It all goes back to March of 2008 when my friends announced that there was going to be a graduation trip around the island of Taiwan. The group wanted everyone who had attended the Chinese Taiwan School Penang (CTSP) class of 2011 to be part of the tour. This was to be an exciting reunion of my friends and me. Many of us had not seen each other for at least three years. The trip would last from July 15^th to July 25^th. As I went on the trip, many memorable situations happened throughout the time that I will remember for the rest of my life.

 I was waiting at Taipei Train Station on the first day of the trip searching for my friends, and there was an announcement calling for the CTSP students to gather at the bus near the main gate. I walked close to the gate and I saw the tour guide waving. I saw all my friends that I missed, especially Terence Law.

On the bus I was so nervous wondering which one was Nicole. She was a friend that I had not seen for more three years. The boys in our class used to have a big crush on her as she was the prettiest girl in our class. As I saw a girl in a punk suit coming onboard, my heart stumbled, “What~ is that her?” I questioned myself. It turned out to be true.

            As the bus engine started, the tour guide introduced herself, and her name was Miss Snow. After she introduced herself to us, it was our turn to introduce ourselves to her as that was customary. We stared off by introducing our name and telling a joke. As the trip went on, Miss Snow announced that the trip would start from the north of Taiwan following the boarder and head down to the south. The first stop that we visited was The National Palace Museum.

            The National Palace Museum is an important location for tourists to visit. The antiques in the museum are all real. During the war between Chiang Kai Shek and Mao Zu Dong who were not paying attention to the history of China, bombed some of the most valuable land and ancient antiques from the first few dynasties. As Mao slowly won the war forcing Chiang to escape to Taiwan, Chiang realized how important those antiques really were to China. As he made his way to Taiwan, he brought lots of antiques along with him, and today, they are displayed in the National Palace Museum.

            After the Museum, we headed down to Yi Lan (east of Taiwan) and stop at the hotel where we spent the night. On the way, we went through the Sueshan Tunnel which is the longest Tunnel in Taiwan. It is also ranked as the fifth longest tunnel in world. As we arrived at the hotel and set everything down, we went and ate at the steamboat buffet down the street. While we were eating, I saw the fattest guy in our class, eating plate after plate of raw meat that was ready to be cooked. Unwisely he threatened me to eat along with him or else he would beat me up.  Throughout this experience, I learned to never sit with that person when eating buffet meals. I also learned that it is unhealthy to overeat.

During the trip, we stopped at Yi Lan for four days and stayed in a local school dorm. We visited the Native Taiwanese, learned to sing their cultural songs, and learned how to make native clothes by using native tools. Other experiences included how to bargain. An example was when we were at a native store and we saw five sword necklaces. They were so exquisite and we really wanted to buy them. We decided we could be the five sword gang. We asked the owner how much each necklace would cost, and she replied that they were NT 240 each, which equals about RM25. At that moment each of us struggled as to whether we should buy the necklaces or not. All of a sudden, one of my friends bargained; and he told the owner that we were students from overseas and he asked if we could pay a lower price. The owner replied that she would sell them to us for NT 210 each. My friend recanted and offered NT 1000 for all five necklaces. The owner groaned but agreed to the price because we were all students. Another thing I learned was to always be with my friend when I needed to bargain. This was a good experience for me because I had always paid the full price. This experience with my friend taught me to build relationships with the merchant first and then they would be more willing to bargain.

Throughout this trip, lots of things happened, but most of all there was joy in seeing so many of my old friends and classmates. What a coincidence that Terence and I would become classmates again at Dalat International School. We had such a short time that when the trip was over we all experienced sadness.  At times we teased each other and tricked each other to eat certain foods. All of our madness was in fun. Though the trip was only ten days long, we all matured and even grew spiritually. There were times we had to depend on our faith.

