all i asking for is my body, part III dialogue

What is the meaning of the title?

During the end of August Kiyoshi father decided to quit fishing and move the family back to Kahana. Their family was much larger and needed help. Part of traditions is that the first born son was expected to help take care of the family. Tosh was the oldest and first born. He was forced to quit high school and work in the cane fields to help support his family. This also meant he had to help pay off his father's debt.

When Tosh said, "All I asking for is body" he meant that he wanted to be able to make his own decisions. He wanted to decide what his path was in life and which path to take. Tosh was angry because he actually liked going to school. He wanted to make something of himself and not live the life of someone else. He hated the fact that his grandfather's debt was a burden, only because it was he who was to help pay it off. He believe that this was throwing his life away. Where his time and effort could help make a better life for him and his family.

all i asking for is my body, part II dialogue

Why do Kiyoshi’s parents have so many children?

I believe one of the reasons that Kiyoshi’s parents have so many children is because they just like having someone around. The fact that there are so many kids, no one will ever be alone.  For example, when Kiyoshi’s father is out at sea, his mother will always have someone to talk to so she will not get lonely.

I think the main reason Kiyoshi’s parents had so many children because as they get older their children will be able to take care of them. For example, when Kiyoshi's mother got sick she had help from her children while her husband was out at sea. Eventually, all the children will be adults with jobs that will help support their parents. Not only will they be support their parents but they will be able to help each other when in need.

Kiyoshi’s family reminds me of my husbands family. His parents had eight kids. Can u imagine living in that house? His sisters told me when they where younger they would have to do chores around the house such as dishes, every one's laundry, and sometimes cook. Some of the boys during the summer would work with their dad landscaping. They all helped each other out. And now my husband is trying his best to help his parents. He was able to get some of his brothers and sisters help buy his parents a car.

writing topic: rules for writers chapter 8

Chapter 8 is about using active verbs by pairing it with a subject that names the noun doing the action. Using an active verb can make a sentence express more meaning. As mentioned in the chapter when using a verb in the passive tone can require more structure or strength because their subjects receive the action instead of doing it. When you carefully select active verbs it can make the piece of writing come to life. For example: The goalie crouched low, reached swept out his stick, and sent hooked the rebound away from the mouth of the net. The chapter mentions using an active voice so that the sentence is more effective, simple and direct.

Ex.
ACTIVE-  Hernando caught the fly ball.
PASSIVE- The fly ball was caught by Hernando.

And the last thing is that some be verbs can result to dull or wordy sentences. For example using be verbs such as be, am, is, are, was, were, being, been. Only consider replacing it if your sentence needs to be more expressive.

I love to read stories or papers that is expressive. I want to be able to picture myself where ever their story takes place. This chapter was very short but helped in many ways. Now, I can definitely read through some of my papers to keep them from being so dull. No one wants to read a dull or wordy paper. I didn’t realize that sometimes using be verbs can make a paper boring.

“all i asking for is my body” part 1 dialogue

Who is the Narrator?  Where does he live?  What do his parents do for a living?

The narrator is a fourth grade boy name Kiyoshi who lives in Pepelau, Hawaii. The whole town would spend their whole day at the beach and if they had money they would watch movies at night. No one is Pepelau owned shoes because during the day they would go bare foot and at night they would wear a pair of Japanese zori.

Kiyo lived with is parents, older brother Tosh who is a seventh grader and kid sister. Kiyo’s father was a fisherman and his mother hand sewed kimonos. His parents taught him to be very respectful to others.    

Kiyo had two friends named Mit and Skats who were both the same age. In the summer Kiyo and his two friend met Makot who was an older boy about the same age as Kiyo brother Tosh. He would eat at Makot’s house because he was tired of eating fish and rice. He would do things Makot told him to because Makot would take him to the movies, or buy him ice cream, or candy. However, Kiyo’s parents do not approve of him playing with Makot. They told Kiyo that Makot’s home is bad and so are his parents.

essay 3 workshop

What role does media or schooling play in shaping Lovey's identity? How does she learn to view herself?

