1. Karen O. & Squeak E. Clean, Hello Tomorrow

I love this song. It is sweet, to the point, and somehow quite comforting. It reminds me of some of my weekend mornings when I have the whole day ahead of me and all I have to do is be creative in order to have a wonderful day, “Turn into the whole wide world I made up”. On trips to different places I often begin my days with this song, it gives me a sense of being at home but also allows me to venture forth to the new place. A lyric of the song states, “Go where the lights turn dark.” Darkness is often associated with fear, but to me this song offers a kind of courage to face the unknown. Facing anxiety, means to be aware of ‘the next moment’, that is to say, that if you can be aware of the notion that there is a ‘tomorrow’ to say ‘hello’ too, then however scared one may feel at that moment, you will soon ‘wake up’ having overcome and survived the fear. This song sort of gives me hope. It is a simple way to lift the weight from my shoulders, if only for a little while.

2. Matisyahu, King without a Crown

This song is really moving. It reminds to appreciate the ones I love. I have an image of listening to the song, in a car heading home, perhaps late at night. As I stare out the window and watch the blurred lights and passing shadows and scenery, I reflect on ideas I have had throughout the day. This song allows me to get lost in my mind in a good way. The song represents a part of me that really truly loves and cares for people and the world. It’s the part of me that feels satisfied and content, “you're all that I need”. Though Matisyahu is singing about his relationship to God, for me it has a more down to earth, personal message. It represents the strong powerful me, “I’ll stand on my own two feet, Won’t be brought down on one knee”. It represents the me that feels such uncontainable happiness at times, “My love could rip a hole through the ceiling”. I see the song beyond it’s particular Hasidic messages, it calls on us to love the world, your family, nature, others, or if one believes in god, god.

3. Ladies of the Canyon- Joni Mitchell

This song feels to me like an emotional portrait of my childhood. The first few lines in the song, “Trina wears her wampum beads, she fills her drawing book with line. Sewing lace on widow's weeds, and filigree on leaf and vine”, captures something of the innocence and wonder of my early years. As a kid I often wore several of my mother’s necklaces as I played dress up with my friends--wampum beads included. I filled countless coloring books with lines of pencil and crayon, and I helped my mother sew clothing as well as some of my dolls clothes. It’s not even just the lyrics of the song that reminds me of myself as a child, but the song as a whole, it’s melody, rhythm, and voice. As a child both my mother and father often sang Joni Mitchell songs to me and still today I listen to the songs as a reminder of my past. I even sung the song to my dog and I sing it to my cats. Today, I still love to “bake brownies”, “Sail seas and climb Banyans” (we actually had Banyan trees in Miami that I climbed as a young girl) “gather flowers for my home” and “Colouring the sunshine hours”. The song smells of warm food and love, “Annie sits you down to eat, she always makes you welcome in”. This song truly represents the child in me.

Biography: Most happy eating desert and talking.

Singles ad:

I am seeking someone with a personality similar to that of a fish. Must love the water and spend most weekends in the bathtub. Also, you must avoid my cat no matter how much you love him. We can spend days at Subway eating submarine sandwiches and our nights in my blow-up pool recalling old re-runs of FireFly. If you’re interested I will dress in my most beautiful dress. You can come over to my house and from there we can go to the creek and have a romantic dinner. We’ll dip our feetin the water and nibble on fish pellets. They are very yummy. If you want, we can rent some movies. I happen to LOVE Finding Nemo; it’s just Genuis! If I go on I will be ranting, so I’ll stop. Anyway… I know you’re out there!! You and I are destined to be with each other. Yes we are baby, yes we are. Contact me via email at Imdafish4u@yahoo.com

Dear 6th grade soon to be 7th grade Lucia,

Don’t fret so…

The future is bright. At the same time a few warnings: 1) Maybe you should consider changing you’re current style and really put thought into what you will wear through out middle school. If you don’t, trust me, you will regret it! Also, think through your choice of the Community School, there are positives and negatives, you might consider another choice. For example, your math class will be wasted by spending a whole seventh grade year writing a short story on linear equations. Do you want to write a story on liner equations, or learn how to solve an equation? Think it out! Maybe going to a public middle school would do you a lot of good. You will learn how to take tests and how to master the basic skills for freshman year of high school. Though you will make amazing friends at CESB, your closest ones will end up being your friends from elementary school, so hold on to them, but maybe go to a different middle school. The summer after seventh grade you will be invited to Aaron’s Birthday party which you will be excited about. Another warning: DON”T EAT THE CAKE. After this party you will rapidly become very sick if you don’t listen to my advice. I’m still not sure if it was from the cake that you/ I contracted the illness, but better safe than sorry.

Don’t be in such a hurry to leave elementary school. Enjoy the time you have left with your good friends and relatively easy life. Though there are many other experiences you will go through during your middle school career I’m not going to warn you of them. In part, because I don’t want all of my English class (who read this of course) to know all of my secrets, and also because I feel you will learn a lot from having the experiences fresh and unanticipated. Some of these things you may regret, but to be warned would take away something of there value. I think that whatever does happen in your path it will shape and mold you to who I am today. So…. just don’t fret, enjoy new experiences, be happy.

Love,
Your 10th grade self, Lucia.

P.s. Hopefully, when I am a senior I don’t look back and regret this letter!!