Chi Yuan

1. In the beginning of the story Montag did not believe books were alive, but his ideas changed when he saw the old woman willing to die with her books. Later, Montag realized that burning a book only takes a short time, yet it took the authors a long period of time to write the books. He started to read books and found that they were interesting. I believe books are alive when you are able to absorb and taste the descriptive images. The old woman believed that her books were alive because she enjoyed reading them and she couldn’t live without them. Finally, Beatty thought books were unreal because he hated books.
2. “Montag” The internal conflict about Montag was that he struggled to make up his mind whether books were alive or dead. On page 80 Montag went to visit a professor named Faber, and asked him to solve the issue about books with him. On page 82~90 Faber explained why people hated books and why some people loved books. It was because some people enjoyed reading books for both leisure and intellectual purposes. For those who hated books, the reason for their hatred was due the fact that they had all been brainwashed by the government with a law stating that anyone caught reading, would be confined into a mental institution at minimum. Montag’s external conflict was dealing with his wife and Beatty. In the beginning his wife Mildred ate a whole bottle of sleeping pills and didn’t act like a wife because she didn’t care about him. Therefore, that was why Montag felt that life was boring. Later, he went through a conflict with Beatty arguing over why they burnt books on page 50.
3. Linkin Park – What I’ve done. I picked this song for Montag because he didn’t know that burning books was a bad thing until he met Clarisse. Then he realized that burning books was same as destroying other people’s hard work. Then he started to help save books, putting his own life on the line. I personally think that he wanted to do something good to reedem himself. In the song “What I’ve done,” the second chorus is as follows: “For What I’ve Done, I start again, and whatever pain may come, today this ends, I’m Forgiving What I’ve Done.”
4. If I have to write a plea to save a book from the flames, I would save a music book. Because I believe that most people around the world now a days at least play one kind of instrument. For example, I myself am a guitar player and I don’t think I will be able to survive one day without playing my precious guitar. Without a music book you will not be able to learn how to play an instrument and people will not know how lovely music is. Then life will be useless.

Fit for Life

            Throughout the years, people have adopted a statement that everyone should   dedicate themselves for physical cardio training to have a healthy body. To help people stay fit in their life, they have to be either running, swimming, or cycling. These three activities may seem easy, but when all three come together they transcend to another sport completely, the triathlon. The purpose of triathlon is in testing athletes in a competition to complete all three exercises in the shortest amount of time.

              Although running, swimming, and cycling are all very similar, they can be very different. Their similarities can be found in the areas of the buildup in cardiovascular strength and endurance, also well as with muscle strengthening and muscle toning. For the most part, these activities provide an overall body workout, covering almost all areas in fitness. All three activities help to burn calories, and help a person work through a weight loss program. However, many people prefer just using one activity to get the results of staying fit and get in shape. But, it would be best to at least choose two activities, allowing the person to stay with the problem and their goals consistently. Choosing at least two activities also enables one to have a flexible backup plan in case the primary exercise of one’s choice does not work out do to any unforeseen circumstances.

             Before starting any of the exercises, people need to consider the cost of the equipment. Running actually has the lowest cost, because all one needs is a good pair of running shoes. There are places to run everywhere, even on vacation, as you do not need any extra equipment. Swimming is also inexpensive as long as a pool is accessible. Though the cost for a membership fee in a club might raise one’s initial budget, most importantly, attiring oneself with suitable swimming attire is highly recommended. Cycling is the most expensive of all the choices. A rider must consider the cost of a bike, biking gear and up keeping the bike in good condition, which might add up in the long run.

            Swimming is probably the one exercise involving the least amount of injuries amongst the three. The most common injuries cause by swimming is shoulder pain caused commonly by the lack of warm-ups or simply over work. As for running, it can be very dangerous if one is running on a treadmill, as the speed tends to boost up and the person may not be ready. Once one’s body can’t catch up with the speed, one will fall and suffer possible injuries such as bruises and twisted joints. Also, if one is to be on a jog in the outside, external hazards in different situations might have an influence. Even a road construction on one’s regular run-route may surprise a runner. There are more injuries associated with running because of the impact on the legs and back. Running on asphalt can also increase the chance of impact injuries. Cycling is an activity with the highest likelihood of an accident because it’s on bicycles. The situation of the accident depends on the terrain, traffic, and conditions of the trail.

