Adoption and Abortion are topics that interest me the most. One of them is always better than the other. In my opinion, adoption is a better alternative than abortion.
I think parents or single mothers who cannot afford to have a baby should choose this option. When someone chooses to have their baby adopted, they are doing it for the well being of the child. They want the child to be in a better home where they can financially and emotionally support him/her.
Adoption doesn’t always mean that you are not taking responsibility for your own actions; it can mean that you are in a tough situation. It also does not always have to mean that you are poor. For instance, if a baby is born into a family with abusive parents, it is safer to place the child into a better home with loving parents.
Women who are also victims of rape should think about adoption. Some women choose abortion because they do not want to be reminded of the incident every time they look at the child. I could understand this, but I better choice would be adoption. Every baby has a right to live no matter the circumstance.
Adopting a child is a good idea because there are so many homeless children out there. These kids need food, shelter, education, and a loving family. Without the idea of adoption how else will these kids ever find love? So tell me, are you for adoption or totally against it?
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Abortion: Right or Wrong?
In this image the words "Abortion sends babies to God faster" are written. Right away this picture can spark an argument. Everyone has their own opinions about abortion. Its either someone is for it or against it.
I find this image controversial because religion plays a big role in this issue. Some religions do not allow abortion and some might. Some religions believe that if you have an abortion then you are killing the baby, even though the baby is not already born. In this picture the person who created it might think that aborting a baby just brings them to heaven faster. That babies are already in a safe place. The people who contradict this belief may say that killing a baby is like committing a murder to someone who is already alive. Everyone knows that committing murder is a sin, so people practice abortion could be committing a sin as well. What you think about abortion depends on what religious belief you practice.
Moms who are single mothers or who cannot afford having a baby may be offended by this picture. They might be very religious and may be against this, but sometimes an abortion is the only option. This might also hurt them because they know that they do not want to “kill” their own baby but they have no other choice.
The other side of this issue is the belief that abortion is wrong. These people think that abortion is taking someone’s life away. People do not have the right to take someone’s life away, especially an innocent baby. Everyone should have a chance to live and babies shouldn’t suffer for something that wasn’t their fault. Some people get abortions because of a mistake that they did or because they do not want to take responsibilities for their own actions. These people are considered selfish and do not deserve to take a b baby’s life away.
This image is going too far because not everyone believes that abortion is a good thing and this is what the image is trying to convey to everyone. There are many other points to this debate but this is just the beginning of one.
Monday, September 21, 2009
My Bestfriend is British?
When I moved back to America, I was eager to find someone else who had lived over seas. It wasn’t until my first day, at my new high school when I finally met someone who had a similar experience. I met a freshman that was new to the school and new in town, just like I was. Adrielle, who is now one of my best friends used to live in England. This fascinated me the most about her because living in Europe had the same affect living in Japan had for me. It adapted her into a new culture. I was very interested in learning how her life was when she lived there because I had always wanted to travel to Europe.
When we first met she told me about England and all the countries she has been to, but she hasn’t told me enough in detail so I decided to set up a time to talk.
Adrielle has lived and visited many parts of Europe. Of all the places she lived she loved England the most. She lived here for five years. During her five years here she went to a British school for two years and an American school for another two years. I was very amused with the fact that she went to a British school, so I asked her more about it. She said that it was a small school with very high standards. When Adrielle was only in kindergarten she already knew “big words” that most kindergarten students in American wouldn’t learn. She had to wear red and white checkered uniform because the school was extremely strict. She described her uniform to look like a tablecloth. They didn’t have a playground; all they had was a blacktop. Her and her friends played with stilts, which is the only thing that she could remember. I asked her if she would take a bus to school like some kids in America would and she said yes. Her house was only about a minute away and they would still pick her up.
Adrielle described her house as an average American home. It had two floors and three bedrooms. It was a brick home, which is very common here in America. There were a lot of plants around the outside of her house. This is the result from all the rain because in this country, would rain often.
The next topic that we discussed was the people and the culture. The area that she lived in was a farm area full of markets. The money that they use to buy these fresh vegetables or fruits was called “pounds”. In her opinion, England was expensive.
