Response

During class today, the overall theme of what we did had to do with discrimination. The test was just strange. I feel like it really wasn't accurate because it gave me results that I don't necessarily agree with. Listening to the Face to Face videos made me realize that the 9/11 and Pearl Harbor events really did effect the lives of people from Japan and Middle Eastern areas. The story that stuck out most to me was about a Japanese guy that was harassed by the FBI after Pearl Harbor. He got so fed up and sick of it that he hung himself in his barn. Nobody should ever have to deal with being harassed, especially by the government to the point where you feel the need to commit suicide.

While watching A Class Divided, I kept thinking about how the children's parents reacted to this study. It seems logical that the teacher must've had to get permission from the parents because it'd be a bad situation if a child came home from school and felt bad about their eye color. I wasn't surprised how easily the 3rd grader's views were changed because they believe about anything an adult will tell them, especially their teacher. Also, I wonder if the students were skeptical about simple things the teacher told them after the experiment. If somebody convinced me of things that turned out to be false more than once, I would question everything else they said.

Reading Response #3: The Fault in Our Stars

After Hazel and Augustus returned from their trip to Amsterdam, the couple's love for each other just grew and grew. At first, Hazel was really timid because she didn't want to get into such a deep relationship then die and leave her significant other with a "scar", as she called it. Augustus said, "You realize that trying to keep your distance from me will not lessen my affection for you. All efforts to save me from you will fail." As things progressed, she finally gave into the idea that being with Augustus was okay because he gave her a sense of life that she's never experienced before.

Over time, Augustus's health rolled faster and faster downhill due to the long battle against cancer. Hazel really didn't know when the last "goodbye" would be her last memory of him. In some ways, I can relate because I have a great grandpa that's 97 and lives in Wichita. I only get to visit on holidays and summer vacation, so each time I say my goodbyes, I don't take it for granted. When Augustus reached the end of the road, it hit Hazel really hard. Over time, she accepted it because she realized that just the experience of falling in love with such a beautiful person, inside and out was the best thing that has ever happened to her. After Augustus passed away, Hazel found a letter to an author that he wrote, talking about her. In the last line, he said, "You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world, old man, but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices. I hope she likes hers." The couple knew that their relationship would eventually hurt them in a way they've never experienced. But they chose to love each other, regardless of the heartbreak and consequences. In the picture above, Hazel is laying with Augustus in the hospital bed, where they spend some of their last moments together.

Reading Response #2: The Fault in our Stars

During the last section of The Fault in Our Stars, I noted that the main character, Hazel, gave a book for Augustus to read. At first, she was questioning whether she should introduce the book to him because it was a really personal thing to Hazel. Augustus read the book and he loved it just as much as Hazel. Except one thing, ending of the book is unfinished and they both are on the search for the answers.

Since Augustus has also fought cancer, he has a wish to be granted from the "genies." He takes advantage of it and plans a trip for him, Hazel, and their moms to go to Amsterdam. While they're there, they go and visit the author of the book they both read to find out answers. After a disappointing visit, they learn to enjoy their time away from home with each other. It's obvious that deep feelings are present between the two. I can just imagine what it feels like to finally get a break from the same routine every day, dealing with a terminal illness. Augustus seems to have an impact on Hazel that she hasn't realized yet. He puts life in her and gives her hope when she has nobody else to turn to.

Reading Response #1: The Fault in Our Stars

Reading Response #1 : The Fault in Our Stars

When I heard about The Fault in Our Stars movie coming out and almost everybody I knew obsessing over it, I told myself I wouldn't watch the movie or read the book. But I finally gave in and here I am, writing a response to the book. I must admit, the book is heading in a great direction even though I just started it a couple days ago.

Hazel tells the reader about her thyroid cancer that eventually spread to her lungs. Her mom makes her go to a cancer support group that she really despises but she'll do anything to make her mom happy. The main reason her mother urged Hazel to attend is because she thinks Hazel is suffering from depression. Honestly, how could you be diagnosed with a life-threatening form of cancer and not be depressed? Hazel says, "The Support Group, of course, was depressing as hell" (4). Which is completely understandable. Being surrounded by other cancer patients and hearing about their diagnoses/treatments wouldn't make me feel any better about my life. The one good thing about attending the cancer support group is making friends, and that's what happened to Hazel, out of the blue.

Hazel's new found "friend", Augustus, seems to be something she's never had before. They connect on a different level. The way they talk to each other and relate is already amazing, even though I'm not too far into their relationship. "I liked Augustus Waters. I really, really, really liked him. I liked the way his story ended with someone else. I liked his voice" (31). The support group isn't what Hazel needed, but a genuine friend to come out of it was. A supporter that also knows what she's going through is helpful. The way the author's writing shifted after Hazel met Augustus is like night and day. Hazel really did seem as if she was depressed, but now, she's looking forward to things like seeing Augustus and reading the books he loans her.

Somebody to lean on in a great time of need is not only good for your soul, but also good for your health. Knowing you're not facing things on your own gives a sense of comfort and is almost one of the best feelings in the world.

101 Things About Me

I am half Okinawan, half American.

I love to paint nails!

I'm definitely a dog person... I have 2 dogs. They're named Papido and Ella, both mixed with Catahoula and Border Collie.

Cooking and making food look nice and presentable is a hobby of mine.

I could spend all day downloading and listening to music if you'd let me.

I'm interested in the field of dental hygiene.

I have 2 older sisters and 1 younger brother.

All of my siblings and I have Japanese first names (all of which are hard for about everybody to pronounce at first) and American middle names.

I have a pretty cool date of birthday. 1/9/97, which is the year I was born, 1997.

Until this summer, none of my family members except for my intermediate family have lived in Missouri. I now have cousins and an aunt and uncle that live in the same state!

I enjoy watching KU and WSU basketball.

One of my favorite things to do is to just cruise and listen to music at night.

Steak and sushi are my favorite foods and I love just about and kind of fruit.

I prefer shoes over clothes, any day.

My grandparents are the most important people in my life. I'm very close with them.