Identity is define as a person’s individuality. It is who they are as a person, their personality and what characteristics make up their image. Most little girls dress up as their favorite princess or favorite TV character. They love to play house because they can act like an adult and do the same as their mother would do. Some younger boys imagine themselves as their favorite superhero or video game character. They imagine themselves with super powers, saving the world. When kids pretend to be someone else, it means they are trying to find out who they really are. Many things throughout life have a role in creating your identity. Life at times make it hard to attain an image of yourself. Lovey learns to view herself through media, schooling and family. They all have a role in shaping Lovey’s identity which made it difficult for her to truly find herself.    

Have you ever wanted to be exactly like someone on t.v.? Lovey wanted to to be just like Shirley Temple. “...and I used to wish I was just like her, with perfect blond ringlets and pink cheeks and pout lips, bright eyes and a happy ending....” A lot of girls change the way they look only to look like someone else. Although the outside image has change, deep inside they still are the same person. As humans we tend to want things that we can’t have or like to be someone we are not. Shirley Temple live in a perfect world, which made Lovey want a life just like her. She wanted a “happy ending” because she wanted others to cry of happy tears with her. Lovey wanted others to watch her on t.v. She wanted to be on t.v. just like the rich Honolulu kids on The Checkers and Pogo Show.   

School is another aspect of shaping one’s identity. Teachers or other students could help determine who you are as a person. It really depends on who teacher or the student is. Are they fairly nice or bitter? For example, Lovey’s English teacher believes that speaking Standard English will make you successful in life. “Speak Standard English. DO NOT speak pidgin. You will only be hurting yourselves.” Mr. Harvey’s statement made Lovey ashamed of how she spoke, of her parents, the food they eat, where they live, and the list goes on. I believe that Lovey speaking pidgin is a part of who she is, and Mr. Harvey was trying to that identity away from her.   

Family definitely have a different perspective from others, but they still have an affect on who you become. In Oompah Loompah dialogue, love says, “...I want to look like an angel.” Lovey’s mother believes using the Toni perm box will make Lovey’s hair look just like Farrah Fawcett. 

 
More to come

writing topic: rules for writers chapter 19

Chapter 19 is about repairing sentence fragments. Sentence fragments is a group of words that pretends to be a sentence. For example, And immediately popped their flares and life vests. As mentioned in the chapter, in order for a word group to be a sentence, it must consist of at least one full independent clause. An independent clause has a subject and a verb, and it either stands alone or could stand alone. And immediately popped their flares and life vests is a fragment even if it includes a verb, it still lacks a subject. We don’t know who popped their flares and life vests.

Fragments can be easily repaired by pulling the fragment into a nearby sentence or turning the fragment into a sentence. For example, The pilots ejected from the burning plane, landing in the water not far from the ship. And They immediately popped their flares and life vests.

After reading this chapter, I had a hard time writing the summary. I felt like I would somehow include fragments even if I just learned how to repair them. This chapter was very helpful because fragments are very tricky. While writing an essay, people tend to ramble on without looking back. However, if you do look closely fragments could appear to look like a sentence. The rule is to remember it must include a subject and verb. I know it sounds so easy, but fragments can be easily disguised as a sentence.  

smoke signals, the movie dialogue

Thomas and Victor “were children born of flame and ash.” (3:23) Thomas lost his parents in a house fire on the 4th of July when he and Victor were still babies. Years later, Victor’s dad left because of all the guilt built up inside. The two boys grew up in the same Indian Reservation and developed an interesting relationship.  

Thomas is a sweet and caring person, but Victor is mean and always acted as if he didn’t care. At times Victor would tease Thomas, but in the end Thomas still stuck around. When Victor’s dad passed away, Thomas offered to help pay his way to Phoenix, Arizona. The only obligation was to let Thomas go with. Throughout their journey I believe Victor and Thomas developed a friendship. Victor believed that part of being a real Indian was to look like a warrior. “You gotta look like a warrior. You gotta look like you just came back from killing a buffalo.” (36:06) He also believed that an Indian man is nothing without his hair. Thomas wasn’t about looks, he believed that the only thing that mattered was the person you are inside. By the end of the trip, I think Victor realized that things are never what they really appear to be.

writing topic: rules for writers chapter 48

Chapter 48 is about evaluating arguments in your own writing by looking for logic and fairness. At first some arguments seems reasonable but then turn out to be “fallacious, unfair, or both.” (371) For example a hasty generalization is a conclusion based on insufficient or unrepresentative evidence. This is also known as a stereotype. Many people tend to confirm evidence with their own opinions and do not notice the evidence itself. Another fallacy is false analogy. You cannot assume that two things are alike even if they both have the same challenges. In order to keep your arguments on track, trace the causes and effects of your statement. To have enough evidence to back up your argument make a connection to see what causes the outcomes.

