Last Friday, my school held a sustainability fair between 12:30 and 4:30, where we learned about the effects that we have on our environment, such as global warming and growing landfills, as well as teaching us ways to become more environmentally friendly. Also, we learned about how our state and school is aiding in this effort in going "green".
My school has an extremely large campus, and student body of more than 4,000 students K-12 grade, and with that, we use up a large amount of resources, such as energy, for all the lights and AC in all the several classrooms and buildings, paper's, and plastics, to only name a few. And because of this, my school, has decided to pledge to stop using so much of these valuable resources, by setting up several goals dealing with energy, garbage, water, traffic and food, to be accomplished by 2016, sparking the idea of the sustainability fair.
Another thing I learned about my school on Friday, was how the new middle school, that was first opened las year, was entirely made up of recycled goods, and produces it's own energy to fuel the school.
Something else that my school is playing an active role in helping our environment, was getting a 5th grade class involved in recycling bottles, and can's to raise money to adopt a tiger at the zoo, taking care of it's food, shelter and any other necessities it might need.
Then at another table, I learned about how recycled water, which has been fillitered and disinfected to achieve bacterial concentrations consistent with DOH Guidelines for R-1 Water, in Hawaii, is being used for industries and irrigation. Though this water is not healthy enough for human consumption, because of all the bacterias and viruses in the water, it is completely healthy for the environment, since it is a much cheaper, and environmentally healthy way of reducing the amount of water being used.
Lastly, I learned about a House Bill that is being debated over in my state's legislature, which would reduce Hawaii's contribution to global climate change, by limiting the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from Hawaii into the atmospher, which is also the cause of global warming. And all we would need to do as an resident in Hawaii, is call one of the people in government who are supporting this bill, and voice our support for this bill with them.
All in all, through Friday's sustainability fair, I was able to learn a lot about the environment, and how greatly than ever before do we impact the way it works, as well as the things that people in my school, and state are doing to help stop the destructions that we are causing on the place we call home, earth.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
Ghost Stories
Hawaii may be one of the most beautiful places on earth, but we also have some amazing ghost stories, here are a few i found interesting. (I found all these stories at http://theshadowlands.net/places/hawaii.htm)
Nu'uanu - The Pali Lookout - People have reported seeing the white silhouette of someone among the trees at the Pali Lookout, at night. There have also been reports of the silhouettes of ancient Hawaiian soldiers being thrown off the cliff to your right when one is standing at the actual lookout, looking down at Kaneohe. The Pali Lookout is where King Kamehameha defeated the opposing armies by throwing them off this cliff. He then united all of the Hawaiian islands. What is interesting is that there is no light source up on the cliff to the right of the lookout to see the silhouettes of these soldiers being cast down. But, when they are seen, the cliff is somehow illuminated. The lights that illuminate the winding road leading into Kaneohe and the lights of Kaneohe itself are too far down to cast any shadows up that high. There are no lights in the parking lot or throughout the lookout area, either. The Pali Lookout is off-limits at night.
The Pali Highway - There is an old belief that if you are traveling on the Pali Highway, in the day or night, that you must not have pork in your car. It is believed that your car will stall and will not start again until the pork is taken out of your car. Some locals believe that is the menehune (meh-neh-hoo-neh), mischievous, elflike creatures, that stops you. Others believe it is because Kamapua'a(kah-mah-po-ah-ah), the giant, nine-eyed boar god who lives in the forests of Kaneohe, won't allow you to pass until the pork is taken out of your car. And this means going in either direction- from Honolulu to Kaneohe or Kaneohe to Honolulu. Many locals, to this day, practice this custom whether they believe or not.
Kahala Mall - In the newspaper several years ago there was a story about a security guard working the late shift at Kahala Mall. After theaters closed, he and another security guard had to lock all the doors to the mall. One security guard went up to the parking level to check the parking lot and lock the doors that lead to this level. He saw another security guard up there, his friend, and not the one he'd just left. The guy was far away, so he called to his friend, but the guy didn't answer. He called again, this next time his friend turned and looked and him then walked away, disappearing around a corner. The security guard went to follow him and found the man gone. This was about one or two a.m. He later asked the other security guard if he had seen their co-worker, the other man said no. The next day, the security guard found out that the man he saw had died at about the same time he'd seen him.
Hilton Hawaii Village - Believed to be haunted by the volcano goddess. Visitors, house cleaners, and other staff members say that they see a woman in a red dress walk in the hallways, on the beach, and everywhere in between! Some people say that the volcano goddess shows up in other forms such as a young woman, and old woman, a hitch-hiker, and a stranger that comes to your door, among other things and never travels alone. When on the beach, she'll be accompanied by dancers.