            Considering the amount of calories burned with each activity depends on several factors. Running depends on speed, outside temperature and grade of the running trail. Swimming depends on speed, water temperature and the strokes performed. Cycling depends on speed, condition of the bike and the terrain of the trail. Overall, the speed and one’s body weight help determine the calories burned for all three activities. Swimming is a good activity to strengthen and maintain physical fitness; however it is usually not considered the best for losing weight. There are not as many calories burned with swimming due to the buoyancy of the water. Many people feel very relaxed when swimming and do not realize the energy they exert. Overall, running is considered best for burning calories. Running is also best for cardio training.

            Most people do not do all three of these activities on a regular basis since it is not in their minds or best interest to enter a triathlon. All of these activities do provide chances for good body building, strength, endurance, and cardio improvement. Most people prefer one activity over another which is fine as long as people do participate regularly in  an activity that increases overall heart rate while providing a total body workout. There are good reasons to use all three of these activities. If it means doing only one and becoming a consistent participant, that is good. If, on the other hand, a person is looking for variety, and has both the ability and access to all these activities, go for it. Most importantly, set aside time each day to take part in fitness training and become fit for life. Training in running, swimming, or cycling will help individuals with their personal fitness goals.

Wealth Destroys Values

            Can money buy happiness? For many people, they seem to have a goal to get rich. If only they can have all the things one wishes for; then they assume they will be happy. Throughout life, a man works to gain wealth and possessions only to realize he is still unhappy. From The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck, I will convince my audience that wealth is a destroyer of traditional values.

            The Good Earth begins with the marriage of Wang Lung and O-lan. It is a scene of expectation and hope. Wang Lung was a poor farmer who lived with his old father. The reader immediately learns about Chinese customs of traditional values such as family and respect from children. In the world today, people of many cultures want to uphold values and ideals; yet, human desires and sin seem to overtake these values. Ecclesiastes 5:10 says, “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.” This is evident in the world today as people of all walks of life always want more than they have. In The Good Earth, Wang Lung works his fields with his wife O-lan. His wife does all the household chores and also works very hard in the fields. They have a good year and immediately want to work for more success and buy land from the House of Hwang. Once they get more land, they must work even harder and they continue to prosper for a few years to come. They have a son and then another son and a daughter.

            The Bible says, “God wants you to be not greedy for money, but eager to serve.” (I Peter 5:2b). So often people do get ahead but they fail to realize that it was God who helped them to do what they can do. These people do not even bother to thank God for all he does in their lives. In other words, they just think that they deserve more. They do not serve God; they serve money. And, they are greedy to get more money. In The Good Earth, Wang Lung experiences difficulties. His uncle becomes jealous and asks for some of the wealth. When Wang Lung wants to get more land, he spends the family savings to buy land. The family is then hit with hard times of drought and famine. The family is desperate and moves south. Although they refuse to give up any land, they sell other things in order to have the money to move.  Wang Lung seems to prosper and sometimes he even hires help to do the laborious work. Wang Lung begins to mix with the wealthy. He is prosperous and turns away from his religion. Although not a Christian, his religion did teach him values. But Wang Lung and O-lan looted enough gold and jewels to be able to return to their own land which meant so much to them. Wang Lung even becomes bored with his wife who was too plain and simple. She never had her feet bound and this was a status symbol in early Chinese times. That is why she could work so hard in the fields. When Wang Lung was not so interested in O-lan, he began to drink and gamble and look for other women. O-lan is hurt and angry and soon there is disharmony. Wang Lung meets Lotus who becomes his concubine. However, soon there are problems with Wang Lung’s children. Wang Lung’s children do not care as much about the good earth as their father.  Because of the issues of the children, Wang Lung loses some of his passion for Lotus.

            “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” (II Timothy 6:10a) Although there were good years for Wang Lung; times were becoming more difficult. Wang Lung’s son began to follow in his father’s footsteps. He visited a prostitute house and even went to Lotus. Wang Lung decided he needed to make an arranged marriage. Again, Wang Lung’s uncle demands more money because he felt that Wang Lung and his son had corrupted the family with bad morals. Later O-lan becomes sick and dies. Lotus then moves in. Soon after that Wang Lung’s father dies, and the losses continue. There are still some times of prosperity but mostly of trouble. Once Wang Lung is tired of Lotus; he takes Pear Blossom, a young slave, as a concubine. Often slave girls went by the name of a flower. This is because men think pretty women are like flowers. In the end, Wang Lung learns that his sons plan to sell the land when he dies. This is sad and shows in the end that Wang Lung loses everything he has worked for and all his traditional values. Wang Lung’s ambition and pride get the best of him. He lacks experience but thinks he can win it all. O-lan seemed very traditional and submissive; however, she was limited by to her background. Some would probably call Wang Lung ‘s sons the prodigal sons. This is because they are extravagant, and spend foolishly thinking only about themselves.