After reading this chapter, it helped me determine what type of arguments are fair. I know that when I’m writing an argumentative essay I tend to use hasty generalization. Being human, I believe that we all do confirm most of our evidence because of our own opinions. Stereotypes are used everyday, so some feel that they may be true. It will be difficult to step back and look at the causes and effects of what makes each statement true. But in the end, your essay will be hard to argue with.  

“happy endings” and “oompah loompah”

Why does the author contrast Shirley Temple and Oompah Lompahs? What meaning do you take away from this contrast?

Lovey explains how much she would love to be just like Shirley Temple “with perfect blond ringlets and pink cheek and pout lips, bright eyes...” (3) Shirley Temple movies made her cry. It made her want to miss Sunday School because of the happy ending. She said that she would cry because she was happy. And how she wished that she could have a happy ending just like Shirley.

Lovey’s mother decides to perm her hair for her. She explained that when she “pau” (60) she will look like Farrah Fawcett, Angie Dickinson, or Shirley Temple. When her mother was finished she had an Afro. Cal gave Lovey a nickname for her hair, Oompah Loompah.

Shirley Temple and Oompah Loompahs have maybe only one thing in common, they sing.  I believe that the author contrast the two because they are totally opposites in appearances but yet they both live in a perfect world. Shirley is cute girl with perfect ringlets and opposed to Oompah Loompahs with their ugly skin and funky hair. I think it doesn’t matter what you look like as long as your happy where you are.

writing topic: rules for writers chapter 47

Chapter 47 is about constructing reasonable arguments, which means taking a stand on a debatable issue. The main goal of debating on a issue is not just to win, but to convince readers to reconsider their opinions. There are three different tones of arguments; aggressive, passive and assertive. Before stating your argument it is important to examine your issue’s social and intellectual contexts. Don’t be afraid to do some research in preparation of your argument and consulting a few sources can help. Another tip is to view your audience like a panel jurors because each person has a variety of opinions.

As mentioned in the chapter your introduction should include your thesis that states your position on the issue. This includes a good opening sentence with a sentence that is fair-minded which will help establish your credibility. A good thesis should have persuasive lines of argument which could help convince those that disagree. When developing ideas to support your thesis use examples, illustrations, facts, statistics. At times writers use experts opinions to support their argument, but just remember to provide credentials. Anticipating and countering objections can strengthen by showing you are a reasonable and well informed writer.

I believe that when writing an argument paper it is important to have a more assertive tone. It definitely will help get your opinion out to your readers. Even if the reader already agrees or disagrees with your opinion having sources to back it up will change views or simply giving that information out there. When writing essays I think giving examples or illustrations make a stronger persuasive essay. It gives a the reader a better picture of what you are trying to say.

essay 2 workshop

"coming home again"

Reading "Coming Home Again" by Chang-rae Lee made me realize how family is what I cherish the most. Just like Chang-rae and his family, we cook and share memories across the table. Spending each moment with them is a time that can’t be explained in simply words. Growing up I never really knew why some people made a big fuss about their families. Until I met my husband, who taught me the meaning of the word family. No matter if times are tough always stick together. Help each other out once in a while, and go out of your way to show them you care. For example, in “Coming Home Again” when his mother was sick he moved home. He would try his hardest to make each dish exactly the way his mother would. Now thinking back of all the points in time where certain moments define the word family. I remember almost every two weeks my family and I would take a road trip. All those trips in the white van reminds me how just being together, standing beside one another, and all the little things makes the word family true.

Throughout life, you will understand why being with your family is so valuable. I remember as a young girl I enjoyed spending time with my family, even though at times we all had our differences. When my youngest brother was born I thought my life was over. Great, another boy to watch over. I wanted a younger sister so bad, but for some reason life seem better than before. A new addition to our family meant my mom needed a bigger car for all three of us. My mom sold her hunter green Honda Accord to my uncle and bought a brand new 1993 white Dodge Caravan. We took many road trips in that van. It didn't matter where we went, just sitting in that roomy van knowing we would end up somewhere together.

