Samantha

Response to Cancer Land!

2009-11-20T08:48:00.000-08:00

Reading Ehrenreich essay “Cancer Land” it really made me realize how popular breast cancer is becoming. Like Ehrenreich said there are over hundreds of websites dedicated to the disease, they hold marathons for it, and also have their own logo and color. It was also interesting how Ehrenreich read how other women all looked on the bright side while dealing with cancer. It was strange way of looking on the bright side, they said how chemo will make you thinner, when your hair falls out it will grow back thicker, and also helps you have faith. I can only imagine how hard it must be for those women to look on the bright side in those situations. I thought Cancer Land was an awesome essay filled with great facts and I very much enjoyed reading it.

Annotation project (Crystal Meth)

2009-11-04T07:51:00.000-08:00

I decided to do it on crystal meth. I think this topic will be good because there is so much information on this drug. I am going to write about the following questions. 1How popular is this drug, 2what it does to you and the side affects, 3how crime starts being involved in this drug, 4how much meth coast along with the looks of it. and 5how it can change your whole life or affect you in the long run.

A site that has a tiny bit of info --->

Crystal Meth.~
Another !

summary

2009-11-01T12:41:00.000-08:00

Barbara Ehrenreich wrote an essay in Harper’s Magazine called “Cancer Land.” In this essay she writes about how she handles the news that she was just diagnosed with breast cancer. She also speaks about how other women handle living with breast cancer, and how breast cancer is becoming so popular.

Ehrenreich explains throughout this essay how popular Breast cancer is, as she calls it “killing cells”. She explains how the color pink and a teddy bear represents Breast cancer and chemotherapy and how there is over hundreds of websites dedicated all to this one disease. As Ehrenreich searches cures online, she happens to stumbles across a site where other women chat about Breast cancer. She notices ups and downs in the women’s conversations, how some seem to look in the bright side, where others are just overly sick and tired. As Ehreneich reads more, she sees how Breast cancer use to be the dreaded secret and now is more popular then AIDS, cystic fibrosis, or spinal injury. As Ehrereich reads more and more about this evil disease she knows she has a long fight ahead of her and she will not go to sleep with a smile on her face.

Ethnography (revised)

2009-10-17T07:36:00.000-07:00

It was a chilly spring morning. Horses were unloading from different trailers all around. It was the first horse show of the season. You could tell the riders were not the only nervous ones. Horses pranced with nerves and excitement around the open field with their riders right beside them. As everyone warmed up for a long day ahead of them, the judge waited anxiously on the side of the ring to judge every person and horse that came their way. Each person that walked by the judge was a different type of rider. Some hunt seat, some western, and some english. It was the start of a long day.

It was the first horse show of the season. Riders walked back and forth from the office all retrieving their numbers they would be called by for the day. Horses waited anxiously by the trailers all looking hyper as ever, the usual behavior for the first show. I sat there and watched each rider mount their horses and trot around the practice ring, attempting to fix any flaw their horses or themselves have before entering the ring where they will be judged. There were all sorts of different riders. I seen some western riders, who jog around the ring slower then the others and also have an abnormal large saddle with a horn in the front, very different from others. I also observed the english riders. These riders trotted at a very fast pace, probably overlapping the western riders at least two times. Each type of riding has different rules, they need to be judged very differently. I always seem to notice how some riders look nervous as ever, while others seem to be over confident in themselves. I specifically remember seeing this one younger girl’s face. She was sitting on her horse outside of the ring biting her nails, waiting impatiently for her class number to be called. She constantly kept asking her trainer “what class is this, do you think I will do good?” Questions kept flowing out of her mouth like there was no tomorrow. As the morning went on the show was about to begin whether the riders were ready or not.

