Reflection ((Summary Essay))

In my summary essay, I noticed some problems in US that I did not see or hear like them in my country. One of the major problems that people should have a bachelor degree in order to get a well-paid job. I think problems like these would not be found if there are no high taxes and strict job requirements. My summary essay made me a careful decision maker and very thankful to my country which do not have such problems. I feel so happy that I am studying this course with a teacher who is giving me useful information which will help me in my career.

Reflection ((Journal))

In Journal 2 (Critical response to Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue”), I learned many things about the English language while I was writing. I discovered that there are many ways to learn English and I do not have to be a native speaker to take English as major in college. International students may not be perfect in speaking English, yet they are usually much better in grammar than native speakers.

Critical Response to Mother Tongue

In the beginning Amy shows her daily life and what she loves. Starting with the sentence, "I am not a scholar of English or literature. I cannot give you much more than personal opinion…." is just to illustrate an image about herself and what is she is thinking about. The experience she had and the way she grew up made her re-think about how her mother talks. She felt there was something missing or needed to be corrected.

Then, Amy sees that her mother English is perfect while her friends and others seemed to find difficulties to understand her mother’s English. Feeling ashamed about her mother's limited English made me think and remember about my childhood when I could not speak English very well. Also, I remembered my teacher when he used to say, " if you faced a wall, go around it to continue you way".

When Amy saw her mother’s achievements, many questions were asked. Comparing Chinese people's English and math grades made Amy challenge the people who thought that the Chinese or any other foreigners who don't speak English very well can't take English as a major in college.

Thinking that the people who speak English at homes would have some effects on their exams might be true, but it is actually depends on the structures, pronunciation, and many other English skills.

The summary of “Should the Obama Generation Drop Out?“

"Should the Obama Generation Drop Out?" written by Charles Murray, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, states that bachelor degree must not be a job condition and Obama should use his authority to change that condition.


Murray talks about Barack Obama's authority, which can change job requirements. Students should study for four years in college to get a bachelor degree and usually those students come from wealthy families and they are well educated. However, most students come from low class families which do not have enough money to cover the cost of their studies, whereas they are looking for well-paid jobs after graduating from high school. Nowadays, most jobs ask for a bachelor degree when students apply for it. Murray's view is that the bachelor degree is good for those who want to continue their higher education, yet it should not be vital for all kinds of jobs. He says that when many companies hire their employee, they just measure the bachelor degree as the job preparedness, which is not relevant.


Also, the author illustrates in his article that most colleges requires some difficult standards from the students which are beyond their abilities such as the high-levels of verbal skills and logic-mathematical capability. In order to discard the bachelor’s degree as a job qualification, Murray suggests replacing the college degree as a job requirement with the certificate tests which can prove a person skill for the job he applied. Not only that, but also he cites that Obama should repeat his words continuously “It’s what you can do that should count when you apply for a job, not where you learned to do it" which means that employers should look at a person skills and ability, without being concern about where the degree is came from or where that person learned how to work.


In a nutshell, Charles Murray believes that employing should be based on person ability in a job. Bachelor degree should not be a reason for not hiring someone or to judge person skills.



Reference: Charles Murray, "Should The Obama Generation Drop Out?" P99-P101

Missing Boring

Goodbye boring days that made me feel despair. Goodbye school days and those with whom I fought and made cry. Goodbye foreigners with your smelly odor that rots the smell of the fresh sky. Goodbye police chases with us on motorcycles that filled my heart with excitement. Goodbye old hags sitting under the tree in my neighborhood. Goodbye to your talking like chatterboxes and never quieting down about anything in your minds. Goodbye crazy women who don’t know how to drive and cause accidents and irritate me when I’m driving to school.

Farewell My Home

Goodbye home, the place where I was raised and nurtured from during my childhood. Goodbye my lovely wide room, where I spent most of my time in playing video games. And the birds, twittering in the early morning, signaling the rise of a new day. Goodbye sunshine, creeping into my room’s windows while I’m taking a cup of milk tea. Goodbye Friday afternoons that I miss so much as to relax in and the smell of sea breeze perfumes. And laying on the warm sands with the water splashing on my face. The relaxing music I listen to under the shining hot sun. I couldn’t imagine that one day I would miss these many things.