The people in England had British accents and to my surprise she said she had one too. When she was younger she would call her mom “mum”. If you met her today, you would never have thought that she had this accent. In this country people use different words. For example, “que” pronounced just like the letter Q, would mean “line”. Some people would say ”look at how long that que is”. When she moved to went to another country, it was hard for her to adapt. She had to keep reminding herself that there are some words or phrases that people would not understand.
Instead of having a president like America has, they had a queen. She was only a little girl when she lived here so it had no affect on her. She didn’t fully understand the difference or the impact it has on their country.
As a child the thing that amused Adrielle the most were the guards. She had a great time telling me about this. She said that they were not allowed to move and they had to stand still like a statue. They had to stand looking forward with no facial expressions. They would wear heavy clothing/uniform with a huge helmet, which was used as their headgear. They would even have to wear this during the hot summer weather. Since it rained a lot in England, they would have to stand in the rain. This would make their clothes even heavier. Adrielle always felt bad for them but she also appreciated what they did because she can’t imagine her doing that.
Adrielle’s experience in Europe was something that connected us both. This is what started our friendship because we had something in common. This has affected her life because she was given the opportunity to live and travel all over Europe. This is a story that she shares with everyone and everyone enjoys hearing it. I know I did.
When we first met she told me about England and all the countries she has been to, but she hasn’t told me enough in detail so I decided to set up a time to talk.
Adrielle has lived and visited many parts of Europe. Of all the places she lived she loved England the most. She lived here for five years. During her five years here she went to a British school for two years and an American school for another two years. I was very amused with the fact that she went to a British school, so I asked her more about it. She said that it was a small school with very high standards. When Adrielle was only in kindergarten she already knew “big words” that most kindergarten students in American wouldn’t learn. She had to wear red and white checkered uniform because the school was extremely strict. She described her uniform to look like a tablecloth. They didn’t have a playground; all they had was a blacktop. Her and her friends played with stilts, which is the only thing that she could remember. I asked her if she would take a bus to school like some kids in America would and she said yes. Her house was only about a minute away and they would still pick her up.
Adrielle described her house as an average American home. It had two floors and three bedrooms. It was a brick home, which is very common here in America. There were a lot of plants around the outside of her house. This is the result from all the rain because in this country, would rain often.
The next topic that we discussed was the people and the culture. The area that she lived in was a farm area full of markets. The money that they use to buy these fresh vegetables or fruits was called “pounds”. In her opinion, England was expensive.
The people in England had British accents and to my surprise she said she had one too. When she was younger she would call her mom “mum”. If you met her today, you would never have thought that she had this accent. In this country people use different words. For example, “que” pronounced just like the letter Q, would mean “line”. Some people would say ”look at how long that que is”. When she moved to went to another country, it was hard for her to adapt. She had to keep reminding herself that there are some words or phrases that people would not understand.
Instead of having a president like America has, they had a queen. She was only a little girl when she lived here so it had no affect on her. She didn’t fully understand the difference or the impact it has on their country.
As a child the thing that amused Adrielle the most were the guards. She had a great time telling me about this. She said that they were not allowed to move and they had to stand still like a statue. They had to stand looking forward with no facial expressions. They would wear heavy clothing/uniform with a huge helmet, which was used as their headgear. They would even have to wear this during the hot summer weather. Since it rained a lot in England, they would have to stand in the rain. This would make their clothes even heavier. Adrielle always felt bad for them but she also appreciated what they did because she can’t imagine her doing that.
Adrielle’s experience in Europe was something that connected us both. This is what started our friendship because we had something in common. This has affected her life because she was given the opportunity to live and travel all over Europe. This is a story that she shares with everyone and everyone enjoys hearing it. I know I did.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Another Ordinary Morning at Sheetz
It was just another average, cold morning at Sheetz when a classmate of mine and I pulled into the gas station. The first thing that caught my eye was the red and yellow paint. If I saw that from far away, I would think that it was Sheetz. My first impression of the place was that it was just like any other gas station in the morning. Everyone was going in and out either for gas, coffee or something to eat.