I love it when I realize what certain store names mean. Like, it took me for ever to realize Sav-on drugs is actually a play on the words, “save on drugs”. Or, Payless Shoe Source-- pay less!!! I love when I realize that.

What I really don’t get is why people put plastic on couches??? The point of buying a couch is to sit on it not to sit on plastic. My sister does the same thing with her cell phone. Every time she gets a new cellular she leaves the plastic stuff on it! She just got this new phone and the plastic cover has writing on it but she still keeps it on. She can’t even see her phone very well but she wants to ‘prevent scratches’. It makes NO sense to me.

I truly believe I should have invented Purell soap. I mean that is a great invention. I use it at least three times a day. I am always trying to convince myself that if I use it I really won’t get sick. I also drink XXX vitamin water and the Defense vitamin water as if it will prevent me from catching the common cold from some God forsaken person who has to roll their tongue up and cough all over everything. I know deep down that the drink and Purell don’t help me fight off illness at all but I still try and convince myself they do. I think it is kind of like the Placebo effect.

One time I was seeing a play and some old person’s hearing aid kept beeping. You could tell everyone in the audience was really angry and wanting to find the person to either let them know or give them the evil eye but it was dark so no one could do anything. I bet the actors were dying. I would hate that if I were in a show and someone’s hearing aid kept beeping.

I love when things are just so obscure they become hilarious. I was with my family in the airport and we were all rolling our suitcases down the street trying to catch our shuttle. Then we saw this single shoe lying on the floor. We all just kind of stared and then started dying of laughter. It was actually so hilarious that some other man even joined in. As we walked we just laughed and everyone stared.

At Passover there was some family friend who had really big hair and I just wished they would hide the matza in there.

Did you know Otis invented the elevator?

Sometimes the only reason I get Chinese food is because I want a fortune from the cookie.

Maybe I am just incredibly conceited but sometimes I feel like I just own something. There will be something I really love like a movie, or a food item, or a band, or even a T.V. show and I will be loving it and then suddenly all these people start loving it as well and I always am like, “Oh yeah cool I love that too” but In my head I’m thinking “ I invented that, I own it, you have no right”. I mean, doesn’t everyone get that feeling once in a while?

What is Apple going to come up with next? They already have an i-phone and they already have computers with cameras and intel cores, what is next?

Why do people have to do loud things ridiculously early in the morning? I hate when I am sleeping in on a Saturday and some neighbor decides to hammer their door or mow their lawn. This morning a helicopter was hovering above the neighborhood at 7:00 am.

Blue chips and blueberries. What else is blue? Blue cheese. Do all foods that are blue start with the word blue?

You know a song sucks when it is incredibly repetitive. Those are always the ones that get stuck in everyone’s head.

Every Wednesday night my father and I sit down to eat cheese board pizza and watch In Treatment. It is interesting to watch the show with my dad because he is a psychoanalyst himself and often as we watch the show he will say things like, “ you don’t do that with a patient’ or oh that is definitely ‘borderline’. In Treatment is a short series on HBO (the best channel), it is a re-do of the very popular show in Israel about a psychoanalyst and his patients. The majority of episodes take place in the psychoanalyst, Paul’s home office (maybe the first problem, because his patients are really close to his home life). In the show we watch as Paul listens and offers analysis to four different patients. Also Paul meets with his supervisor (a kind of psychoanalyst for psychoanalysts who helps him with issues that he has with his patients and his life). The show is very interesting but it does have its weak points. Given that the show is exceptionally long for television, something like a total of 45 episodes, it will help to concentrate on two of the characters to get a sense of the program itself, Sophie and Laura. (By the way, the fact that the actor who plays Paul, Gabriel Byrne, is able to be so interesting with so much ‘screen time’ is a tribute to his ability).

I find that the episodes concerning Sophie are the strongest and most realistic of the series. Sophie is a high school girl, a Olympic class gymnast, who comes to treatment after her bike has an ‘accident’ with a car. She has two broken arms in casts, an angry attitude towards her mother and the therapist, and a sarcastic, sharp way of speaking. In fact, initially she is not interested in therapy, just wanting an ‘evaluation’ that will let her compete again. Over the eight episodes we have seen so far, we have gone beneath the initial veneer of the story. Each episode Sophie seems to let loose more and more. She slowly reveals all that she was hiding and is working with Paul to deal with the past and present that plagues her. In one episode Paul leads her to basically admit that she was sexual abused by her gymnastic coach ‘Zi’. In other sessions, she increasingly becomes able to face the emotional conflicts that have driven her to suicidal and self-destructive behavior.

What helps make the Sophie episodes compelling is a combination of strong acting—you feel the emotions of the patient and therapist, and an interesting story line. The approach of Paul to the therapy is intriguing as well. When Sophie asks for help taking off a rain-soaked shirt, Paul-Dr.Weston, is able to tell her that she is testing him to see if he will also exploit her, or will refuse to undress her and show her he will keep a safe boundary.
Less realistic, is that Paul doesn’t report the sexual abuse to the authorities which he would be required to do by law. Over the episodes, you come to feel the genuine sense of trust and hard work between the characters, but it is never easy, comes slowly, and is a mix of realization and painful feelings. This is a nice change from movies that depict therapy as either miraculous or horrific.

