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Homework 7-12 (November 18)

4406033:

Firstly, celebrate to myself because I can have academic class in January.

Last week, I went to ELP office and asked whether I could take academic class in winter session. Luckily, I am allowed. I am happy and nervous at the same time because I have never taken academic class before, inculding when I was in China.

On Sunday, I talked with a person called John, a VCU student. I knew that we can choose whatever we like, especially the choice for majoy. He also told me about the different education system. In an American college, we can choose the time, the teacher and the kind of class. There are really more choices in America than that in China. John told me that American students always finished underground program for 4 years, students needed 120 credit hours totally and students chose 15 credit hours at average for each term.

There are so many differences between American education and Chinese education. According to my classmates in high school who have already been sophomores in universities in China, they don’t have choices to decide which classes they want to learn. Abosutely, they can’t chose the time and they need to stay in the school for most of the time.

Luckily, I will have a really different experience in America.

 Hi, i hope you are well. First of all congratulations on your upcoming academic class in two months. There is no need to be nervous, Im sure you will have a great instructor and classmates to help you make it through.Which class is it? Your friendJohn is right, most students get done in an avarage of 120 credit hours and at 15 crdit hours per semester term. UNFORTUNATELLY, not all University students do. In America, alot students get cut off from their parents financial support as soon as they turn 18 years of age. So it is up to the student to find financial supprt from FAFSA and Banks to loan them money for their education. 

I talked with Carolyne about Haiti. - Azumi Tsuji

azumit:

Last Friday Nov.14,08, I talked with Carolyne who is my first conversation partner.She has been volunteer to speak with me in English for one year. I visited her house at 8:00 a.m. in that morning. I asked her about Haiti because she visited there at the beginning of Nov. for church missionary to help people. She told me that the situation of there was terrible. After the hurricane came there, people lost the houses and jobs. She said that they were very hunger. And they are in big health problems because whole Haiti was covered in unsanitary situaton. For example, many children have worms in their bodies. She brought a lot of medical tools and food. However, she told me that she felt sorry because she could help only tiny people. I also felt sorry because I can live without any anxiousness to live but I didn’t do anything for them. Many children cannot go to school because they are poor. So she decided to help one girl to pay money twenty five dollars per month. She told me that she can help one girl to go to school by her help. After I heard about Haiti to her, we prayed together for them and had breakfast that she server me.

AZUMI, how are you? i really enjoyed reading this post. Carolyne, your friend sounds like a very self-less and wonderful woman. Give her a hug for me the next time you see her in person.You know, unfortunately the story you shared with us about  Haiti, is not very uncommon at all. Think about the Dominican Republic, right next door and on the same piece of land as Haiti. That country is going through the same kind of issues.

Criminal Charges Possible in Boy’s Gun Show Uzi Death (by Rayed Al SALEH)

rayed88:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,444510,00.html

Why guns are allowed to be owned in US for self protection?

Why they don’t forbid the weapon dealers to sell guns for underage?

When the Congress will change the gun owning law in US?

Can you imagine US without self owning guns???

Vocabulary:

Attorney: Lawyer

Instructor: coach

committed: act, put into action

 Rayed88, I would love to read about your responses to these questions…

I will follow up with you about what my opinions are and comment on your writing. I look forward to reading about your thoughts.

speaking reflection

slu:

Today is Friday, Sep 27,2008 

Victor came our place and teach us some useful colloquialism that American usually used.  For example, “Do you have long day today?”,and “ I’m heading out.”  Those two sentence are funny to me because if I only look at the real mean of the words, I can’t underestand what does he talking about.  He explain for me that “Do you have long day today?” it mean, do you have hard, tired day.  I’m heading out it mean - I have to go.  It is really interesting to know that.  Then we played game(Wii) with my room-mate together.  After we played the games, he help me to record the tongue twister by pronuncitaion class that I can practice how to pronounce carrectly.  We have a lot of fun and good time together.

 Once again I do have to say that I had an amazing time learning right along with you. I know that I am learning just about the same amount you and your culture as you are about the American culture. Just remember what I told you about cutting down on the amount of time you spend talking Mandarin ( is that how you spell your native tougue?) with your friends and roomates and force yourself to put what you have been learning into practice with them…you ladies xcan help each other achive success quicker if you challenge one another.