Nu'uanu - The Pali Lookout - People have reported seeing the white silhouette of someone among the trees at the Pali Lookout, at night. There have also been reports of the silhouettes of ancient Hawaiian soldiers being thrown off the cliff to your right when one is standing at the actual lookout, looking down at Kaneohe. The Pali Lookout is where King Kamehameha defeated the opposing armies by throwing them off this cliff. He then united all of the Hawaiian islands. What is interesting is that there is no light source up on the cliff to the right of the lookout to see the silhouettes of these soldiers being cast down. But, when they are seen, the cliff is somehow illuminated. The lights that illuminate the winding road leading into Kaneohe and the lights of Kaneohe itself are too far down to cast any shadows up that high. There are no lights in the parking lot or throughout the lookout area, either. The Pali Lookout is off-limits at night.
The Pali Highway - There is an old belief that if you are traveling on the Pali Highway, in the day or night, that you must not have pork in your car. It is believed that your car will stall and will not start again until the pork is taken out of your car. Some locals believe that is the menehune (meh-neh-hoo-neh), mischievous, elflike creatures, that stops you. Others believe it is because Kamapua'a(kah-mah-po-ah-ah), the giant, nine-eyed boar god who lives in the forests of Kaneohe, won't allow you to pass until the pork is taken out of your car. And this means going in either direction- from Honolulu to Kaneohe or Kaneohe to Honolulu. Many locals, to this day, practice this custom whether they believe or not.
Kahala Mall - In the newspaper several years ago there was a story about a security guard working the late shift at Kahala Mall. After theaters closed, he and another security guard had to lock all the doors to the mall. One security guard went up to the parking level to check the parking lot and lock the doors that lead to this level. He saw another security guard up there, his friend, and not the one he'd just left. The guy was far away, so he called to his friend, but the guy didn't answer. He called again, this next time his friend turned and looked and him then walked away, disappearing around a corner. The security guard went to follow him and found the man gone. This was about one or two a.m. He later asked the other security guard if he had seen their co-worker, the other man said no. The next day, the security guard found out that the man he saw had died at about the same time he'd seen him.
Hilton Hawaii Village - Believed to be haunted by the volcano goddess. Visitors, house cleaners, and other staff members say that they see a woman in a red dress walk in the hallways, on the beach, and everywhere in between! Some people say that the volcano goddess shows up in other forms such as a young woman, and old woman, a hitch-hiker, and a stranger that comes to your door, among other things and never travels alone. When on the beach, she'll be accompanied by dancers.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Shaman Lit. Circle
In English we were assigned to read the third chapter of The Woman Warrior, "Shaman", and my role this time was the Biographical Critic, who analyzes what we know and learn about the author from the chapter.
In "Shaman", we learn a lot about Maxine's mother, Brave Orchid, and her family's life back in China. The chapter starts out when Maxine brings out her mother's diploma and graduation photo's from a medical school in the city of Canton, and uses her imagination and her mother's talk-story to make-up her mother's experiences, and then goes on to describe how her life had been like in China, in comparison with the life that she had to live when she came to America. From "Shaman", we learn that in China, Brave Orchid had two other children who both died, and after the second died, she decided to go to the Keung School of Midwifery, to become a doctor with the money that her husband was sending her from America. And while there she encountered her first ghost whom she drove out and showed her bravery to all the other students, as well as teaching them how not to fear the ghosts, and how to rid ghosts from any place.
So, when Brave Orchid returns to her village, she is treated with the utmost esteem and respect, because she could not only cure the sick , deliver babies, but also banish the ghosts. We also learn about how smart Brave Orchid had been when caring for the sick, as we learn about her secret of success, which was that she would never treat a patience who was going to die, so all her patience would be get better and live.
But when Brave Orchid's husband asked her to leave China to live in America, she repeats several times in her talk-story of who far she fell when she came to America. Fore in China, she was regarded as a magician or Shaman for all she could do, then in America, she works in a laundry mat, or the tomato fields, something that she is constantly complaining about, saying that there lives would have been much better if they had stayed in China. However in the ending of the chapter, we learn how the family could never go back to China, because the Communist had taken all their property, after their last uncle was murdered.