On the other hand, the episodes with Laura seem to veer away from therapy and into the land of soap opera. Laura is an attractive young doctor who comes to therapy with relationship problems. She is emotional and highly sexual, seeing the world through how she appears as a sexual being. It turns out that over the past year of therapy she thinks she has fallen in love with her analyst, Paul, something that is referred to as ‘erotic transference’. While at first Paul seems to treat this as a common occurance of deep therapy, he later shows that he too has deep feelings and a sexual attraction for Laura.
Though the show demonstrates that Laura has turned to older men in the past for escape from her problems, the therapy doesn’t seem to be able to handle this. Laura leaves treatment and Paul confesses his feelings for her. A lot of the ways Paul interacts with Laura would not make Freud happy. However, this is a television show not an instructional manual for therapy. From that angle, the story line is still a bit much, full of long glances and deep sighs. I have mixed feelings about the actress who plays Laura, she does seem like a troubled person, but also at times it’s hard to take seriously the overly emotional attitude she portrays. Gabriel Byrne also seems less confident in his acting, which is partly the role, but they both seem lost at time.

Overall, the show keeps your attention, even though it’s mostly two people talking in a room. It really helps to have some food while your watching, or it might get a bit boring.
You should check out the show and make an assessment for yourself. (My own family is divided, my father and I like it, my sister and step-mother (also a psychologist) hate it).

Note: For me an ideal day would be something out of the blue. For I love new things and surprises. I truly cherish them.

My ideal day would have to be eventful. The morning would come and from the warm layer of sun pouring over me I would simply understand it was to be a great day. My parents would be gone and even if they knew I was skipping they wouldn’t much care. Then I would step outside and the soundtrack to my life would play (that is, the name of my playlist) through my ipod. The man next to me would give me a thumbs-up and I would return the favor with the knowledge that the music coming through our headphones was the same. I would run to a corner café, skipping and grabbing a delectable chocolate croissant on my way out. Then the bus would greet me and I would be amazed, for the bus driver would actually smile at me and say something nice like, “Hello there Miss Lucia, you are glowing.” As I stepped on the bus which was relatively clean I would notice that my closest friends were all there! I would be so surprised and happy. “Ello motto” would sound and I would pick up the phone. It would be my mom calling to tell me I had NO obligations what so ever today and I was free to do whatever my heart desired. We would bus down to our ‘secret spot’ and as we walked Renaldo would spot us and say, “I have your usual”. He would then offer us a free Nutella (my favorite) crepe. The crepe would taste delectable as always. Then someone would suggest that we straight up do what we have always wanted to do which is improv on the street. We would break out in music and lay out a hat for money. The most incredible thing is that we would actually make a few bucks-- at least enough to pay for lunch! As our stomachs rumbled we would head to Hayes Valley in San Francisco to pick up Citizen Cake. For dessert, Modern Tea, which sells mini cakes by the square inch. Then something amazing would happen as we run to catch the bus. We will see Bret and Jermaine of ‘Flight of the Conchords’ and they will actually sing us a song, give us an autograph, and maybe, just maybe, give us their number. Then we would explore some different places in the city and discover some amazing new things. After that we will rent some bikes and ride through Golden Gate Park and play on the play structure for a little while. From there we would ride the bikes to the beach and fill our bike baskets with picnic food and drinks. On our ride to the beach another amazing event would take place. One of those events that happen ever so randomly which is all the more reason to take pleasure out of such a thing. An event like the time my sister saw around 20 people dressed as zombies enter the market she was in. An event like the shoes we saw sitting in the middle of the airport. An event like the time my mom was sitting in class and actually saw a plant grow! I don’t know what exactly this weird crazy amazing event would be, but it would happen and it would be wonderful. Perhaps everyone in the neighborhood would break out in dance like that scene in Ferris Bueller. Maybe the improv group from New York would be walking by with literally hundreds of people all doing the same thing --like all in underwear, or with all their cell phones ringing. I would love to witness something like that.
After the wonderful event we would spend the night on the beach with a bonfire to light up the sky--eating, cracking jokes, laughing, and just having a magical time. We would sleep on the beach, wake up to a gentle rain and relish the memory of such a wonderful yesterday.

http://www.gerrycolombo.it/Magritte%20-%20Golconda.jpg

Rene Magritte, in his painting, “Golconda” gives us a devastating picture of the invisibility and emptiness of everyday modern life. The man in the overcoat and bowler hat fills the space of the painting. There is seemingly no room to escape the sameness of it all, even the sky is filled to the brim. An ‘everydayman’, the man with the bowler hat seems to capture the blank, emotionless fate of people caught in the machinery of work and daily life. Many of the figures are barely visible, their features blurred or hard to make out. The building in the background is similarly plain and monotonous—the windows repeating almost endlessly. This is a bleak picture of modern life, filled up with emptiness.

However, Magritte offers a twist, a way out of the horror. The men are floating after-all, despite their overcoats, bowler hats, and everyday boredom. Their feet have left the ground, gravity no longer holds them. The humor and absurdity of this changes the whole scene. No longer just anonymous people in a machine like world, the floating men, while still stiff as a board, are magically flying above all rules and everyday concerns. The picture is very flat, almost cartoon like. There are no clouds, no birds, no sun, no trees, nothing but the floating men, the sky, and the building. Magritte seems to be giving a picture not of great freedom or escape, but of the way a kind of joke, or irony, might free us from the usual ways we look at the world. I think it is a wonderful and beautiful painting. Funny and free.