Almost every weekend my mom and dad would drive us in our white Caravan to Stockton to visit our grandma and grandpa. They were my moms adoptive parents. My mom would always pack our favorite snacks. One of our favorites was the Nongshim flavored onion rings. "The flavor is lighter and a bit "sweeter" than Funyuns, but still deliciously oniony." (Daves's Cupboard) We would always link the rings together or see how many we can fit in our mouth at once. Before we knew it, the bag was empty. On the way there we would always stop half way for gas and snacks.  

“the insufficiency of honesty” dialogue

Stephen Carter explains how telling everything you know can sometimes hurt others. One of his examples included a story about “a man who has been married for fifty years and confesses to his wife on his deathbed that he was unfaithful thirty-five years earlier. The dishonesty was killing his spirit, he says. Now he has cleared his conscience and he is able to die in peace.” (¶ 7)

I agree with Carter, even if the man did confess and the same time he left his wife miserable only for his own selfish reasons. He did not think about how this would affect his wife after he was gone. The man was honest at the time of no risks, but not realizing his integrity is jeopardized. Why decide on your deathbed to tell the person you love with a truth so devastating? Should his wife be sad that her husband passed or the fact that he was unfaithful to her? At that point, you don’t know if hearing the truth is a good thing. Personally, I have no clue what I would think. I’m not sure if I could go on knowing that someone that had made a promise to me was unfaithful. It is definitely a tough subject. I feel that SOMETIMES things are better left untold.

writng topic: rules for writers chapter 4

Chapter 4 is about building effective paragraphs.  Each paragraph helps build support for your thesis.  Paragraphs should always focus on a main idea, and if the subject goes off it could confuse your readers.  In the beginning of most paragraphs is a topic sentence that introduces the main point of the paragraph. The sentences to follow should support the topic sentence, at times adjusting the topic sentence may be needed. In the end, each paragraph should flow with one another by using transitional sentences.


This chapter was very helpful but at the same time made it very hard to even write the summary of the all the main points.  I would write a sentence but then hit my backspace button because it did not flow, and I felt like my ideas were all jumbled up. I still feel that way, but I would be here all night trying to write one paragraph.  When I wrote the first essay for this class, each of my paragraphs were mixed with too many ideas. Now I truly understand why a writer should form an outline before writing an essay. 

"coming home again" dialogue

The importance of food in this essay is not only the food, but the meaning behind the taste and smell. When he thinks of food it reminds him of his mother. Each recipe is has many different elements to making the dish. All the components are all the reasons why he holds his mother so dear to his heart. Food would also remind him of the time when he was home and when his mother was alive.

I believe that food is an important aspect in all of our lives. It brings people together, sometimes memories or it makes a special occasion. No matter how many dishes are set on the table, the only thing that matters is who’s sitting around it.

writing topic: rules for writers chapter 3

Chapter 3 is about revising your essay. Start off by using global revision, meaning to view your work from your audience's perspective. As a result sentences and even paragraphs can be moved around or dropped. Eventually you will be left with paragraphs that you will be able to combine with another, and maybe later develop new paragraphs to help for a stronger essay. As mentioned in the chapter, it is very difficult to view your own work as an outsider. At that point step away from your essay, maybe even overnight. Then come back and ask questions about the main point and is the essay organized where your reader would understand the point you are trying to get across.

The next thing is to revise and edit the sentences for grammar and punctuation. Make sure things make sense because even grammar check on the computer is not helpful in what you want to be said. Once your sentences are revised, proofread your paper. Proofreading is a slow process, so take your time and try not to rush. This is where you would look for any misspelled words, or words that might be missing or even words you may not need.

After writing my first essay for this class, I felt like it was sort of all over the place. But the comments that were posted helped me develop a stronger essay. I used global revision on that same essay and without even knowing it. I took sentences from other paragraphs,  eliminated some, combined others, and eventually it became more focused. Proofreading is a good idea because I know sometimes when I’m typing words get mixed up and sometimes things just don’t make sense. Overall, revising more than once is a good thing.

writing topic: rules for writers chapter 2

writing topic: rules for writers chapter 2

Chapter 2 about the process of writing a rough draft. It takes you step by step on how to develop your ideas or thoughts into an organized essay. The hardest part is the introduction, because it is difficult to introduce a paper that is not written yet. But if you are stuck you can always come up with one after your paper is written. The introduction also includes a thesis, which is a sentence with a central idea and has supporting evidence.