            In conclusion it seems that from The Good Earth as well as in the world today, people who worship money end up losing everything. They lose all that really matters (traditional values) like family, true love, and respect from children. They often even lose their land or material possessions. This book reminds us of the idea of simplicity, and yet this is a concept which many Chinese have difficulty with. In the world today, many people ignore the importance of a simple life. Everyone has a commitment to life but too often we need to be reminded about the values that should be most important.

Response to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

            “Narnia, where it is always winter and never Christmas.” This is a phrase from the novel The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It is a fiction novel, but many children might think it is real.  The author C.S. Lewis wrote a series of these novels entitled The Chronicles of Narnia. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was very famous that it was even made into a movie in 2005. After reading the book and more so after seeing the movie, many will wonder about the land of Narnia. What is this land of Narnia? In this analytical response to literature, I am going to explain about the land of Narnia.

            Around the time of World War II, four children went to live with a professor because their parents were involved with the war. In the big house, there was a spare room with a wardrobe. While playing in the wardrobe, the children learned that the wardrobe was actually a magical entrance to the land of Narnia. It was a magical land that probably came about from the author C.S. Lewis as he thought back over some nightmares he had during World War II. C.S. Lewis was not always Christian, he nearly became an atheist for a time. Thus, he gradually turned back to Christianity and became a strong believer and writer.

            Many of his literary works show Christian principles and he tries to meet people where they are. His writings can be very convincing to get people to have a clearer understanding especially if they are not interested in traditional Church and worship.

            In the novel as well as the movie, the children enter the land of Narnia, but not at the same time. They are each encouraged to bring their siblings where the white witch hopes to capture them. This land of Narnia is where the children learn many lessons. Although a land of fiction and fantasy where animals are talking, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are the only humans. Lucy, the youngest child is the first to explore the wardrobe and pass through to the land of snow. Later, the other children also become curious and take a step of courage to visit the land. Edmund actually has to learn the hard way as his goal is to get the Turkish Delight. However, this is an unhealthy and evil gift that the witch uses to get him to come back for more. Mr. Tumnus and Mr. and Mrs. Beaver are different, they enjoy a time of conversation and truly want to develop friendship.

            Lewis developed this land of Narnia with all its wonders, creatures and even a castle. Narnia is like another world. Yet it is still a place with rules and a difference between right and wrong. But animals talk, and magical adventures take place. Going through the wardrobe is a place to meet new friends and a make believe world. Although it seems like it is always winter, this is because the white witch casted a spell on the land. Eventually Christmas does come which gives hope to humankind, because of Christ’s birth; then the seasons come with spring flowers and singing birds and flowering streams.

            Narnia is a place created, by C.S. Lewis who a cleaver author and where the next chapter is always better than the one before. It is in this enchanted land of Narnia where many lessons are learned. Even some of these lessons we should learn today in our everyday lives. Some of the lessons learned included faith because you had to have the faith of a child to step into this land and understand that it was still a place of rules. It was a place of good and evil. C.S. Lewis made Narnia a frozen land because of the spell of the white witch. But then Aslan comes and brings Christmas. Father Christmas also gave gifts to help the children as they needed help; Susan got a horn to blow when she was in danger, and Aslan too, gave Peter a sword which he uses to protect Susan from the wolf. Edmund finally realizes that the witch is evil. Aslan was killed by the witch and disappears but comes alive again and is stronger than ever. This is like the resurrection of Christ, when he rose from the dead.  Aslan than kills the witch to save Edmund. As time passes the children become adults and rule over Narnia. When they go back through the wardrobe they are children again.