In "Shaman", we learn a lot about Maxine's mother, Brave Orchid, and her family's life back in China. The chapter starts out when Maxine brings out her mother's diploma and graduation photo's from a medical school in the city of Canton, and uses her imagination and her mother's talk-story to make-up her mother's experiences, and then goes on to describe how her life had been like in China, in comparison with the life that she had to live when she came to America. From "Shaman", we learn that in China, Brave Orchid had two other children who both died, and after the second died, she decided to go to the Keung School of Midwifery, to become a doctor with the money that her husband was sending her from America. And while there she encountered her first ghost whom she drove out and showed her bravery to all the other students, as well as teaching them how not to fear the ghosts, and how to rid ghosts from any place.
So, when Brave Orchid returns to her village, she is treated with the utmost esteem and respect, because she could not only cure the sick , deliver babies, but also banish the ghosts. We also learn about how smart Brave Orchid had been when caring for the sick, as we learn about her secret of success, which was that she would never treat a patience who was going to die, so all her patience would be get better and live.
But when Brave Orchid's husband asked her to leave China to live in America, she repeats several times in her talk-story of who far she fell when she came to America. Fore in China, she was regarded as a magician or Shaman for all she could do, then in America, she works in a laundry mat, or the tomato fields, something that she is constantly complaining about, saying that there lives would have been much better if they had stayed in China. However in the ending of the chapter, we learn how the family could never go back to China, because the Communist had taken all their property, after their last uncle was murdered.
Monday, March 5, 2007
White Tigers: Lit. Circle Part 2
Part 2 for my group was from page 34 – 53…
Forebodingly: (p.34) a strong inner feeling or notion of a future misfortune, evil, etc.; presentiment
Tooled: (p.35) To form, work, or decorate with a tool; To ornament (a book cover) with a bookbinder's tool; (Slang) To drive (a vehicle)
Dethrone: (p.36) to remove from a throne; depose; to remove from any position of power or authority
Fiefdom: (p.37) the estate or domain of a feudal lord; anything, as an organization or real estate, owned or controlled by one dominant person or group
Encampment: (p.37) an act or instance of encamping; lodgment in a camp; the place or quarters occupied in camping; camp
Palanquins: (p. 38) A covered litter carried on poles on the shoulders of four or more bearers, formerly used in eastern Asia
Jounce: (p.39) to move joltingly or roughly up and down; bounce
Gestation: (p.39) The period of development in the uterus from conception until birth; pregnancy; the conception and development of a plan or an idea in the mind
Fontanel: (p.40) tne of the spaces, covered by membrane, between the bones of the fetal or young skull
Palpable: (p.41) readily or plainly seen, heard, perceived, etc.; obvious; evident
Mercenary: (p.44) working or acting merely for money or other reward; venal; hired to serve in a foreign army, guerrilla organization, etc
Amazons: (p.45) (Greek Mythology) A member of a nation of women warriors reputed to have lived in Scythia; a tall, aggressive, strong-willed woman.
Vouch: (p.45) to support as being true, certain, reliable, etc.); to attest; guarantee; certify
Emigrant: (p.46) a person who emigrates, as from his or her native country or region
Immigrant: (p.46) a person who migrates to another country, usually for permanent residence; an organism found in a new habitat
Deign: (p.48) do something that one considers to be beneath one's dignity
Forged: (p.49) make or shape (a metal object) by heating it in a fire or furnace and beating or hammering it
Communist: (p.50) political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs
Flotage: (p.52) the act or state of floating.
Anthropology: (p.52) the science that deals with the origins, physical and cultural development, biological characteristics, and social customs and beliefs of humankind; the study of human beings' similarity to and divergence from other animals; the science of humans and their works.
Concession: (p.53) the act of conceding or yielding, as a right, a privilege, or a point or fact in an argument;the thing or point yielded; something conceded by a government or a controlling authority, as a grant of land, a privilege, or a franchise.