I wrote mine as a story!! I had a lot of trouble writing this blog, for I really have no idea what my ideal life is. I want to live life to the fullest and I want my life to be spontaneous. Of course, I would like to go to a good college (probably liberal arts), have financial stability, have a loving husband, happiness, and when I am older, some lovely children. Plus I also want to spend a lot of time traveling and exploring the world! So this story below is a day in my MAYBE ideal life, after I have fulfilled some dreams and settled down with a family…

The morning comes and sunshine pours into my room. It drapes across my bed and my hair glows red in the light. I am lying next to my very attractive husband. His scruffy hair is all messed up and I pat it down with affection. We live in a flat that is very artistic. It is small but we make do and actually like the coziness of it. I walk into my daughters’ bed room and awaken them. They have beautiful but obscure names that my husband and I put a lot of thought into. We didn’t get from a book titled, How to Name Your Baby.’ My husband puts on his sweater, hugs the two girls and reminds them of how much he loves them. I pour some cereal into a bowl and I help my daughters get ready for school. I sigh and am overwhelmed with happiness. Let’s also give my husband an odd but beautiful name; perhaps Gael. Gael gathers the two girls and tells them jokes as he walks to drive them to school in our Volvo Hybrid. Then I’ll sit down to read the paper, maybe the ‘New York Times’ to keep up to date on what is going on in America, and also ‘The Guardian’, a progressive British paper that I write for. I am very lucky for my job as a editorial writer for the Guardian Unlimited allows me to work at home on Thursdays so I have time in the morning to rest. My husband on the other hand, has to leave the house early to go and set up at his art gallery.
As I read the paper the cat will jump into my lap and I will be reminded that I must walk the dog. Everyday the dog becomes eager to go on longer and longer walks. I appreciate the exercise so today we walk past St. Johns Wood and my girls’ favorite park. The dog and I walk all the way to Notting Hill. Along the way I bump in to an old friend from college. She tells me that she is visiting London for the weekend just by herself. She says she works hard and thinks she deserves something. I give her a hug and we sit down at a bench nearby. We talk for hours. As we talk, memories fill our heads. I tell her that as a 43 year old woman with very young daughters I am kind of an old mom. Other mothers at the school are so young, but I am glad I waited to settle down because I would never have had such fun and been able to experience so many things if I had gotten pregnant at the age of twenty or even thirty. Then I let my old friend in on a little secret, “ Now that I have settled down though, I couldn’t be happier.” She smiles at me and agrees that it is best to wait to marry. I look at the time and apologize for I have to get home and work. We hug.
By the time I return home it is 11:30 and I am somewhat hungry but I know I have to work. As an editorial writer for the paper I have to do a lot of research. I am currently researching Global Warming. I think to myself, “God, this is terrible”, but I guess I am living in a great time for AIDS has been cured, and war is out of the question anywhere and everywhere in the world. After working for quite a bit I head out to buy a fresh croissant and a coffee from the local café. Then I head out to pick up my daughters from school. They fill our car ride home with talk about all they have learned. Then the girls do their homework and I prepare dinner. Another thought passes my mind, “remember when I couldn’t cook for sh*t? I am sure glad that I can now”.
Gael returns home and I greet him with a passionate kiss and admire his hands which are covered in paint. The family sits down to eat and we engage in a deep conversation about health care and how we love that it is universal and available to everyone. After dinner we eat dessert which tonight happens to be my favorite, Chocolate Log Cake! The girls head in bed and fall asleep after I sing to them some classic Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan songs. I go and watch some television and then read my book. Gael comes in bed and tells me that he is looking forward to going to France this weekend. I smile and agree remarking how it is going to be nice to see his parents who have been living there for three years now. We decide that this time we will take the girls to see Micheal Angalo at the … museum. Then I turn on some music from my ipod deluxe turn off the lights and kiss Gael he reminds me how much he loves me and I go to sleep.