When I got out from the car, the first thing I felt was the cold breeze. The sun was hiding above the grey and cloudy sky and the wind blew hard enough to make my hair fly everywhere, especially in my face. The wind also sent goose bumps down my arms and made me shiver a bit. After complaining to my classmate about how cold I was, I noticed that it also smelled like gasoline outside. That didn’t come as a surprise to me because it is, of course, a gas station. The only thing different about Sheetz was that the smell of gas was combined with the smell of their coffee. It wasn’t a wonderful smell because gas itself stinks. I got tired of the smell so my classmate and I went inside.
Right when we entered we were greeted by the friendly employees who worked there. This made me feel welcomed and it woke me up a little. As I looked around I saw that the place was colorful and bright which made it hard for me to be tired. As the employees were doing their job I could hear the sound of the cash registers. The employees were just like any other employees at any store.
The inside of Sheetz was very organized. I was very surprised because as busy as the place was, it didn’t look messy. Everything had its own place or section in the store. The chips were on a rack, the coffee was in its own section near the entrance, and the drinks were in the freezers. The tiles were black, grey, and white but I wouldn’t walk in barefooted because they were filthy. I was guessing that the place was too busy to have time to clean it. Overall, the place looked like a typical convenient store.
The customers who were going inside the store were random people who were heading to work or school. Many of these customers were of all ages that were all stopping by to get breakfast or coffee. I also saw a couple of police officers go in and out for coffee and a donut. This seemed like a morning routine for some people.
This gas station wasn’t any different from any other gas stations I have been to. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, the people and the place were things that you would expect to see. Everyone was there for the same reasons, to get their morning necessities including gas. I’ve been to many other Sheetz and they all look the same to me. No matter the weather, people will always get coffee in the morning. They will also be hungry for some breakfast, which brings them to Sheetz. Everyone would always need gas in the morning to make it to work. If I were to go to another gas station, I would probably see the same thing.
When I got out from the car, the first thing I felt was the cold breeze. The sun was hiding above the grey and cloudy sky and the wind blew hard enough to make my hair fly everywhere, especially in my face. The wind also sent goose bumps down my arms and made me shiver a bit. After complaining to my classmate about how cold I was, I noticed that it also smelled like gasoline outside. That didn’t come as a surprise to me because it is, of course, a gas station. The only thing different about Sheetz was that the smell of gas was combined with the smell of their coffee. It wasn’t a wonderful smell because gas itself stinks. I got tired of the smell so my classmate and I went inside.
Right when we entered we were greeted by the friendly employees who worked there. This made me feel welcomed and it woke me up a little. As I looked around I saw that the place was colorful and bright which made it hard for me to be tired. As the employees were doing their job I could hear the sound of the cash registers. The employees were just like any other employees at any store.
The inside of Sheetz was very organized. I was very surprised because as busy as the place was, it didn’t look messy. Everything had its own place or section in the store. The chips were on a rack, the coffee was in its own section near the entrance, and the drinks were in the freezers. The tiles were black, grey, and white but I wouldn’t walk in barefooted because they were filthy. I was guessing that the place was too busy to have time to clean it. Overall, the place looked like a typical convenient store.
The customers who were going inside the store were random people who were heading to work or school. Many of these customers were of all ages that were all stopping by to get breakfast or coffee. I also saw a couple of police officers go in and out for coffee and a donut. This seemed like a morning routine for some people.
This gas station wasn’t any different from any other gas stations I have been to. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, the people and the place were things that you would expect to see. Everyone was there for the same reasons, to get their morning necessities including gas. I’ve been to many other Sheetz and they all look the same to me. No matter the weather, people will always get coffee in the morning. They will also be hungry for some breakfast, which brings them to Sheetz. Everyone would always need gas in the morning to make it to work. If I were to go to another gas station, I would probably see the same thing.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
An International Experience
Never in my life did I think that I was ever going to leave my hometown, Tustin, California. I moved to California from the Philippines before I was even a year old. I lived in California for ten years so it became my comfort zone. I thought that I was never going to move because I didn't want to leave. Then one night my dad told us that we have to move some where over seas. That's when everything changed, I was officially a military brat. I knew my dad was in the military, it just never occurred to me that we would have to move so much.