Idiom: (p. 53) an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements or from the general grammatical rules of a languag, and that is not a constituent of a larger expression of like characteristics; a language, dialect, or style of speaking peculiar to a people
Forebodingly: (p.34) a strong inner feeling or notion of a future misfortune, evil, etc.; presentiment
Tooled: (p.35) To form, work, or decorate with a tool; To ornament (a book cover) with a bookbinder's tool; (Slang) To drive (a vehicle)
Dethrone: (p.36) to remove from a throne; depose; to remove from any position of power or authority
Fiefdom: (p.37) the estate or domain of a feudal lord; anything, as an organization or real estate, owned or controlled by one dominant person or group
Encampment: (p.37) an act or instance of encamping; lodgment in a camp; the place or quarters occupied in camping; camp
Palanquins: (p. 38) A covered litter carried on poles on the shoulders of four or more bearers, formerly used in eastern Asia
Jounce: (p.39) to move joltingly or roughly up and down; bounce
Gestation: (p.39) The period of development in the uterus from conception until birth; pregnancy; the conception and development of a plan or an idea in the mind
Fontanel: (p.40) tne of the spaces, covered by membrane, between the bones of the fetal or young skull
Palpable: (p.41) readily or plainly seen, heard, perceived, etc.; obvious; evident
Mercenary: (p.44) working or acting merely for money or other reward; venal; hired to serve in a foreign army, guerrilla organization, etc
Amazons: (p.45) (Greek Mythology) A member of a nation of women warriors reputed to have lived in Scythia; a tall, aggressive, strong-willed woman.
Vouch: (p.45) to support as being true, certain, reliable, etc.); to attest; guarantee; certify
Emigrant: (p.46) a person who emigrates, as from his or her native country or region
Immigrant: (p.46) a person who migrates to another country, usually for permanent residence; an organism found in a new habitat
Deign: (p.48) do something that one considers to be beneath one's dignity
Forged: (p.49) make or shape (a metal object) by heating it in a fire or furnace and beating or hammering it
Communist: (p.50) political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs
Flotage: (p.52) the act or state of floating.
Anthropology: (p.52) the science that deals with the origins, physical and cultural development, biological characteristics, and social customs and beliefs of humankind; the study of human beings' similarity to and divergence from other animals; the science of humans and their works.
Concession: (p.53) the act of conceding or yielding, as a right, a privilege, or a point or fact in an argument;the thing or point yielded; something conceded by a government or a controlling authority, as a grant of land, a privilege, or a franchise.
Idiom: (p. 53) an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements or from the general grammatical rules of a languag, and that is not a constituent of a larger expression of like characteristics; a language, dialect, or style of speaking peculiar to a people
Sunday, March 4, 2007
White Tigers: Lit. Circle Part 1
In class, we recently started doing these literature circles with a twist, where we dicuss and share a our ideas about a certian chapter of the book we are reading with a few other people in our class, so we can undersand what it going on in the chapter. Also with these lit. circles, each member has a role to learn more about the story, and it's background. So I chose to be the Lexicographer, which basically means I will read the chapter assigned to us, and define the words that were hard to understand.
This week, we were to read the chapter "White Tigers", in The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston. In this chapter, the main character - the girl/ Maxine Hong Kingston - tells the Ledgen of Fa Mu Lan (which is the story that the disney movie "Mulan", was based off of), as if she were Fa Mu Lan. The first part of the reading for my group was from page 19-33, and I am finding my definitions from http://answers.com/ and http://www.google.com/ ...
Page 19
Confucius Church: this site can explain to you what Confucianism is
http://www.religion-cults.com/Eastern/Confucianism/confuci.htm
White Crane Boxing: I found this site that has a brief description of what white crane boxing is http://www.usadojo.com/styles/about-white-crane-boxing.htm
Page 20
Brambles: A prickly shrub of the genus Rubus, including the blackberry and the raspberry.
Fa Mu Lan: This site tells the ballad/ ledged of Fa Mu Lan http://www2.selu.edu/Academics/Faculty/elejeune/mulan.htm
Page 21
Thatch: a material, as straw, rushes, leaves, or the like, used to cover roofs, grain stacks, etc.; the leaves of various palms that are used for thatching.
Page 22
Encircled: to form a circle around; surround; encompass
Page 23
Ideograph: a written symbol that represents an idea or object directly rather than a particular word or speech sound, as a Chinese character
Dilations: an abnormal enlargement of an aperture or a canal of the body.
Homonyms: One of two or more words that have the same sound and often the same spelling but differ in meaning, such as bank (embankment) and bank (place where money is kept).
Page 24
Peony: any of various plants or shrubs of the genus Paeonia, having large, showy flowers, as the widely cultivated species P. lactiflora: the state flower of Indiana.
Page 26
Acutely: sharp or severe in effect; intense; extremely great or serious; crucial; (of disease) brief and severe (opposed to chronic); sharp or penetrating in intellect, insight, or perception.
Page 27
Javanese: of or pertaining to the island of Java, its people, or their language; a member of the native Malayan people of Java, esp. of that branch of it in the central part of the island; the Austronesian language of central Java
Page 28
Self-immolation: voluntary sacrifice or denial of oneself, as for an ideal or another person.