I didn’t truly begin dressing myself until Kindergarten. Let’s just say, I didn’t dress to impress. Kindergarten was a time when I wore ugly spandex pants (the kind with stirrups for the feet) of all different patterns with ugly little shirts of all different patterns. I would wear Dog patterned spandex with flowered shirts, or a plaid shirt with striped pants. Basically I always wore very colorful clothing that did damage to the eyes. Some of my clothes were ordered from a Hannah Andersen catalogue, and most all of them were ugly.
First grade rolled along and along with it an awkward stage of my life. First grade was my ‘tomboy’ year. I think most girls go through it but it hit me hard. My sister, my best friend, and I decided we loved adventure. We would spend all of our free time out on our play structure performing ‘daring’ tricks. Often times we would pretend we were the kids from those late 90’s Nickelodean shows. We were the ones who had to go through the relay races with mouth guards and helmets. I think the show was called ‘Legends of the Hidden Temple.’ Anyway, we loved that show, and that inspired my attire. Everyday I wore the same jean baseball cap, backwards, along with a big baggy striped top and a pair of one-size-too-big jean shorts. In a way I could be considered one of the trendsetters for some of the guys style today! Not only did I wear that but I also owned a hideous jacket. It was the kind that 80’s style football players won and gave to their girlfriends. It was huge on me, but I loved it.
Luckily the tomboy stage only lasted one year. By the time second grade came I was enrolled in a new school and I had a more relaxed style. Jeans and tee shirts. The tee-shirts always advertised something. The one I particularly liked was a shirt that I had tie dyed myself. It read, “Camp Kee-tov summer of 1999”. I also liked my “Ben and Jerry’s” tee shirt that had cows all over it. Oh, I remember that my absolute favorite one was something I had picked up in London. It read, ’99 Flake’ depicting the very acclaimed British ice cream and flake bar (candy/cookie). (I could go on but I will save that for another food blog).
Anyway, second grade came and went and by the time third arrived I actually sort of had a ‘style’. I liked to wear boots and fitted tops. Nothing that great, but then again, nothing that ugly!
By the time fourth grade came, I had developed a love for clothes. I had a favorite store known as Zutopia (which sad to say, no longer exists) and basically everything I owned came from there. One of my favorite outfits in fourth grade was my plaid bell-bottom jeans with a tight black shirt with the Statue of Liberty pictured on it (don’t ask me why I loved it). Me and my best friend at the time would trade clothes and one time I lent her that outfit. She didn’t return it until sixth grade and that was very traumatic! I did have some cute outfits though.
In fifth grade, I had no such luck. First off, I had gotten my haircut cut real short (my mom had convinced me that it was so chic). It was ‘boy’ short and even though I got tons of complements and my mom still tells me she loved it, I frown upon that time. Second, I adored Avril Laveinge (again don’t ask me why) SO I wore clothing very similar to hers. I always wore eggbeater tops (aka ‘wife beaters’, but I find that misogynistic) with baggy pants, a tie (ugh) and skater shoes. Yuck!!!
Sixth grade was mostly short ugly skirts from Target with unattractive flip-flops. I also took up sewing so I often sewed my skirts.
Middle school was a time of experimentation. I liked to wear vintage shirts from my sister’s and my expeditions to the Haight. Also, the summer after seventh grade I went to Australia (they really are a trend ahead of America) where they all had skinny jeans, so I came home and pegged a pair of my jeans thinking that they were the coolest. I sewed a lot of my clothes but I my budget usually landed my with some pretty nasty fabrics which meant that no matter how cute the coat, dress, or skirt was the fabric ruined the effect. I think my clothes were alright (I still own a lot of them today), I just didn’t know how to pair them. I also had bangs, which are not a good look for me. I guess my style was just kind of random. My friends and I liked to put on interesting clothes and parade around town as if we were high schoolers.
Basically my style has gone through a lot of interesting stages. Today I wear clothes that I really like, though, who knows, in the future I may look back at myself and think, “Lucia, what the hell were you thinking?”

1. Do you believe in karma?

I like to think I don’t believe in Karma. As a rule, I don’t believe in supernatural occurrences, but there is always a little superstitious part of me that feels that the world could turn against me. I guess it isn’t so much Karma but part of my conscience at work. For instance, if I do something wrong like tell a lie or act mean to someone, I think the underlying guilt I feel comes back to haunt me. Basically, if I do something wrong part of me makes sure it returns to bite me in the ass.

2. What one current event in any aspect of world news do you think is being most neglected or underrepresented?

Well, this question is very hard to answer since our world has oh so many issues that are being neglected. An issue I would like to see addressed more would be the exploitation of children as child soldiers all over the world.

3. If you could have any one superpower, what would it be and why?

I would love to be a shape shifter. It would be amazing if I could just transform into anything-- a person, an object, even an animal. I could get a lot of information if I had this power, plus I could literally take a walk in someone else’s shoes.

4. If you could invite any 5 famous people or characters to your birthday party, whom would you pick?

1. Gael Garcia Bernal because I have the Hugest crush on him.
2. I would want both Bret and Jermaine of the band Flight of the Conchords there because they are hilarious and I also have a Big crush on them.
4. Sigmund Freud to help analyze any problems any of us may have.
5. Alexander Calder to make amazing mobiles that would decorate the party.

5. If you could live in any film or book, what would you select? Would you want to be one of the characters, or would you want to be you (introduced as a new character)?

Most of the books and films I watch are a bit edgy. They are either about painful situations or conflictual ones. I think if I had to live in something I would chose to live in my world atlas as myself. That way I could travel all around the world.

7. I used to always trip out that my strawberry Chapstick tasted so strongly like strawberries (and why was I eating so much Chapstick?). Then I realized that it wasn't the taste that was strong; it was the smell. They say that smell is the strongest scent. What is your favorite smell? USE CONNOTATIONS, FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, OR ANALOGY in your (butter) saucy answer.

I adore the smell of the lawn in front of my grandparents home in Miami. It is such a distinct smell, something like the feel of the morning before a wonderful day. The lawn is kind of dewy yet it has dry grass with large grasshoppers all over. Each aspect of the lawn carries it’s own scent and mixed all together the smell is very intense. Every time I go back and visit Miami I am filled with memories as I step on to that lawn. The lawn pretty much sums up my early life in Miami, lot’s of feelings and sensations as I started out to meet the world.

8. If you could invent a new class for AHS to teach, what would it be?

Well, I don’t know if this would be inventing a new class. However, a class that I would love AHS to teach is anthropology because it would be a wonderful way to learn more about the diversity of mankind. Cultural anthropology would tell us about other ways of living, and physical anthropology would take us to the early origins of humanity. It would be fascinating.

9. Identify any symbol from any film ever (pick your favorite if you can think of many from which to choose). Identify what it means and why you picked it.