As mentioned in Rules for Writers, the body of the essay develops support for the thesis. Before writing the body, go in with a plan if it doesn’t work out then sketch a new one. Sometimes there is not enough supporting evidence, so you may have to go back to the drawing board.

Once you have developed your main ideas or thoughts, a conclusion will remind your readers the main point to your essay. Make it memorable by including an example, or a quote, and or maybe an image to your intro. In the conclusion, try not to introduce new ideas because this is where you should have tied the essay together.

I think this chapter is very helpful. I know that I tend to get lost writing an essay. The main thing is to go in with a plan, and try not to make it perfect the first time or you will get stuck. At that point go back and make more ideas or plans. It really helped when the chapter gave examples of thesis that would or would not work.

essay 1 workshop

Off Beat

Most little girls dream that when they are older they will be married to their prince charming. They picture themselves in a beautiful white dress standing at the alter. Gorgeous flowers surrounding, birds chirping and blissful music playing. As a girl, all I wished for was to be married to someone I love. Someone whom I’ve given my heart to and one who I would give the world to. On Sunday, September twenty-six two thousand and ten, my wish came true. I married my high school sweet heart.

Everyone has a vision of how they want their wedding to turn out, I believe I have most of mine captured in photographs. My favorite is our first dance as husband and wife. We danced to Aaron Fresh, “Spending all my time lovin’ you.” This song is not an ordinary wedding song, but that is why I am in love with this photograph. My dress, his smile, and our love is off beat but yet it all fits together perfectly.               

Six o’clock in the morning my alarm goes off. With only three hours of sleep and ten hours before saying I do, I admit...I was exhausted. But can you really see that? They say every picture tells a story, and I believe that this is the seven years we’ve spent together. Dancing into a life with new beginnings, and take those life lessons to benefit the hard times. As mentioned in our vows, marriage is like a garden you have to tend to. With each careful step on the dance floor, I think of all the years he’s been my friend...my best friend.

Simply said my husband is my best friend, fits together perfectly. He taught be how to love and care for those that are close to you. How to cherish each moment you have to spend with one another. After 7 years, I’ve learned that family comes first. Standing beside them and at times giving them your hand. Soon enough we we will have a family of our own. But for now it’s just us. His words, “Lets do us.”

Off beat meaning something different from usual. For example the usual is a white long wedding dress versus a short ivory dress. My definition of off beat is our love for each other. There is not enough words to paint a picture of our friendship. Many people say that we have a bond like no other couple, and how they see that while watching us at our first dance. They mentioned how we both think you should live life simply. No matter what, when life goes off beat, take a hold of it and go off beat too.

"the ways we lie" dialogue

I agree with Stephanie Ericsson, everyone tells a lie. The white lie is is a common one used amongst all of us. I am pretty sure we've all told one in our life time. No matter how small it is, it's still not the truth. Things could get blown out of proportion. As mentioned in her essay, about a sergeant in Vietnam who knew one of his men was killed in action but listed him as missing. That is one of the worst lies you could tell someone. Imagine how much hope his family would have thinking that one day he will show up. 

I believe that deflecting and the white lie go hand in hand. Only because most people would tell a "little white lie" to help deflect away from the real truth. For example, when your friend asks how her hair looks and you tell them it looks fine. But really it doesn't look that good and you are trying to get away from the real truth. I know everyone does it, and I am guilty for it too. Sometimes the truth can be helpful, like saving your friend with the whacked out hair from embarrassment.   

writing topic: rules for writers chapter 1

Chapter 1 explains all the components of the writing process. The writing process is where all ideas are created or collected. As mentioned in Rules for writers, most experienced writers handle a piece of writing in stages. In order for a piece of writing to be successful, planning is key.

Before deciding what you are writing about, generate ideas and sketching a plan can help create a subject. Upon developing a subject, getting more information from different types of sources helps hold structure in your writing. Where do your sources come from? Every piece of writing have a purpose, either to persuade, to educate others, to analyze, to argue, etc. Depending on your subject, according to rules for writers, each essay or piece of writing should have a audience. Having a target audience can lead you to an effective strategy for reaching your readers.