Transmigration: the passage of a soul after death into another body; metempsychosis; To migrate
Juniper: Any of various evergreen trees or shrubs of the genus Juniperus, having needlelike or scalelike, often pointed leaves and aromatic, bluish-gray, berrylike, seed-bearing cones
Page 29
Strata: a layer of material, naturally or artificially formed, often one of a number of parallel layers, one upon another; one of a number of portions or divisions likened to layers or levels
Quarries: an excavation or pit, usually open to the air, from which building stone, slate, or the like, is obtained by cutting, blasting, etc.
Mallard: a common, almost cosmopolitan, wild duck, Anas platyrhynchos, from which the domestic ducks are descended
Resin: any of a class of nonvolatile, solid or semisolid organic substances, as copal or mastic, that consist of amorphous mixtures of carboxylic acids and are obtained directly from certain plants as exudations or prepared by polymerization of simple molecules: used in medicine and in the making of varnishes and plastics
Paradoxes: A seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true
Page 30
Scythes: An implement consisting of a long, curved single-edged blade with a long bent handle, used for mowing or reaping
Page 32
Conscription: compulsory enrollment of persons for military or naval service; draft; a compulsory contribution of money to a government during a time of war.
This week, we were to read the chapter "White Tigers", in The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston. In this chapter, the main character - the girl/ Maxine Hong Kingston - tells the Ledgen of Fa Mu Lan (which is the story that the disney movie "Mulan", was based off of), as if she were Fa Mu Lan. The first part of the reading for my group was from page 19-33, and I am finding my definitions from http://answers.com/ and http://www.google.com/ ...
Page 19
Confucius Church: this site can explain to you what Confucianism is
http://www.religion-cults.com/Eastern/Confucianism/confuci.htm
White Crane Boxing: I found this site that has a brief description of what white crane boxing is http://www.usadojo.com/styles/about-white-crane-boxing.htm
Page 20
Brambles: A prickly shrub of the genus Rubus, including the blackberry and the raspberry.
Fa Mu Lan: This site tells the ballad/ ledged of Fa Mu Lan http://www2.selu.edu/Academics/Faculty/elejeune/mulan.htm
Page 21
Thatch: a material, as straw, rushes, leaves, or the like, used to cover roofs, grain stacks, etc.; the leaves of various palms that are used for thatching.
Page 22
Encircled: to form a circle around; surround; encompass
Page 23
Ideograph: a written symbol that represents an idea or object directly rather than a particular word or speech sound, as a Chinese character
Dilations: an abnormal enlargement of an aperture or a canal of the body.
Homonyms: One of two or more words that have the same sound and often the same spelling but differ in meaning, such as bank (embankment) and bank (place where money is kept).
Page 24
Peony: any of various plants or shrubs of the genus Paeonia, having large, showy flowers, as the widely cultivated species P. lactiflora: the state flower of Indiana.
Page 26
Acutely: sharp or severe in effect; intense; extremely great or serious; crucial; (of disease) brief and severe (opposed to chronic); sharp or penetrating in intellect, insight, or perception.
Page 27
Javanese: of or pertaining to the island of Java, its people, or their language; a member of the native Malayan people of Java, esp. of that branch of it in the central part of the island; the Austronesian language of central Java
Page 28
Self-immolation: voluntary sacrifice or denial of oneself, as for an ideal or another person.
Transmigration: the passage of a soul after death into another body; metempsychosis; To migrate
Juniper: Any of various evergreen trees or shrubs of the genus Juniperus, having needlelike or scalelike, often pointed leaves and aromatic, bluish-gray, berrylike, seed-bearing cones
Page 29
Strata: a layer of material, naturally or artificially formed, often one of a number of parallel layers, one upon another; one of a number of portions or divisions likened to layers or levels
Quarries: an excavation or pit, usually open to the air, from which building stone, slate, or the like, is obtained by cutting, blasting, etc.
Mallard: a common, almost cosmopolitan, wild duck, Anas platyrhynchos, from which the domestic ducks are descended
Resin: any of a class of nonvolatile, solid or semisolid organic substances, as copal or mastic, that consist of amorphous mixtures of carboxylic acids and are obtained directly from certain plants as exudations or prepared by polymerization of simple molecules: used in medicine and in the making of varnishes and plastics
Paradoxes: A seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true
Page 30
Scythes: An implement consisting of a long, curved single-edged blade with a long bent handle, used for mowing or reaping
Page 32
Conscription: compulsory enrollment of persons for military or naval service; draft; a compulsory contribution of money to a government during a time of war.
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