship and the narrator talks about how the man's machines are left behind, including the one kept alive buy love.  Corry leaves the asteroid disheartened because his companion is now dead and he is once again alone.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Vanessa Mejia

Mr. Bailey

Essay Writing

5/22/12

My Dream Vacation

           
Four, twenty-two, thirteen, eleven, nine, ten, I WON THE LOTTERY! Time for a fun, endless vacation with no expenses spared. I am a very adventurous person, so the vacation will have to include stops at several destinations to include all of my favorite things. With an unlimited budget, a month to travel, and a private jet, the perfect vacation would be a combination of beaches, and outdoor activities.
         
 My perfect vacation is chauffeured with private transportation everywhere. The first thing I would buy is a private jet. This is the fastest way to get me from place to place without having to deal with crowds in airports. To travel from place to place on land, I would go by Lamborghini, a car that attracts attention. If traveling by water, I'd go by private yacht. That way I'd always have a perfect view of everything and I wouldn't have to worry about other tourists getting in the way. From adventure to adventure, transportation would not be an issue. 

           
My perfect vacation would include having a house overlooking the water, and traveling to different terrain. For example, in Hawaii, I can surf, snorkel, helicopter, or bicycle.  Surfing would take place on the warm, crystal blue water on the Oahu North Shore, the birthplace of big wave surfing. I have read a couple articles about shark attacks so this makes it a bit more frightening, but it's still an activity I would like to do. Snorkeling would take place in Molokini, home of the clearest water. Snorkeling seems fun because you're able to go swimming with fins, a mask, and a snorkel which allows you to go underwater and still be able to breathe.  The helicopter tour would be in Kauai, famous for its stunning scenery. When biking on the Haleakala Mountain, the sunrise from the top is spectacular. I'd enjoy seeing sunrises because they are very colorful and relaxing. 
       
 Now that I have done everything I wanted in Hawaii,  I'm off to Peru, where I can see its snowy mountains, sandy deserts, tropical rainforests, and the vast blue ocean! I'd have a private beach house with a magnificent ocean view. Each day I'd go out for a refreshing morning surf, then travel inland to do sightseeing. My first destination would be to Huacachina, home of some of the largest sand dunes in the world. I have been snowboarding before so sandboarding sounds like it'd be a blast! If you go on a buggy tour, your driver will bring you to the top of the dune and pick you up when you're done at the bottom. This in a way is better than snowboarding because you don't have to ride a chairlift. Next, I'd travel to the Andes, the longest continental mountain range in the world. I would like to go to the Andes because I'd like to see all of the different climate changes. Then I'd travel to the Amazon rainforest, one of the world's exceptional biodiversity areas. I would like to go to the rainforest because I'd like to see all of the different kinds of animals, trees, and plants that live and grow there. People nowadays don't appreciate the rainforest and are destroying it little by little. People don't realize they are destroying the rainforest by cutting down the trees. Lastly, Macchu Picchu has a beautiful setting in the middle of the tropical rain forest. My father is Peruvian, so it'd be cool to go visit and see where he grew up.  The unlimited budget would help me experience many great journeys in Hawaii and Peru, but this would only start my journey.
       
My perfect vacation continues with clean, fresh, outdoor adventures. Glacier Bay National Park, in Alaska, is exploding with glaciers and wildlife. I have been obsessed with glaciers since watching the movie Titanic, so it would be cool and scary to sail on Glacier Bay! Since in Alaska, helicopter rides are a more regular part of daily life, I could take a helicopter ride to Mt. McKinley. From the helicopter, it would be cool to view then land at the top of Mt. McKinley. After this experience, I would like to go to the Rockies to go zip-lining through the clean, crisp air. On the zip-line course you can see snow-capped peaks, wetlands, and the Wind River, which is located right below. This would be fun because I'd be able to see everything from a whole new perspective. After zip-lining, I want to go whitewater rafting along the Colorado River.  There is a wide range of courses for each level of rafting, and it would be fun to increasingly build up to higher and tougher levels. My next destination would be in Washington to see Mount Saint Helens, one of the last active volcanoes to erupt.  I'd definitely hike up to the top for a view of the crater. So far I have visited the beaches and the outdoor activities. It's time for the rides!

As a roller coaster lover, my unlimited vacation has to include  a trip to Disney, but since money is unlimited, I would go to Disney in Paris. The rides are top notch and I can also visit the Eiffel Tower, The Arc de Triomphe and shop in the fashion capital of the world.  At the Eiffel Tower, I'd like to see the view from about 50 stories above the ground. One of the sights I'll be seeing from the Eiffel Tower is Arc de Triomphe. At night, I'd go to see Arc de Triomphe because you're able to see the lighted torch, which represents "the unknown soldier." Next, I would lunch in cafes where great writers like Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald received their inspiration. A short flight will take me to Ireland to visit my mother's family. I can kiss the Blarney stone and visit castles and visit our thatch cottage near Galway.  I can golf, ride a donkey and milk a cow. My European leg of this vacation would end with a return visit to Spain. I would run with the bulls in Pamplona and cheer the brave matadors during a bullfight. I will visit Casa del Sol and soak up the rays while body surfing in the warm ocean. I will visit the Roman Aqueducts in Segovia and marvel at how they have survived the test of time. I will visit my friends in Madrid who live in the condominium with the President's daughter.


The adventure can only start once I cash in this lottery ticket. Off to the Massachusetts Lottery to claim my prize and start the adventure of a lifetime. My perfect vacation of beaches, outdoor adventures and rides can start once the check clears. Want to come?