            Using his Imagination, C.S. Lewis created the land of Narnia and all the characters to share important lessons about forgiveness like when Edmund realizes his mistakes. Also the lesson of courage and bravery for the way the children use their skills. Throughout the story, there are Christian beliefs. Some think that there is a lot of Christian symbols and parallels to stories in the Bible. Others do not like the fact that there is magic and that it cannot take the place of the true bible teaching.

            In conclusion, C.S. Lewis told his story creatively. He wanted to get people’s attention. He knew that he lived a life where he went through a time of rejecting Christianity. Therefore C.S. Lewis wanted to captivate his audience with an amount of emotion to help you think about lessons that can be learned.

The Last Sin Eater

 The character I’m going to analysis is The Sin Eater. The Sin Eater is one of the main characters in the novel The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers. The author created this character because he is significant to the story. The visual effect for the reader to have for the Sin Eater is that the author describes him as a creepy character. No one was allowed to look into his face, and he is covered in black hood. By this description the reader will automatically create a false image toward the Sin Eater.

The Sin Eater is a dynamic character. At the end of the story he change gradually from a guy who wasn’t able to let people see him, and later on he was living a normal life with the rest. His changes were believable, because in the beginning he thought his whole life was to eat people’s sins away so they can be in peace. However, at the end of the novel he realized that he was actually taking people’s sins away. The only way to give up sin is to accept Christ as savior, and so he changed his life from a Sin Eater, to a normal citizen.

In the story, the Sin Eater acts in a strange way. After he was chosen to be the sin eater, people feared him, and didn’t want to go near him. He himself also thought he might bring them misfortune, so he prefers people not to come near him. His personality is that he is a caring person, he thinks about others so they won’t get hurt. In the story The Sin Eater have someone he loves, her name is Bletsung. However in the story they both were not really welcomed in the village. There was a false rumors saying the Blestsung killed her dad, but it turn out to be The Sin Eater who killed him. The Sin Eater killed her dad because her dad tried to rape her. Also because The Sin Eater eats sins, he was afraid that he will bring bad things to her, and so he could be with her for 20 years.

The Sin Eater is very noble to the villagers, when he was chosen as the sin eater, he dedicated himself to that task and even though he was despised by others. He is a virtues man. Because he believed that it was okay for him as long as the villagers can live happily by taking the sins upon himself. The Sin Eater’s conflict is within himself. At the end of the story he was upset with himself because he thinks that he has wasted 20 years to eat people’s sin, which wasn’t really taking it away.

The Sin Eater’s real name is called Sim Gillivary. I wanted to analysis him because I think he is a very kind man, even though he gave people bad images. If we dive deep into the story, Jim was actually tricked by Brogan Kai. But I believe if he actually was chosen to be the sin eater, he would live with a life putting others before him.

Childhood

Childhood is like playing red rover.

Childhood is like getting candies from adults.

Childhood is like getting in trouble.

Childhood is like sleeping early, and have fun all day.

Childhood is the best time in life.

Sense

Loneliness is gray

It sounds like silence through the whole day.

 It smells like rotten lime.

It tastes like bitter cord.

Loneliness feels like no one is beside you.

 

Nan Shi Chao

“Nan Shi Chao,” that’s the name of the subway station beside my house in Taiwan. Every year during the summer holidays, my family and I will go back to Taiwan where we originally came from to visit our relatives and friends. Although we do not own a house in Taipei, we are always welcome to stay with our grandma who lives in Taipei alone.

“Street Chin Ping” is the name of the street where my grandma lives. It is full with friendly neighbors, old grandmas, grandpas, and lots of children. At the entry of the street there is a Seven-Eleven Store, that is full of things which you can cay.

The “Tong Yi” pudding is one of the best desserts that most Taiwanese recommend for tourists. This incredibly unique pudding can be found in this Seven-Eleven Store. It is made out of egg with a special taste of caramel at the bottom. Its unique black and yellow color stands out more than any other desserts. Yes, the taste of caramel is like paradise to me; it is so sweet that I get addicted to it every summer. The egg part means that during the making process, the chief uses the egg yolk and boils it with sugar and pudding powder. The pudding itself also comes with a plastic spoon on the top of the cover.