I think that jotting down ideas throughout your day is perfect way to help develop a subject for your paper. It seems similar to free writing. Writing down anything that comes to mind, then later go through and pick out phrases or thoughts you can use. I have a difficult time writing papers because I never know where to start. Learning that part of the writing process is to make sure you do it in steps. This will help me keep my mind on track to a better paper.

"the joy of reading and writing: superman and me" dialogue

Education is important in all the lives of everyone, without it opportunities would be limited. Life is full of opportunities to those that are educated.  Knowing that there is something out there is a start of change and eventually even save one’s life. Living up to others expectations can easily bring you back down. Make your own life choices to keep you motivated and learn new things. Learning is a key to save one’s life.

Alexie is attempting to save the lives of the students he works with by educating them. Teaching them how to read and write will help them get more in life.  Being informed of the the world and its surrounding is being educated. Educating them is giving them the knowledge to eventually pursue a lifetime career.

Alexie saved his own life by teaching himself how to read. He taught himself that each book was full of paragraphs, and what the purpose of a paragraph.  Which made him realize that everything in life was a paragraph to an essay. Since his father loved books, he decided too as well. He read everything, and anything to save his life.

writing topic: rules for writers chapter 46

Chapter 46 explains and demonstrates how to write about texts. Texts can include books, essays, photographs, and visuals such as advertisements. When you are assigned to write about a text, a summary or analysis is normally required.  The difference between the two is that a summary is a neutral tone versus an analysis is a central argument or purpose.

There are two techniques that will help you with you comprehend your reading: (1) annotate the text with observations and questions and (2) outline the key points.  This means to read actively.  Write down your thoughts in pencil along the margins, circle or underline things that might be important to you.  This will help you understand exactly what you’ve read without the information slipping away.

After actively reading the text, you can then create an outline using all the main points you've jotted down, underlined or circled. Just remember if you're writing a summary to find the author's thesis and their key points. 

I believe that actively reading works.  I learned it in my last English class and it really helped me understand what I was reading.  Not only that it helped me to remember the important things that happened throughout the book.  Which worked out perfect when I had a quiz or an exam. I am also taking a Humanities class which requires me to read 2 books within 2 months. Actively reading will help me through it.

“freewriting exercises” dialogue

Free write is when you continuously write for a set amount of time without stopping to look back at spelling, sentence structure, topics, or crossing out words. Just write down whatever comes to mind. If you are stuck, just write down you are. Freewrite is one of the most effective ways to improve your skills of writing. It is an exercise that many writers use to help them collect ideas for a topic.

Free writing is meant to help for stronger writing because you’re simply writing. The more you write means the more you are practicing. When you practice at something eventually you become better at it each time. Just keep writing and you'll be surprised as to what you come up with.

I found that freewriting is a good exercise. It helps to keep your mind flowing with thoughts which gives more ideas. What is surprising is if you want to improve your writing, you will benefit from keeping a freewriting journal/diary.  I don’t understand why some people find freewriting to be offensive because its an invitation to write garbage. I agree with Peter Elbow, if anything, it makes you better afterward.

intro. dialogue

Hi (:
My name is Penny P. Ho.  I've been married for almost 4 months but been with my husband for almost 8 years.  We have a bull terrier named Kloee.  She is the love of our lives...for now. When writing about myself I tend to give all the credit to my husband.  He made me the person I am today.  Through the 8 years he's taught me more than I can ever be thankful for.  And if it wasnt for him, I probably wouldn't be continuing my education.

In August of 2009, I completed the Dental Assisting Program at the JC and was lucky to find a job through my last internship. I am currently an RDA and is grateful that I still have a job. Each day is a different challenge which I am willing to take. I love the people I work with and like every other workplace, we all have our differences.


My goal is to get my associates degree by completing the California State University (CSU) General Education course requirements.  At the same time take prerequisite classes for the hygiene program.  Not exactlty sure if that makes any sense.  But in the end, I will be able to have a choice of either going through with the hygiene program or transferring to CSU.


Learning new things takes time to process.  Repetition is key and pacing myself through everything helps with a better outcome.  I would love to get my work done early, but I'm a perfectionist.  At times I hate that about myself only because english is my worst subject.  I am horrible at it, but I look forward to learning new things and blogging with all of you.