I HAD A HERO

I read the article called ‘I HAD A HERO’ written by Mike Tidwell RPCV Congo.

This story is about a man who called Mike visits to the village where Ilunga lives because he tries to teach him how to raise fish. Mike thinks they need water for raising fish so he asks Ilunga about a good spot where there is a small stream or a spring. And then they pace off a pond and stake a water canal running between it and a point father up the stream. Ilunga start to digging with a shovel. He is digging the pond everyday and everyday. It is very hard work for them because they have to make ten-by-fifteen-meter pond with only a shovel. Mike tries to help him but he is tired very much. Even though Ilunga is tried too, he continues to digging the pond. Several weeks later, the pond is completely finished. They celebrate together. Mike thinks that Ilunga is a hero because he had done completely the pond with a shovel.

While I was reading this article, I use the reading strategies called ‘I try to picture in mind what I have just read to help me remember what I read’. I didn’t understand the meaning of ‘fish culture’ (in paragraph 1) and also I couldn’t imagine in my mind. I could make sure later that ‘fish culture’ means ‘raising fish’. Also I used the reading strategies called ‘I use a dictionary to help me understand what I read’. I used the dictionary to make sure the word, ‘underfed’ (in paragraph 2) because I didn’t understand the meaning of it. In paragraph 12, I tried to picture that they were digging the pond with only a shovel. I thought that it’s very hard work for them. Through this story, I thought that Ilunga was very stubborn and diligent parson because he didn’t give up digging the pond, however he was sick. And I agreed that Mike thought that Ilunga was a hero because the pond was completely finished by him. After I finished reading this article, I could understand the meaning of title of this story.

The sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

I am still reading the book called 'The sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' written by Ann Brashares. I read 20 pages in this week.

The chapter that I read focus on Carmen. I already read before about she goes to South Carolina to meet her father but her father tries to remarry with a new wife. In this chapter, Carmen talks with her father and she asks him about a new wife. She asks her father that why they celebrate the wedding now. Her father answers that his new wife never had celebrate the wedding before because she was planning the wedding with her mother but her mother died suddenly six weeks before the wedding. Her father thinks that now is her chance and he wants her to enjoy the wedding. Also Carmen is told by her father that his new wife divorced her old husband because he had a serious drinking problem and he has been in and out of treatment. While Carmen is listening about her father's new wife, she feels so sad and sorry to her. Carmen promises herself that she would smile at a new wife.

While I was reading this chapter, I used the reading strategies called 'I try to picture in my mind what I have just read to help me remember what I read'. There was many conversation with Carmen and her father in this chapter, so I could imagine the situation easily. I also used 'I ask myself question I like to have answered in the text'. After I read the chapter, I asked the question myself that what does Carmen think about a new wife now? I answered that she felt sorry to her and she sympathized with her past. Although Carmen didn't like a new wife first, she approved that her father remarried with her. I could understand her feeling that she felt shock at first about her father tried to remarry with a new wife, but I thought that she had to wish her father's happiness if she loves him. So I felt happy that Carmen finally approved the remarriage of them.

I will continue reading this book.

The sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

I continue to reading the book called 'The sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' written by Ann Brashares. I read 20 pages in this week.

The chapter that I read this week focus on Tibby. Although three girls travels to different places, only Tibby stays at home and she works part-time on summer vacation. She hates the part-time job because it is really boring work. One day, when she works on the supermarket with the Pants, a girl comes in the supermarket and then she tries to buy something. But a girl falls down on the floor suddenly. Tibby was surprised and she gets into a panic. After she called 911, she thinks that she has to tell a girl's parents what is going on, so she takes her wallet to find her parents' phone number. The ambulance and three guys comes to the store, and they carry a girl to the ambulance. One guy notice that Tibby has a girl's wallet and he asks to Tibby that why she has a girl's wallet because he thinks that she steals her wallet. Tibby tries to clean up the misunderstanding but he doesn't trust her.

In this chapter, I used the reading strategies called 'I try to picture in my mind what I have just read to help me remember what I read'. I tried to imagine that Tibby gets into panic when a girl falls down to the floor in front of her. I thought that if I work in the supermarket and I see the customer fall down suddenly in front of me, I will get into a panic like Tibby. And I felt sorry to Tibby because she took a girl's wallet to tell her parents that she was carried to the hospital, but one guy suspected that she stole her wallet. If I was a girl who fell down, I would not suspect that she stole my wallet. I will appreciate that she tried to help me and her kindness. When I read this chapter, I learned that to clean up the misunderstanding and suspicion are very difficult thing.
I will continue to reading this book.