A movie that I just saw entitled, The Orphanage had an intriguing symbol. The film features a little boy named Thomas, a ghost who haunts an orphanage, and whose striking (and frightening) feature is the brown sack he wears over his head. At one level, Thomas wears the sack because he was born with a facial deformation. At another level, the sack is a symbol of all the things that people want to cover and refuse to see. People wish to cover over difference, to push away pain, and in the movie they also want to disregard the wounds from the past that haunt the living.

10. Will humankind still exist in 300 years?

In the year twenty-three hundred I would hope human kind still exists. However, if that’s to happen some huge challenges must be faced--from solving global warming, to insuring the health of our planet’s basic ecosystems like the watecycle, and making sure that we don’t blow ourselves up or spread some hideous killing disease.

11. What is the most embarrassing song to ever grace your IPOD? Why was it there, may I ask?

I think probably a song by Fefe Dobson. I mean even the name is a disgrace. The only reason I have a song of hers on my ipod is that back when I was a little seventh grader with poor taste in music I used to like her. The song remains there today because I wasn’t able to delete it.

12. Corey Chin's brilliant question (and it's got me curious): How much would you charge to clean Mr. Ross' microwave?

10 dollars per hour. Because no matter how gross the microwave is 10 dollars per hour is a great going rate. If the microwave is so disgusting and it takes me five hours to clean, hey, I would be 50 dollars richer.

13. Did you support your answers?

Yes. (Except this one).

I can't believe Mr. Ross is making me do this when I could be out and about. My tea is ready and I truly want some biscotti to go with it. I wonder what Leah is doing? We were supposed to hang out today but it doesn’t seem like that is going to happen. I really wanted to devote the weekend to catching up with old friends but now its way too late. I really want to travel. I kind of want to go on the Paris trip but who is going?? I also want to go on that pre-college trip talked about in the paper. It seems so interesting. Oh shit, I have to prepare for my club. What should the check in topic be about? Maybe it should have to do with love since it is February. Maybe it should be um… I don’t know. But it’s going to have to do with February. February is usually a good month but the best month of course is May! I wonder what Rufus is doing right now? I still have that movie replaying in my mind over and over again. I hated that other movie the, Invasion. And I am so glad I didn’t have to watch no country for old men over again, to violent! I want to go to North Beach again soon. Oh god now it is raining. I hope it doesn’t rain all week! Actually it doesn’t really matter now that soccer is over. It’s sad that soccer is over I didn’t even get to play the last game! I hate getting sick! I hate it SO much. Oh well! Now that soccer is over I need some new form of exercise, I think I’ll go to the gym, but which one. Maybe I can take up a dance class? I really have always wanted to learn tap dance. I want a new computer this one is so slow!! The Mac air book thing is really nice but I hear it is incredibly slow too or it just like doesn’t work well. My tea is all gone already and I really want some more. What should I have for lunch? What should I spend the rest of the day doing? I guess it is an all homework day, goddamn it I hate that Sundays are always devoted to homework. The weekend never lasts long enough. Oh my gosh I think the timer is almost going off! That would be nice then I can go out maybe. I think I will take April for a walk and actually no I have to do my homework. I can’t wait till next weekend hopefully Izo and Akensheye will be free. Hahaha, ew I hate saying hahah I wish there was some real way to express laughter when you are typing, other then lol, rofl, or like ahaha. Why was I laughing? Oh yeah Hallie just walked by in her bright pink pajama pants god those ones are ugly, why do my parents always buy ugly pjs for us? Oh my gosh the timer is going off already!! Ok well I’m done. Now it is time to edit!

1) Track 1: People under the stairs, San Francisco Knights


The song instantly reminded me of The Maltese
Falcon because of the setting. As the title expresses, San Francisco is what the music is about and in the book San Francisco functions like another character. “Knight Lord Radio, held back by the Bay Bridge faded, Trying to find Smiley's house, thank G-d we made it
Yo, blunts, broads and beats, keepin' low through the streets
And n**** givin' us pounds.” These lines allow me to picture Spade in his car being tailed by someone. He is listening to the radio staring out at the dark sky; he is tired and worn down. The man who is tailing him is causing him trouble and you can tell that part of Sam Spade wants to just pack it all in, give up and go home. “The G for international ladies like a sailor.” Although the G in the line above had nothing to do with the G (Gutman) portrayed in the novel, I still can’t help but think of him. He is wealthy and dangerous he may even get ladies simply because he is scary and forceful. “I get drunk and bust flows to the beat like my man J, I feel the Agony in Defeat
Cause sucka-chumps wanna test, step like we don't know
We doin… in San Francisco
That's right young writer, got a hit for all you biters” Spade gets drunk to hide the pain he feels from being a lonely, grumpy man who only has one night stands. “We's drinkin, smoking, more smoking, more drinkin” This last sentence seems to capture some of Spade’s daily ways of dealing with life.