Beside the store, there is a guy who sells salty crispy chicken on a truck with his wife. Their recipes have been passed down through two generations. The chicken is cooked first, and then it is quickly deep-fried. As the raw chicken gets cooked, the sound of the oil sizzling forms millions of small bubbles. When the chicken gets deep-fried, the man pours in the pepper powder from a can and this makes a noise many tiny peppers coming out from the can and lying on the surface of the chicken. It is so yummy. Not only do they have chicken, but they also have fried sweet potatoes, fried rice hotdogs, and many other delicious foods.

As the street runs down to the corner where my grandma lives, there are always some neighbors hanging out together and talking about rumors or just gossiping every morning. At night the neighbors will gather around to meet each other. Old grandpas are playing Chinese chess together and talking about old days in laughter while grandmas are telling stories to little pre-scholars and giving out candies. Teenagers will also be watching live baseball games on television while cheering on the teams and sharing bowls of peanuts. Parents who are playing mahjong together are always talking about how their day went. It is like a big family gathering. All these are fun to be a part of. In the neighborhood there is a new family who has just gotten married. They are the champion of ballroom dancing in Taiwan. As you enter the house, their living room doesn’t have any furniture; but just a mirror and a clean smooth floor made of crystallized limestone for their training purposes.

My grandma’s house is on the third floor. As the front gate opens a terrible, barely audible squeak sound can be heard, showing how old the building is. Up by the stairs you may see a lot of dead cockroaches lying by the edge. Walking up the stairs in front of my grandma’s flat there is a door bell and the sound of the bell is like a bird singing. Inside the living room there is a space for you to place your shoes in the shoe closet. Beside this area is a living room slightly smaller than Mrs. Gwaltney’s room 25. The furniture has been used for more than a generation, but is still very stable. The couch and chairs are made out of bamboo wood with cushions. Linoleum covers the floors, and the walls are papered. In the corner there is a door to a small single room decorated with plastic wood furniture. It was the room where my great-grandmother used to live, but now it’s the store room which is also called, the toy room. Beside the single room is the master bedroom. The master bedroom is the largest room in the house which has a queen size bed and a wardrobe used over many generations. The kitchen is the most used place in the house, and the floor is usually very dirty, oily, and sticky; there is also lots of cookware which is more than 10 years old.

Although every year we go back and visit our relatives, I always feel like something is missing. My grandpa’s voice. He was someone I looked up to. He came from China to Taiwan before WW II started. He was the Port Chairman in Chi Long Seaport, and later in his mid 40s, he became a teacher in high school. My grandpa passed away in the summer of 2006 at the age of 86. I can still remember hearing the voice of my grandpa getting angry, laughing, crying, and snoring. These are such good memories. Even though I miss my grandpa, I really look forward to my visits with my grandma. This is a tradition I hope will last a long time. I want to have these memories to pass on to my own family someday.

Characters: Chi Yuan; Ralph, Piggy, Jack.

Setting: Balcony of Chi Yuan’s house

Chi Yuan: Thank you for coming guys, welcome to my house. My mom has prepared a delicious dinner for us.

Piggy: This is a beautiful home, just like the one where my auntie took me.

Ralph: Sucks to your auntie.

Jack: Ralph, can’t you just be more polite to Piggy,that is what a leader should do.

Chi Yuan: Okay, I think we should move on. Oh! Here comes the first dish, fresh shell oysters.

Piggy: Wow! I never ate these kinds of things before, not where we came from.

Jack: My hunters and I have never killed one of these before.

Ralph: Are these foods really delicious?

Chi Yuan: Yes, the best of all kinds.

Ralph: Hey Piggy look, I can blow on the shell and make a horn, just like the one we use when we call the others.

Piggy: Ralph, we should not play with our food, I remember my auntie once told me that…..

Ralph: Sucks to your auntie.

Jack: I would have been a better leader if I was chosen first.

Chi Yuan: Really Jack? What did you give to the people who followed you?

Jack: I gave the people who followed me all food that they can eat, and there were no rules.

Chi Yuan: No rules? As in how Simon was killed?

Piggy: No, Chi Yuan. That was an accident, truly an accident.

Ralph: No, Piggy, that was murder.

Chi Yuan: Fine, sorry that I brought it up. I did not mean anything about Simon’s death.