The Wisdom of Toads

I read the article called "The Wisdom of Toads" written by Puerto del Sol. The story is about a man who is in prison commits a crime. He has three daughters and wife and also he is a teacher. He stays in the prison because he falls in love with his student. A girl is only fourteen years old.

When I read the paragraph three, I thought that the author's writing is an individual and interesting style of writing because the reader can not predict the whole story if they read only paragraph three. And I learned that the author used a hook for the readers. I used the reading strategies called 'I use a dictionary to help me understand what I read' in paragraph three because there was many difficult words for me, so I used the dictionary to understand these words. And also I used 'I try to picture in my mind what I have just read to help me remember what I read'. I imagined that the toad was moving in the sand whole and I felt sick because I really hated the toad. I had two questions after reading paragraph three. First question is why does he stay in the prison? Second question is why did he catch the toad?

In paragraph six and seven, the toad was used for the drug by prisoner because they can relief from walls and bars when they smoked the toad. While I was reading this paragraph, I could get the answer of one of my questions. He caught the toad because he tried to use it for the drug. I used the reading strategies called 'When text becomes difficult I re-read it to increase my understanding'.

When I read the paragraph ten and eleven, I learned that he had three children and he loved so much his children. I would say that he was a good father because he tried to teach to his children about different things between other fathers. And I thought that he was a science teacher because he observed the toad and treasured it. I used the reading strategies called 'When I read I translate from English into my native language' in the last sentence of the paragraph ten because I couldn't understand clearly the meaning of the sentence.

I felt shock about him after reading the paragraph 14 because he fell in love with a girl who was one of his students. He tried to start a new life with her but she was only 14 years old. I was really surprised because she was only 14 years old. Did he recognize that his conduct will be guilt?

After I read this story, I thought that to fall in love with other is normal thing but a girl is too young for him in the story. I imagined that if my teacher fell in love with his student who is 14 years old, I will surprise and I can’t respect him anymore. The teachers must not fall in love with their students because they have to teach about the learning to their students in school. Through this story, I thought that there were many difficult words for me in each paragraphs and I used the dictionary many times while I was reading. Although this story was a little bit difficult for me, I liked the author’s style of writing.

The sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

I'm still reading the book called "The sisterhood of the Traveling Pants".
I read 20 pages in this week.

The chapter that I read focus on Carmen. She lives apart from her father because her mother and father get divorced. In summer holiday, she goes to her father's house in South Carolina. She was excited to see her father. When she arrived her father's house, there are her father and his new family in the house. He is getting remarried with new wife and gets two kids and her father tells Carmen that they will celebrate a wedding next day. A new wife talks to Carmen very friendly but Carmen was shocked that her father is getting remarried with other woman. She knows that it is not her father's fault but she doesn't like a new wife and her children. At night, Carmen calls to her mother and tells about her father's remarriage. Next day, she doesn't want to go to the wedding but she has to.

While I was reading this chapter, I used the reading strategies called 'I try to picture in my mind what I have just read to help me remember what I read' in page 77. I imagined that her father was happily holding the hand of his new wife in front of Carmen. And also I used the reading strategies called 'I use words in boldface type and italics to identify key information' in this chapter. When Carmen saw her father's new wife and family, she thought that "Aren't we supposed to be a family too??" (P 78)in her mind. When I read it, I felt sorry to her and I could understand her feeling because if I am Carmen, I would feel sad about father's remarriage and I don't want to let him marry with a new wife. And I also used the strategies called 'I used a dictionary to help me understand what I read' because I sometimes couldn't understand the words and I used the dictionary to make sure them.

I read this chapter, I imagined about the situation of the remarriage of Carmen's father. If my father and mother get divorced and I know that my father will get marry with new wife, I would shock and I would feel shock about it. Even though a new wife is kind and good person, I can not be a daughter of new wife. I thought that I'm happy that I have real father and mother. I absolutely don't want them to get divorce.
I will continue to reading this book.

Reading for the Theme

Can you believe the silly rumour? Today, I read the book called "The Summer the Sun Dind Not Blow Up" written by Birmati Lakhan. I learned that the fear of going down the rumour to evryone because someone say a small rumour to someone, it spread quickly to everyone and then a small rumour will be a big silly rumour. This story is about Indian families in Fiji. When the author was six years old, a rumour spread among children in the villege that sun would break. Their families think of many ways that they can survive in the villege. But adults in villege doesn't know about a rumour because the rumour spread among only children. The rumour is silly, so the sun never broken in the villege. When I read this article, I began to understand about the rumour really affect on people's life. And I understood that a small rumour is changed to a big rumour quickly by mouth to mouth. I realized that almost everyone might believe a rumour and their feeling and thinking are sometimes dependent on the rumour. This article reminded me about myself. When I was in an elementary school, a bad rumour which was about one of my friend spread among other students. I didn't want to believe about it so I didin't believe a silly rumour. Although I would believe a good rumour, I would not believe a bad rumour.