2) Track 2: Suzanne Vega, Caramel

The song begins with the very seductive voice of Suzanne Vega singing “It won't do to dream of caramel, to think of cinnamon.” This to me portrays the femme fatal character of the novel, Brigid O'Shaughnessy.
Brigid is very seductive in the way she holds herself and the way she talks. The next line “and long for you” is exactly how Spade feels after meeting Brigid. He somewhat dislikes her but also longs for her. The line, “It won't do to stir a deep desire, to fan a hidden fire that can never burn true”, is a piece of what the book is about, desire and trying to hold back. There is a view of desire as a dangerous, seductive quality that only leads to betrayal, broken hearts, or violence. The next line, “But I don't know how I would live with myself, what I'd forgive of myself if you don't go”, mirrors what Brigid O’Shaughnessy may have felt like. While she seduced and played Spade she also may have feelings deep down for him and she may have had a hard time forgiving herself. “I know your name, I know your skin, I know the way these things begin”; Despite Spade’s harsh demeanor, he remembers Brigid’s smell and skin. Spade definitely knows the way “those things begin”. "But I don't know what I would give of myself, how I would live with myself if you don't go." This last line, as I commented before, may mirror Brigid’s opinion but also may capture Spade’s last feelings when he ends up turning in Brigid as the murderer of Thursby and Miles Archer. Although he may love her, he couldn’t live with himself knowing that justice would not be done. Although Sam Spade might see this song as too sentimental, I think it would be one of those songs that he would listen and cry too in private. There may be a softer side under Spade’s hard exterior.


3) Track 3: Shirley Bassey, Diamonds are Forever


Although Sam Spade would probably like Kanye West’s version, Shirley Bassey’s version relates to his life more. “Diamonds are forever, They are all I need to please me, They can stimulate and tease me, They won't leave in the night, I've no fear that they might desert me.” These lines translate to the book in that they are about jewels and money. For Spade finding the Maltese Falcon is something he believes must be done, the falcon, and the search for it, unlike Brigid will not desert him. The next lines read “Touch it, stroke it and undress it, I can see every part, Nothing hides in the heart to hurt me. I don't need love, For what good will love do me?” This is just like the love scene that takes place between Sam Spade and Brigid O’Shaughnessy. Sam could not see every part for there were parts hiding. “Diamonds are forever, forever, forever." Sam believes that the money and fame he receives from turning in The Falcon and the guilty party are the only concrete things that will last him forever.


4) Track 4: Bob Dylan, The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll

Dylan’s song about Hattie Carroll is like a country version of the noir style of Dashiell Hammett. The song tells a haunting tale, about crime, criminals, and the lack of justice in society. The beginning line, “William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll With a cane that he twirled around his diamond ring finger At a Baltimore hotel society gath'rin'.” Reminds me of the fact that poor innocent Miles archer was killed. The diamond ring finger relates to the reason of his death, jewels worth millions of dollars displayed on the Maltese falcon. Wealth and greed breed crime, but in some ways worse, they lead to injustice. Sam Spade for all his faults is a bit like Dylan singing this song in that they both are keen observers of unfairness and injustice.
The setting of the song also relates to the urban landscape of The Maltese Falcon. The ‘Baltimore Hotel’ of the song, reminds me of the many trips Sam took to the hotel were Ciaro was. “The cops were called in and his weapon took from him, as they rode him in custody down to the station”. This scene of the song could have been lifted from the book. The cops often visited Sam Spade, sometimes they seemed to tolerate, even protect him, but they also were looking for ways to book him for murder, to “take him down to the station”.
The echoing line in the song goes, “But you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears, Take the rag away from your face. Now ain't the time for your tears.” This really describes Spade the philosopher-detective; a man who ‘criticized all fears’. Sam Spade looks out at the world with a straight face, never allowing emotion to interfere with his tough and jaded view.

5) Track 5: Elvis Costello, Watching’ the Detectives

Even the title relates to the Maltese Falcon; both song and book are about detectives and the world they inhabit. One line of the song goes, “She is watching the detectives Ooh, he's so cute 
She is watching the detectives When they shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot”. I feel as though this may be the way Brigid O’Shaughnessy felt towards Sam Spade. She thought he was real cute and she certainly was watching him close. The difference is that instead of watching him ‘shoot’ she was doing the shooting herself.
Another song line begins, “He snatches at you and you match his cigarette”. This mirrors Spade’s harsh demeanor and allows me to picture Sam with a blank face, smoking a cigarette. “She pulls the eyes out with a face like a magnet”. This is an amazing lyric! It describes in a few words how someone can be so beautiful that they attract one like a magnet. That magnetic pull is exactly what Brigid does to those around her. Elvis Costello and Dashiell Hammett have wonderful ears for the way certain words evoke feelings and situations.
“The detectives come to check if you belong to the parents who are ready to hear the worst about their daughter's disappearance”. I wasn’t really thinking about Brigid’s parents, but you do wonder what people leave behind when they suddenly disappear. For that matter, you may start to wonder with both song and book, what leads people into these rough and difficult lives. The very last line in the chorus to this song, “he can't be wounded 'cause he's got no heart” raises a similar question, how do people come to have no heart? Also, the line is a marvelous depiction of Sam Spade; he is such a cynical man who doesn’t show that he has any heart; he ends up backstabbing Brigid the woman who he once may have loved. 


It usually begins with a busy day spent in San Francisco then someone’s stomach will rumble and another someone will suggest Sushi! The restaurant consensus is always BlowFish due to its fresh and eclectic sushi and its hip, exciting atmosphere. Blowfish sits right in the middle of the Mission district of San Francisco. It’s often very crowded, so you need to get there early or talk nicely to the hostess. Anime movies are continuously playing on monitors throughout, and the wall hold stills from several famous Anime films, such as Totoro. However, this can sometimes lead to awkward situations (especially if you have guests) given that Anime is often very sexual in nature. Lot’s of girls in and out of underwear, and people in and out of bed. Well, you can always keep distracted by looking at the busy Sushi chefs behind the bar.