Voice From The Green Mountain

Looking at a butterfly flying between flowers emits happiness in someone ribs. Jumana is a 16 years girl who is trying to spread nature happiness inside people hearts by protecting it. She moved with her parents from the Green Mountain, where the green meadows and the colorful flowers decorating her home land, to the modern city, where the smells of the oil gases and cements projects. However, she had to use to it, but cutting trees and taking off the green zones by the city's government was bothering her. She sent them a massage telling to reduce tearing down the green areas. Even though she tried her best, it was useless; they declined her letter because she is 16 years old and if they accepted her advice, their profits would end up with bankruptcy. Jumana was so sad about that. She kept crying till her parents encourage her to find another solution, so she decided to make a project in her school about the environment. Presenting how valuable is the nature for the people and the life.

Sorrow's Life

Sadness smiles in the frightful sky.

Covered with bullets;

Wishing to stop the wars.

Nouh's Litany

You are the sea and the sand,
the shell and the ocean shore.
You are the sunset on the clear horizon.
and the stars of the dusky sky
You are the sunrise of the morning dawn
and the flashing lightning suddenly in the open night sky.

However, you are not the rose in the garden.
The shining pearl on the clam,
or the rays of the reflection light washing waves.
And you are certainly not the sweetness.
There is just no way you are the breeze.

It is possible that you are the fish in the sea,
maybe even the grass in the open meadow,
but you are not even close
to being the jewel in the eye of the beholder.

And a quick look in the mirror will show
that you are neither the trees in the cool spring
nor the caterpillar awakened in its pure form

It might interest you to know,
speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,
that I am the heavenly sound of the mountain.

I also happen to be the storming thunder,
the heavy rain pouring down the canyons,
and hurricane storming through the seas.

I am also the light in the shadowy darkness
and burning fire in the heart of heroes.
But don't worry, I am not the sea and the sand.
You are still the sea and the sand.
You will always be the sea and the sand,
not to mention shells and—somehow—the sea shore

A Place In US Expresses Me

Barnes & Nobles

Diverge, respectful

Learning, reading, buying

Provide public community service

Knowledge

A Place In UAE Expresses Me

Dubai

Development, success

Growing, discovering, imaging

Beautiful place to live in

A Skyscraper

Who I Am In US

A horizon

Distant, loveable

Partying, shining, chatting

People curios about me

A Shore

Who I Am In UAE

A smile :)

Joy, quite

Enjoying, wondering, seesawing

I'm an eccentric person

Laugh :D

Reaching The Purple Sky

Everyone has his special place. My favorite and special place, where I go to relax and have some rest, is the sea near my home in United Arab Emirates (UAE). I like to go there when I feel lonely, angry, or even happy. I remember the sight of the sunrise behind the sea and birds flying reaching for the purple sky. I like also to see ships and boats leaving the port. I see six years old, a child playing on the beach on the warm sand, remembering my childhood and the times that I spent on this beach which hugs the sea I go to. I am looking at the past of the sea while I am living in the present. I am listening to my favorite Mozart's music while I am looking at the furthest point of the sea trying to figure out what it is hiding and to reach the end of it. I am looking at a person standing and the tears pouring down his cheeks. He is so dejected. Pondering about the life and what it is hiding for him. I know that anyone can reach this place, this beach easily, but I don’t think someone admires as I do. I am worry about this place might change in the future. However, I want to enjoy any moments. I might get to be there. I am thinking of being there again. How is it going to be? Is it still the same place now? I am curious about that. Being there is another world.

Admiration

Being called by name and known by your name is a wonderful thing. My name is special for me and I'm proud of it. I don’t want anyone to have it. Pleasure, happiness, love, passion, and honor are poor words to describe how valuable mu name is for me. My name is so rare not only in my country but also in foreign countries. This rarity makes my name unique and interesting. When I say my name to other people in order to introduce myself, I say it with pride. Many people in my country (UAE) like my name. Even though they are familiar with my name, they don’t expect to meet someone with this name. For example, when I went to many job interviews, most of the interviewers were surprised and told me that they liked my name. Not only that, but they also said that they wanted to name one of their children using my name. Sometimes I feel my name gives a quick view of my personality, that I’m different than anybody else. I like this difference because my friends treat me like a very special and important person. What a wonderful feeling. I tried many times to imagine if my name was different or common like many other people's name, but my imagining was useless. I never ever thought of changing my name. Changing my name would be like changing many things in my life, such who I am. I feel that my name is a dot that connects other dots of my silent nature. “Nouh” it pumps my feelings up.