While I was reading this aricle, I used three reading strategies. First, I used the reading strategies called 'I try to picture in my mind what I have just read to help me remember what I read' in paraph 1. I imagined that what will happen to the villege if showers of fire and glowing splinters fall. I tried to picture in my mind about it, and I thought that if the showers of fire and glowing splinters fall down on the villege, Indian families in Fiji would die out. I was so scared to think about it. Second, I used 'when I read I translate from English into my native language' in paragraph 9. The author wrote "The rumour was getting out of hand" in paragraph 9 and the reason why I used the strategy on this sentence is that I didn't understand the exact meaning of "getting out of hand". Third, I used 'I underline or circle information or ideas in the text to help me remeber it' in paragraph 12. I underlined on "As the story went from mouth to mouth the time changed from 'millions of years' to 'next month'." because I thought that this sentence was most important part to relate with the theme of the story. It shows that the silly rumour in Fiji spread out the all families and it changed to big rumour. Through the article, I thought that the possible theme statement of this story was 'Rumour are easy to start but hard to stop" because it related to the theme that I decided first.

My process of reading for the theme is that I find the most important sentence in the story snd think carefully about why the sentence is impotant, and then I decide the theme of the story. I think that I worked well about I underlined on the important sentence in the paragraph and I can find the theme of the story. Next time, I will read more carefully for the theme and also I will use more the reading strategies to support the reading.

The theme of the Sisterhood of theTraveling Pants

I am reading the book called "The sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." I think that the theme of this book is the importance of friendship and love.
The main characters, four girls never separated with each other but each of them have to travel to different places in summer vacation. Although they feel sad and they don't want to separate with their buddies first, each of them have good experiment at different places. Through their own travel, they learn about the importance of friendship and also they learn about love because four girls fall in love with the different guys.
I think that the theme of this book is the importance of friendship and love with someone.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

I continue to reading this book called "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" was written by Ann Brashares. I read 20 pages in this week.

The main characters, four girls come apart at last and each of them travel to different places. This chapter focus on Lena. She travels with her younger sister to Greece to see her grandparents. When she arrives at grandparent's house, her grandmother wellcome Lena from the bottom of her heart. She tries to celebrate their arrival with big meal and a bunch of neighbors. At night, Lena and her younger sister change their cloth to beatiful dress for their wellcome party. At the party, her grandmother introduces a nice boy to her. His name is Kostos and everyone loves him because he is very handsome. Lena's grandparents are very close to Kostos's family and they considers him to be practically their own grandson. He is pleasured about Lena through the party but she is very hard on boys.

While I was reading this chapter, I was excited about four girls traveled to different places because I was interested in what will happen to them. This chapter that I read in this week was about Lena. I could imagine clearly about the situation of her reunion and it reminded me about myself. When I was 15 years old, I moved to Thailand from Japan. I was really sad to separate from my grandparents because I liked them so much. This summer holiday, I went back to Japan for a month, and then I met my grandmother again after an interval of two years. I was really happy to see her again. So I could sympathize with the feeling of them and Lena's grandmother. I surprised that this story is also about the romance because I thought that the story of the book is about only friendship with four girls. When I read this chapter, I predicted that four girls will fall in love with boys in different places. This book interests me very much and I felt that I want to read more. I will continue to reading this book.

The Lady or the Tiger?

I read the article called "The Lady or the Tiger?" in English class. While I was reading this article, I used some symbols. First, I translate from English into my native language when I read one paragraph. There were some words that I coul'd understand in one paragraph, so I used the dictionary to make sure these word. In paragraph two to five, I tried to picture in my mind what I have just read to help me remember what I read. I imagined the situation of story in my mind and I tried to easy to understand the story.

This story is about a king who had his own ideas about justice in faraway country. He had to choose one of the two doors. A hungry tiger stayed behind One of doors but A Ledy stayed behind another door. The princess had to open the one of the doors. If she opened the door which stayed a hungy tiger, the accused man will be died, but if she opened another door which stayed the lady, a man had to marry with the lady. The princess hated the lary so she didn't want him to marry with the lady. She had to make the supreme choice.

While I was reading this article, I infered that if I was the princess, I will open the door which stayed a man because I don't want him to die. Although he has to marry with the lady, I will endure about it.