Homework (September 30)

4406033:

This Sunday, we went to Baptist Church on Staples Mill Road. This was my second time to go to that church. First time, I filled a form because I was a first time visitor. After that, I received a letter from the church which made me very surprised. This time, the pastor talked about the sin what came to the world with human being together and the god is everlasting who forgave the sin instead human being. Kari told me that they thought the human being were not good and full of sin when they were born. For example, the children can fighter with each other and the adults never teach them to do this. In China, people believe that people are always virtuous at first. People turn to bad because the environment because the environment where we live is not perfect The world is filled with unfair, competition, and so on which make human being change.

 wow, this had had to be an interesting experience for you. Visiting an american church versus a Latin American church. Now, are you a Baptist or are you by code of tradition a catholic? I know form experience tht most hispanics in the U.S. tend to go with the family traditional religion of Catholisism, is this true for you as well? As a Hispanic man myself, my family was Jehovah’s witness. Interesting huh? Now remind me who kari is again?

Sep 21, 2008

slu:

Sep 21, 2008  Weekly Speaking Reflection

Yesterday, my conversation partner Victor and I were meeting in the commons.  He is a nice teacher and with patiences for teach me English.  He encourage me to talk more.  When I said something wrong, he will correct me into right way and teach me how to pronounce each single words.  He said, he was immigranted in U.S.when he was a child, so that, he know how to learn English.  He gave me some suggests for learning English.  He said, go to find some film to watch several times, don’t using our native language talking with our roommate, listening more NPR would be help a lot and go to school’s theatre have fun.  Finally, he took me to see where is the theatre in the school and we will meet on Sunday nigth to practice my English. 

 it is my pleasure to be your conversation partner…I am thankful to learn about you and your culture.

Patty HW. September 23

parola:

On Sunday mornig, I went to Sant Michael Chuch. After mass, I was walking around when I saw a old man who was drinking coffee. I say hello and he started to talked with me. He asked me about the politic in Guatemala. I explain to him some few things, and I asked about USA. He told me that the coming elections will be different because  the situation everywhere is hard. He dosen’t like the idea of belonging to the party and act as a blind voting only because the party and not for the person.  He said that for the coming elections is so important that the people look carefully for who want to choose. We should learn from our history because this help us to change our future. I asked him about the situation in the country. He said that we are going to have  a hard time becuase the economy is going  down every day. When I say we, I am talking about the world because everything that happend anywhere affect all people. We have to take care of our action always because the world is a family.

I enjoyed talking whit him (unfortunately, I didn’t ask his name) to me hi is a very smart man. 

 Wow, Patty are you from guatemala? if so, what part?

I love that country.

You know what Patty, I think that the gentleman you met is a prety good example of how the average american feels about america’s current political elections. I think that most american feel torn between being loyal to their particular parties and  their personal opinions of the way this country should be run and by who, unfortunately we here in America have had a really tough time in the last eight years with not only our economy but also our world relations….if you think about it, I think the average american feels a lilttle overwhelmed with the descisions we need to make in the upcoming months…male sure you say hello to me in class…I victor the bald headed man who sits in fron of the class

Patty HW. September 23

parola:

On Sunday mornig, I went to Sant Michael Chuch. After mass, I was walking around when I saw a old man who was drinking coffee. I say hello and he started to talked with me. He asked me about the politic in Guatemala. I explain to him some few things, and I asked about USA. He told me that the coming elections will be different because  the situation everywhere is hard. He dosen’t like the idea of belonging to the party and act as a blind voting only because the party and not for the person.  He said that for the coming elections is so important that the people look carefully for who want to choose. We should learn from our history because this help us to change our future. I asked him about the situation in the country. He said that we are going to have  a hard time becuase the economy is going  down every day. When I say we, I am talking about the world because everything that happend anywhere affect all people. We have to take care of our action always because the world is a family.

I enjoyed talking whit him (unfortunately, I didn’t ask his name) to me hi is a very smart man.