The night that my dad gave us the news that we were moving, we were able to choose where we wanted to move. The choices were, Italy, Okinawa, Guam, or Hawaii. My first choice was Italy because I've always wanted to go there. Unfortunately, my family decided to move to Okinawa, Japan. Moving to Okinawa was not a problem for me because I knew this would be a once in a life time experience. Living in Okinawa has taught me more about diversity, friendship, and life in a different culture.
When I first arrived to Okinawa, Japan, I arrived on an Air force Base so it wasn't anything different from what I have seen in America. Except that when I flew there, I rode in a cargo air plane which was different for me. That was my first time riding in one, so I guessed that was one of the advantage of being a military brat. Although I don't think people should take advantage of it because it was uncomfortable and noisy. It felt like my ears were going to pop. After going through customs and getting our luggage, one of my dad's coworkers were already waiting for us. I walked outside and I saw the van that we were going to ride in. When I tried to get into it I went on the opposite side of where the door was. I guess was thinking that I was still in America. I felt embarrassed because my dad's coworker was laughing at me along with my family. It took me awhile to get use to it.
As were were driving to the lodge where we were going to stay I looked around and observed the island. Everything was small - the cars, the houses, the parking spaces, and the streets. There were Japanese signs everywhere and vending machines on streets at every corner. This was all different for me but I was very excited to get to know the Japanese culture.
During my three and half years in Japan I have been to many Japanese cultural festivals and historical cites that indulged me into their culture. I remember going to this place called Nago Point which was the northern part of the island. At this place they had a cliff where it says that during the war, people would commit suicide here. I thought that it was interesting but it sent chills down my spine. When we took a picture near it, I was very scared and cautious. One of the Japanese festivals that I went to was the famous Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival. At these festivals People would perform their traditional dances in their kimono outfits. They would also play what they call, "taiko drums". I was amused about how big, loud, and nice looking they were. During my stay in Japan I always wanted to learn how to play those, but the closest thing I got to it, was playing the video game. I was also enlightened by the cherry blossoms which were prettier than the ones here.
Living in Okinawa, Japan not only introduced me to a different culture but it also taught me how strong friendships can be. When I first found out that I was moving, I thought that meeting new friends would be hard because I'm not the type to be the first one to approach someone. I moved to Okinawa in the middle of my 6th grade year so I came to my new school during the middle of the year. The type of school that I went to was a DoDDS school (Department of Defense Dependent School) where other students are military brats as well. On my first day of school I walked from the lodge where we were staying at. I had to go to the office myself for all the paper work and administration things. I was scared and nervous because I didn't know what I was doing. Then one of the counselors who was really nice showed me around which made me less nervous. She showed me how the classes ran and the "specials" that I would have each morning. I remembered that I had P.E the first day and once I walked into the gym, all eyes were on me. This is when I started to get a little shaky and played with my hands as a nervous habit. Then less than a minute later, this girl named Sheila ran to us and asked the counselor if I was new. She told me that she would show me around and introduce me to other people. To my surprise, everyone was friendly and I got along fine with my classmates. As the day went by I was introduced to other people in different classes, this made me more comfortable at my new school. At the end of the day I felt relieved and relax because I wasn't scared anymore. By the end of the school year, I got to know more about everyone and Sheila along with three other girls became my best friend.
I will always remember my first day of school in Japan and the people that I met because they are the friendliest people that I have ever came across. They understood how I was feeling on the first day because everyone is aware that people move around a lot and its not easy to have to meet new friends in a new environment. As the years went by many of my friends had to move but at the same time new people came. When new students would come I would treat them the same way I was treated. Everyone at school knew who everyone was and we were all close to each other because the schools were very small. Its easy to get close to someone because when people move here they move away from their relatives so all they really have is their immediate family and the friends they meet. I became close to my friends because they were the only ones around my age group. Even though I knew some of my friends for a short amount of time, they quickly became a best friend to me because that's how strong friendships are. I learned so much about the importance of friendship and how people should enjoy each other because eventually we have to move away.
