jonathan's english blog

 A truth I was afraid to accept was that American history that was taught in Elementary and Middle school was skewed towards a certain perspective that made certain groups of people appear better than they actually were. For instance, in Elementary school, I was taught that the origin of Thanksgiving was a peaceful congregation between English Settlers and the American Indians where food was exchanged. In reality, the English settlers often killed the Native American population, mainly due to the spread of airborne diseases.  Today in Multicultural Literature we would’ve continued and possibly finish our presentations today, however, a power outage resulted in the entire school having no electricity or internet, which meant that working on our presentations would’ve been impossible. Not much work can be done without electricity or the internet. I am doing good.

 I’d love to take a sailing trip along the Pacific coast, starting from California and heading down toward Mexico. The journey would involve stopping at various coastal towns, exploring quiet coves, and enjoying fresh seafood right off the boat. During the day, I’d learn to navigate the open water and watch for dolphins and sea lions swimming alongside. At night, I’d anchor in a calm bay, falling asleep to the sound of waves gently lapping against the boat. Today in Multicultural Literature we continued working on our presentations regarding “A Devoted Son.” After everyone had finished reading the short story yesterday, we began to work on our presentation today in class. “A Devoted Son” greatly portrays the notion that what’s best in theory may not always be the best in reality, such as providing Verma only medicine that made him want to be let go. At the end, the father despised having a devoted son that regulated every aspect of his life. I am doing good.

 I will never fully understand why people like to gamble with money. It seems like such a risky way to spend money with little guarantee of winning. The thrill of the game can easily turn into frustration when luck isn’t on your side, yet people keep going back. It’s hard to see how anyone would want to invest so much time and money into something with such unpredictable outcomes. The idea of risking so much for the chance of a small reward just doesn’t seem worth it to me.  Today in Multicultural Literature we began to work on our presentation on “A Devoted Son” by Anita Desai. Before we began reading the short story, we familiarized ourselves with Anita Desai’s life and career, which involved a post-colonial Indian upbringing and many years of writing in secret. After reading the short story, I was surprised about the Father's outcome at the end of the story. It goes to show how excessive care can be brutal for people with only a few years left, such as the father. I am doin...

 I wish I had more time for work, sleep, and hobbies. Time is something that cannot be obtained once you’ve already used it, so the importance of time is undeniable. Having more time always makes a person feel relaxed and lessens their stress, for instance, whenever someone takes a test.  Today in Multicultural Literature, we continued our study of India by watching a short video and reading an informational article about India's population and the challenges India faces from it. India's high population may seem like a burden for many cities, such as Delhi, but the high population gives India the greatest potential to advance its economy, infrastructure, and industry. Something interesting that I learned was how young India's population truly is, caused by the exponential growth of the population over the last thirty years. I am doing good.

 I had a moment of unexpected kindness during a marching band parade. I had finished a mile-long parade across Atlanta while playing the sousaphone which left me feeling exhausted. At the end of the parade, there were attendants that gave out free water to participants in the parade and I ended up receiving a bottle of water which help me stay hydrated.  Today in Multicultural literature we continued our study of Indian culture by discussing Colorism in India. From today’s lesson, I’ve learned the negative effect Colorism can have on individuals who are mocked for having a darker skin tone than others. Colorism hasn’t been as prevalent in my life compared to others, but it is still an important factor to address. I am doing good.

 Today in Multicultural Literature, we read about Indian culture in a textbook and answered 7 questions about the text. I’ve learned the many differences present between Indian culture and American culture, such as India’s use of the caste system which is unseen in the United States. What stuck out to me was how old Indian civilization really is, dating back to 2000BC. I am doing good.

 Today in multicultural literature I worked on an assignment on Newsela that involved used shoes and what to do with them after they aren’t wanted anymore. The Newsela article focused on different aspects such as recycling, donation, reselling, and conservation. I learned that shoes can still retain value, even after being worn through proper care. I am doing good.