Watching each rider enter their specific class, each horse acts very different. Some are relaxed and ready, others are jumping left and right, refusing to enter the judging ring. Watching the flat classes which means there is no jumping, rider’s faces look serious, wanting to win first place, though the younger riders seemed just happy go lucky, not worrying about coming in first. As the judge yells his or her commands each rider has to obey them perfectly, the smallest mess up can coast you the whole class. As each class ends every rider exit’s the ring with a different expression. Some riders are proud their horses were good and what they receive does not matter, others exit in tears and furious they did not receive a better placing. I remember seeing this one girl on her large dun colored Thoroughbred horse cursing up a storm because she thought she deserved a better placing. It is interesting to see how every person takes a situation differently. This behavior I witnessed made me worry that I might of acted this foolish in the past shows I have been in. I found it amusing to see the younger girls exit the ring yelling to their parents or trainer “Did you see me! Did I look good!” There hearts seemed to be filled with confidence and excitement!

Once the flat classes came to an end jumping began. These classes are the most exciting to observe. In this show I attended there were three heights of jumping: 18in., 2ft. and 2’3. Each rider and their horse has to learn the jumping patteren and clear every jump. It may sound easier said then done. For a rider to get their horses around every tight corner on their correct lead and remember a pattern is very difficult. I sat quietly on the side lines and watched each rider enter their course. Of course every one completed this task differently. Some knocked jumps over, others forgot their patterns, and some rode with the wrong lead. You may think why is this form of riding more exciting to watch then the others. Well watching a horse and rider fly over a huge jump and try to race to the other one sounds more thrilling and kind of keeps you on the edge of your seat. Usually every rider here puts their all into every class and riding horses is not as easy as it looks.

As the day went on, the sun started shining and classes went on and on. Throughout the day I seen; tears, anger, excitement, fear, and courage. Attending horse shows is a non-stop moving day, although it is worth to go and watch. Showing my whole life and knowing how stressful it can be to feel like you need to get everything done perfect, sitting back and observing is a nice change!

personal essay

2009-09-28T04:09:00.000-07:00

Throughout my whole life, my grandparents have lived with us. Through every move we made, every trial we went through, they were always there. My grandmother, who was named Amelia, was like my second mother. She helped me through so many things and always gave me advice. Little did we know, our family was up for a rude awakening when my grandmas health took a turn for the worse. My life soon was about to change.

Growing up, our families were always very close. Family gatherings were always thrown, and everyone was in everyone’s business, typical Italians. Out of a huge family, mine were the lucky ones to have my grandma and grandpa live with us. We lived in Randolph for a while of my life, until we decided to move to a small, boring, quiet town called Berkley. Berkley is where me and my grandmother seemed to become closer. We were more then relatives, we were friends. She was my go to person. I had a question, I knew where I could find the answers, if I was grounded, she was the one I would beg to take me out. A close bond was made between us.

Every year my grandpa would drag my grandma to Florida at the end of December to run from the cold, and every year she left, it felt like I was losing a friend. Even though they left for months, they always returned home in April just in time for our family Easter celebration, although this year was different. Once my grandparents returned, something was wrong. My grandma did not feel right. We soon discovered she was diagnosed with lung cancer. It ripped the family apart. Everyone knew there was about to be a drastic change. This disease was un curable, even though I constantly hoped for some sort of miracle.

My grandma refused to tell people she was dieing. Her held was always held high with proud, she refused to tell herself the disease was going to take over her. I will never forget the day my mother shaved all my grandma’s hair off. I am sure she was devastated on the inside, but her bravery was outstanding, there was no sine of fear. She wanted to stay strong for her seven children, and 16 grandchildren. But we all knew the truth. Weeks turned into months, and my grandma was going down hill. Her smile began to fade, here eyes lost their sparkle, she was growing weak. Our family decided to put their money together and keep my sick grandma at home and hire a nurse. It felt like I was slowly losing a friend. My grandmother and I spoke a lot. We chatted about everything: life, religion, boys, and after life. As months passed I seen her growing worse, more sick. It felt like I was losing my best friend. I refused to tell myself she was going to die, but I was proven wrong. Two years of fighting for her life, my grandma, my best friend, my second mother, passed away. She died in peace, in her own bed surrounded by family holding her tight. I lost a part of me when she died, and so did many of out family members.

My Grandma will always be in my heart. She left a piece of herself when she left this earth. Her traditions will go on forever, and her un selfish love will still roam in our hearts forever. Her love was kind, and never selfish, and I will always remember her!

2009-09-21T05:15:00.000-07:00

I did a lot of brain storming and thinking of moments in my life that i remember in order to describe it on paper.