When I lived in Okinawa I was around a diverse community. Not only was I around Japanese people but I was also around people of different races. My house was on a military base where other military families stayed. These families came from not only America but from all over the world. This was different for me because when I lived in California, the community I lived in consisted of Mexicans. My family and I befriended the neighbors who were of different races and we were able to learn about them and their culture. I had a friend who was Chinese and every time I came over it was like a whole new world for me. The way her house was decorated was different, the food was different, and I couldn't understand anything her mom was saying. I knew she felt the same way when she came over to my house. This made me appreciate my ethnicity and everyone else's. If there is one thing I learned from being in a diverse community it is that we are all different but there is ALWAYS at least one thing we all have in common and we should never judge.
I miss Okinawa, Japan and I wouldn't mind staying there again. This experience is unforgettable and very important to me because it has taught me a multiple of things. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be exposed to a different culture and life style. I've learned about friendship and how long they can last because even till now, Sheila is still one of my best friends even though it has been more than three years since we have seen each other. Although, I miss my hometown in California I'll always remember my experience in Okinawa.
The night that my dad gave us the news that we were moving, we were able to choose where we wanted to move. The choices were, Italy, Okinawa, Guam, or Hawaii. My first choice was Italy because I've always wanted to go there. Unfortunately, my family decided to move to Okinawa, Japan. Moving to Okinawa was not a problem for me because I knew this would be a once in a life time experience. Living in Okinawa has taught me more about diversity, friendship, and life in a different culture.
When I first arrived to Okinawa, Japan, I arrived on an Air force Base so it wasn't anything different from what I have seen in America. Except that when I flew there, I rode in a cargo air plane which was different for me. That was my first time riding in one, so I guessed that was one of the advantage of being a military brat. Although I don't think people should take advantage of it because it was uncomfortable and noisy. It felt like my ears were going to pop. After going through customs and getting our luggage, one of my dad's coworkers were already waiting for us. I walked outside and I saw the van that we were going to ride in. When I tried to get into it I went on the opposite side of where the door was. I guess was thinking that I was still in America. I felt embarrassed because my dad's coworker was laughing at me along with my family. It took me awhile to get use to it.
As were were driving to the lodge where we were going to stay I looked around and observed the island. Everything was small - the cars, the houses, the parking spaces, and the streets. There were Japanese signs everywhere and vending machines on streets at every corner. This was all different for me but I was very excited to get to know the Japanese culture.
During my three and half years in Japan I have been to many Japanese cultural festivals and historical cites that indulged me into their culture. I remember going to this place called Nago Point which was the northern part of the island. At this place they had a cliff where it says that during the war, people would commit suicide here. I thought that it was interesting but it sent chills down my spine. When we took a picture near it, I was very scared and cautious. One of the Japanese festivals that I went to was the famous Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival. At these festivals People would perform their traditional dances in their kimono outfits. They would also play what they call, "taiko drums". I was amused about how big, loud, and nice looking they were. During my stay in Japan I always wanted to learn how to play those, but the closest thing I got to it, was playing the video game. I was also enlightened by the cherry blossoms which were prettier than the ones here.
Living in Okinawa, Japan not only introduced me to a different culture but it also taught me how strong friendships can be. When I first found out that I was moving, I thought that meeting new friends would be hard because I'm not the type to be the first one to approach someone. I moved to Okinawa in the middle of my 6th grade year so I came to my new school during the middle of the year. The type of school that I went to was a DoDDS school (Department of Defense Dependent School) where other students are military brats as well. On my first day of school I walked from the lodge where we were staying at. I had to go to the office myself for all the paper work and administration things. I was scared and nervous because I didn't know what I was doing. Then one of the counselors who was really nice showed me around which made me less nervous. She showed me how the classes ran and the "specials" that I would have each morning. I remembered that I had P.E the first day and once I walked into the gym, all eyes were on me. This is when I started to get a little shaky and played with my hands as a nervous habit. Then less than a minute later, this girl named Sheila ran to us and asked the counselor if I was new. She told me that she would show me around and introduce me to other people. To my surprise, everyone was friendly and I got along fine with my classmates. As the day went by I was introduced to other people in different classes, this made me more comfortable at my new school. At the end of the day I felt relieved and relax because I wasn't scared anymore. By the end of the school year, I got to know more about everyone and Sheila along with three other girls became my best friend.
