Term Paper

Last week before the class started I remember that we have to pass our chosen topics for the term paper. At that time I really haven't chose my topic yet. Actually she already told us about it in the past meetings and always reminding us.

Ma'am De Ocampo asked us to show our topics to her. I thought it would be easy that we'll just have to submit our chosen topic, but i have been reminded that she will be asking about from it that if we really knew something about it and of course it is field related before she will approve it. I was afraid that if I will go for a rush topic I can't answer her questions and that will be a shame on me because that task was given to us a long time ago. So, I didn't pass any topic that day and was just thinking of what good topic i might pass next time.

Not all of the class was able to show the topics to Ma'am for the lack of time. Although it's about half of the class who were able, there are ones that was not approved and just let them change it. Before dismissing the class Ma'am gave us an assignment that we should find atleast 10 sources for our topics.

First Meeting of the Year

Happy New Year. The class are resume and students are back in business. In our English2 meetings our major discussions are all about for the Preliminary Examination: run-on sentences, fragments and etc. We even have to make-up class so we can tackle all the lessons. We also talked about sensory words, we have small activity that we should write down the words according to what sense they belong. In fact she had given us assignment about it, to collect 5 other sensory words to be putted in our bin. She gave us another assignment and let us photocopy, it is about correcting run-on sentences.

In our supposed to be make-up class, I haven't able to attend for some important reasons. My classmates just told me what they were doing in that time. They have an activity, correcting paragraphs which is done by partners that is the same as the photocopied assignment.

Remembrance of my first carnival ride...

My first experience with a carnival ride was a Ferris wheel at a local fair. Looking at that looming monstrosity spinning the life out of its sardine-caged occupants, I was dumbstruck. It was huge, noisy and not a little intimidating. Ever since that initial impression became fossilized in my imagination many years ago and even the droning sound of their engines brings to mind.

The first ride on one of these fantastic machines gave me an instant rush of adrenaline. As the death-defying ride started, a lump in my throat pulsed like a dislodged heart ready to walk the plank. As the ride gained speed, the resistance to gravity built up against my body until I was unable to move. An almost imperceptible pause as the wheel reached the top of its climb allowed my body to relax in a brief state of normalcy. Then there was an assault of stomach-turning weightlessness as the machine continued its rotation and I descended back toward the earth. A cymbal-like crash vibrated through the air as the wheel reached bottom, and much to my surprise I began to rise again.

Each new rotation gave me more confidence in the machine until the ride was over, I knew I was hooked. Physically and emotionally drained, I followed my fellow passengers down the clanging metal steps to reach the safety of my former footing.

My fascination with these fantastic flights is deeply engrained in my soul. A trip on the wonderful Ferris wheel never fails to thrill me. Although I am becoming older and have less time, or less inclination, to play, the child-like thrill I have on a Ferris wheel continues with each and every ride.

Christmas Memory

Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given-when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes. Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first. The birth of the baby Jesus stands as the most significant event in all history, because it has meant the pouring into a sick world the healing medicine of love which has transformed all manner of hearts for almost two thousand years.

I think Christmas has always been one of my favorite holidays. Maybe because of the special atmosphere that you can feel everywhere, in shops, restaurants and even streets, where you can hear the magical carols, or maybe it's because of its religious background, but what I can tell you for sure is that I can't think of anything more exciting than the image of the entire family preparing the Christmas Tree or fixing the Christmas dishes.

When I think of Christmas the first thing that pops into my mind is the delicious Leche Flan - my favorite, that only my grandma knows how to prepare. Perhaps this is the reason why, every year, my family and me try to spend our holiday at our grandmother's place. So every year we all step into and try not to think at the long road that we have in front of us. Approaching grandma's, we try not to notice how long the last kilometer is taking. Meter by meter, second by second, we come closer to the awaited destination.

Last week...

Last week, Ma'am Lynnie gave us activities. First, she organized us into four groups, each group should make a composition with the help of one another as a group - each of us needs to write a sentence, the first one will complete the phrase given "One fine day..." then the others will try to make other sentences to complete a composition. The paper should cycle the group within the given time. After 3minutes we red what we have made. Ours was just simple and it is all about the activity we are doing. Ma'am gave us another time to edit our works and try to make it better for 5minutes then we exchanged works with other the group. The other group will continue what we have wrote and again asked us to read our works. In that activity we learn to write with coherence, with the help of one another we can write a composition.

Another activity was given and this time it's individual. It was about, Ma'am will give a word then we will list all the words we know with the word given by Ma'am with it. It is a test for our vocabulary and I have just listed a few words. I know i could have list more but I was pressured by the limited time. The day was so enjoying. Ma'am Lynnie told us that she will not be around on Thursday but she left an assignment for us to do. With the same group mates we have to write a description type composition.

That's it, we did our task that Thursday, we finished it and the week was fun.

This week

We only had one meeting in our English2 this week since Ma'am De Ocampo went to Manila for an important matter. Though there was no class that Thursday she left us activities last Tuesday that would keep us busy. Ma'am gave ourselves reasons to write and love writing that writing just need practice to be able to get used and make it easier for us. On that day, we also checked our assignment, our first recorded assignment and i haven't made mine because I didn't bought a book that time. Unfortunately when I was about to buy English2 book to the English department they told me all was sold out, hopefully i can get one soon.

Improving English

As today's said: "English is not just an option; Now, it is a must." And as a student, and having English subjects I have to really improve it. Not for just the purpose of getting high grades in the it but as well as for the sake of the coming future as how English grow and how it is important that shouldn't just be taken for granted.

In starting to write my assignments in English and some composition writings, I have to train myself to think in English. To not just depend for someone as dictionary or more something to help you to do so, you should try to do it your own. It is like a sport player practicing everyday that practice is what makes him able to perform well in the game.

In our English subject we are told that every day as we step in our room, we have to speak in English or we have to perform something to entertain the whole class. So i really have to practice and improve my English to avoid it. To start thinking in English I have started it simply. First, I thought of words that I use everyday. For instance, the word "paper". Whenever I see a "paper" i should not have to think of the other word in our native language. Instead I should see the "paper" and think "paper". In this simple way, the more i practice it, the easier it will be to think of paper in English and not translate it in my head. Just like a sport player the more you practice, soon you won't have to think about it, you'll just do it. I can train my mind to see a "paper" as the word "paper". Practice everyday and soon you'll be thinking of different words in English. Though sometimes when my friends hear me they would laugh at me for they are not used to in listening to me speaking more in English.

Still i have to improve more my English. In this subject English 2, I am looking forward of learning more things about English for me to be fluent in the way of writing and even speaking.