Jack: How can you be sorry just for that, I’m leaving and who wants to follow me.

Ralph: Jack! I’m the leader, and I tell you that you must stay!

Piggy: I agree with Ralph.

Jack: Fine!  (awkward silence)

Chi Yuan: Okay. Here comes the second dish, roast pig.

Ralph: Pig! (hahaha) Pig, Pig Piggy….

Jack: Kill the pig, slit her throat, bash her in. Kill the pig, slit her throat, bash her in.

Piggy: Ralph, I really don’t like you mentioning that name.

Ralph: What name! sniff.

Piggy: That I really don’t like others calling me Piggy.

Jack: This pig is so small, my hunters and I can hunt better than these kind.

Piggy: Jack, I have to say this. Ralph is a better leader than you are. He has rules to follow. However, people chose you because you can give them food.

Chi Yuan: Hey guys, here comes the dessert, it’s fondue ice-cream; but wait we don’t have a fire.

Jack: I have an idea. Give me your glasses Piggy!  (Grabbed them away)

Piggy: No! Give them back!

Ralph: Jack, that is enough; give Piggy back his Glasses, he would have given them to you if you asked for them.

Jack: What’s he gonna do? He can’t hunt because of his stupid asthma, he’s fat, and he’s useless.

Ralph: Piggy is intelligent.

Jack: What do you have a right to judge me; you are a bad leader, and I am stronger than you?

Chi Yuan: Hey! (Shouted) This is not the reason why I invited you guys to my house. Please, let us enjoy ourselves.

Ralph: Thank you Chi Yuan, you are an intelligent guy too. (Enjoying the ice-cream)

Chi Yuan: Anyways, thank you guys for coming to my house.

Piggy: You are welcome, Chi Yuan.

Jack: My hunters and I do not appreciate what you have done.

Ralph:  (sniff, sniff) Well, Jack, you are worse than me, and you do not like anyone but yourself.

Chi Yuan: Well, like I said guys, glad you could come.

Should there be cigarettes sold to teens? According to world database, the smoking population in the US is almost 80%. Many people believe that smoking doesn’t harm your body. However studies show that smoking cigarettes is one of the major causes of deaths now days. There are many ways to say why smoking should not be so popular.

The first idea why smoking is so popular is because teenagers these days are picking up cigarettes more than normal adults are. In the first place, teenagers think that smoking is harmless and makes them popular and looks cool, and they think that, “If my friends do it, I should do it too, just to fit in with the crowd.” This is simply wrong because smoking can damage their lungs and throat which may cause cancer. When cigarettes are being burned, they release a chemical called tar which is sticky and black. This may cause your lungs to be sticky and have trouble to breathe deeply. Of equal importance, once your lungs are damaged they will not fully recover. As you grow older you will also have trouble breathing, or run out breath quickly. Because of these symptoms you may not be able to run, or be doing normal physical activities. This in turn may cause your body to be overweight and lead to other diseases. Furthermore, smoking cigarettes may cause secondhand smoke which affects the health of other people. But many smokers say that smoking can keep their brain fresh on what they are doing, it is their energy of the day.

The second thought is that once you start smoking, it may be hard to quit. In supporting this smoking is hard to quit because your brain relies on having the chemical called nicotine which is released by tobacco inside a cigarette. Most people will fail to quit smoking cigarettes after the first time. Consequently, this may cause the victim to smoke even more. One way of quitting is to be motivated. An example is many people take up jogging and notice that smoking limits their performance. Also, people smoke cigarettes not because they like it, but because of the nicotine that they get hooked on. When people try to quit, they may face another withdrawal such as restlessness, irritability, alcoholism, and the fear of gaining weight.

Now that you have learned about knowing how cigarettes may be harmful in your life, try to reject any temptation that can hook you on smoking cigarettes. Have the will power to say no to all situations that involve smoking and think of the consequences and how it will hurt your body. Remember, it’s harder to quit once you start. You can also take another step to do other things instead of smoking, such as daydreaming, exercising, or hanging out with nonsmoker friends. If you are a nonsmoker you can say that you have more money to spend on other things other than cigarettes, or you don’t burn holes in your clothes with cigarettes. In the end, do you think there should be more laws to ban the sale cigarettes?