I will always remember my first day of school in Japan and the people that I met because they are the friendliest people that I have ever came across. They understood how I was feeling on the first day because everyone is aware that people move around a lot and its not easy to have to meet new friends in a new environment. As the years went by many of my friends had to move but at the same time new people came. When new students would come I would treat them the same way I was treated. Everyone at school knew who everyone was and we were all close to each other because the schools were very small. Its easy to get close to someone because when people move here they move away from their relatives so all they really have is their immediate family and the friends they meet. I became close to my friends because they were the only ones around my age group. Even though I knew some of my friends for a short amount of time, they quickly became a best friend to me because that's how strong friendships are. I learned so much about the importance of friendship and how people should enjoy each other because eventually we have to move away.
When I lived in Okinawa I was around a diverse community. Not only was I around Japanese people but I was also around people of different races. My house was on a military base where other military families stayed. These families came from not only America but from all over the world. This was different for me because when I lived in California, the community I lived in consisted of Mexicans. My family and I befriended the neighbors who were of different races and we were able to learn about them and their culture. I had a friend who was Chinese and every time I came over it was like a whole new world for me. The way her house was decorated was different, the food was different, and I couldn't understand anything her mom was saying. I knew she felt the same way when she came over to my house. This made me appreciate my ethnicity and everyone else's. If there is one thing I learned from being in a diverse community it is that we are all different but there is ALWAYS at least one thing we all have in common and we should never judge.
I miss Okinawa, Japan and I wouldn't mind staying there again. This experience is unforgettable and very important to me because it has taught me a multiple of things. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be exposed to a different culture and life style. I've learned about friendship and how long they can last because even till now, Sheila is still one of my best friends even though it has been more than three years since we have seen each other. Although, I miss my hometown in California I'll always remember my experience in Okinawa.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Too Blessed To Be Stressed
If I had to create a bumper sticker that modeled by philosophy for life, it would be "Too Blessed to be Stressed".
This motto means that I am thankful and blessed with the things that I already have and I should not be stressed or upset about things. If I didn't think like this then I would be spoiled and I would expect things to be handed to me. I would also want things to go my way.
This quote is helpful to me when I'm stressed. Whenever I say this out loud, it helps me remember that I don't have it as bad as I think. It makes me think of the people in this world who are less fortunate than I am. There are some people in this world who work so hard for the things they need and are perfectly happy. These people are the types of people that I want to be like. I do not want to have everything my way, I want to actually work for the things i want or need.
My whole life revolves around this bumper sticker because the way I live life is to the fullest. Life is too short to dwell on things that are wrong or things that are stressful. I am thankful for the things that I have now and the people that are in my life. Whenever I think of these things, it makes me feel better.
This motto means that I am thankful and blessed with the things that I already have and I should not be stressed or upset about things. If I didn't think like this then I would be spoiled and I would expect things to be handed to me. I would also want things to go my way.
This quote is helpful to me when I'm stressed. Whenever I say this out loud, it helps me remember that I don't have it as bad as I think. It makes me think of the people in this world who are less fortunate than I am. There are some people in this world who work so hard for the things they need and are perfectly happy. These people are the types of people that I want to be like. I do not want to have everything my way, I want to actually work for the things i want or need.
My whole life revolves around this bumper sticker because the way I live life is to the fullest. Life is too short to dwell on things that are wrong or things that are stressful. I am thankful for the things that I have now and the people that are in my life. Whenever I think of these things, it makes me feel better.
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