Wait! Let’s not forget about the most important ingredient, the food. I usually order the same dishes. I share the ‘Pyramid” (a tower of raw tuna drizzled in sweet sesame oil); an order of Miso soup; some Kappa make (cucumber roll); followed by a shrimp/vegetable tempura; California roll (crab and avocado); and finally, some special chicken. (I like to eat. A lot!). Of course, the table always starts with a starter of edamame that is covered in just the right amount of salt.

As the orders come I am always delighted. The shrimp tempura always tastes amazing especially with the extra special soy sauce that Blowfish makes themselves. When the kappa maki and California rolls come I try to maneuver my chopsticks in order to eat ‘politely’ but seeing as it takes so long and being tempted by the fantastic look of the sushi I end up using my hands. I know it seems that it’s easy to find a cucumber roll that tastes good. But once you have tasted Blowfish’s you will realize it is hard to get one that tastes this good. When the Chicken arrives the smell is enticing; it’s hard to describe, a kind of sweet-sour perfume.

Japanese food holds a special attraction for me. It has a clean, ordered feel to it. The style let’s you taste each ingredient, rather than having everything mixed up in some overpowering sauce.
The visual combinations are exciting as well. The food is treated as an art form, not just a nutritional need. Freshness is also key to enjoying sushi. You need fish and vegetables that are right off the boat and farm. When the meal is over, I feel just full enough. Despite how much it looks like I’ve swallowed.

Oh, I almost forgot, the drinks and desert count as well. Various Japanese sodas are available; Calpico (a milky carbonated treat) and Ramune, a lemon-lime drink with a bottle that has a marble floating in it. I love Mochi for desert; the creamy frozen treat made out of rice starch and ice milk. Unfortunately, this is one step that Blowfish leaves out. So, after a meal there, we always head to Ben and Jerry’s for that mochi-like desert of Americans—ice cream. But don’t get me started on Ben and Jerry’s!

Sushi is always a treat; however, Blowfish is heads above the rest.

1. If you could be a fly on anybody's wall, on whose wall would you perch? Why? What would you do with the information?

If I were able to be a fly on anyone’s wall I would land on the wall of Mahatma Gandhi. The reason is that I may be able to pick up some peace- keeping ‘tactics’. I don’t know if all of Gandhi’s ideas were the greatest or the most successful but Gandhi was a very peaceful man and that is something that society today lacks. Gandhi inspired peaceful movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Gandhi came up with the very powerful idea of Satyagraha or peaceful nonviolent resistance, In fact today I went down to North Richmond where eight shootings have occurred in the last six weeks. There, over one hundred people including myself joined hands across the street from the shooting and spread out through some of the most crime ridden streets. This was a peaceful way to get the attention of the people, police, gangs, and press. I’m sure if Gandhi were alive today he would have many other ideas to achieve peace in a world of violence. I would love to listen to his ideas and spread them too.

2. What is your favorite piece of art? Describe what it looks like. Why do you like it so much? How does it make you feel? Does it tell a story? Have symbolism?

From the time I was little I have been very fond of art. I have many favorite artists but I’m not sure I have just one favorite art piece. I very much love Edward Hopper as I talked about in my previous blog. His art is so full of loneliness that it overwhelms me. I love his Nighthawks piece. It makes me feel so sad and it provokes all these ideas in my mind (that is why in my previous blog submission I thought of the movie after all). I feel that to each viewer it tells a different story, a story that incorporates loneliness and happiness. That is why I love the painting.

3. If you could choose your parents, how would they be? Describe how they look, act, and parent. What do they do (for work, hobbies, etc)?

This is a hard question. As ridiculous as it sounds I would choose to keep my own parents. They are incredibly understanding of my needs. I think this is because they were somewhat similar to me as a child and so they can understand some of the pain I may go through. Of course there are times when I can’t stand them so in that sense I may prefer a parent that doesn’t argue with me. When it comes down to it I really would not want any other parents because if I had different parents I would not be myself.

4. If you could live in any decade, which one would it be and why? ELABORATE. What opportunities would you take advantage of in said decade?

I think I would like to live in the 1920’s because it was a time when people were very much experimenting with new things and new growth. It was a time when most of the world was at peace. There were many Americans going to France and Europe to learn. Women had much better rights than in earlier times, and some great musicians (mostly jazz musicians) existed, such as Louis Armstrong.

5. If you could/had to be any Disney character, who would it be and why?

Growing up with very liberal parents I wasn’t actually allowed to watch Disney. When I was young my parents refused to let me see such racist and sexist movies. Also, Walt Disney was very conservative. One of the few films I did see though, was Mulan. So if I were to choose a Disney character to be I would want to be Mulan. Mulan was one of the only powerful women Disney ever portrayed. She was a warrior. I would never want to be some kind of servant who only is freed when she finds love, like Cinderella or Belle (I think). I would want to be a strong women who didn’t need a man to help her conquer anything.

6. There is a difference between the moral man and the criminal in that the moral man has a legitimate reason to steal. Support or refute this idea (that a person's objectively bad deeds can be justified by the subjectivity of their life).

I feel that if someone is doing something ‘bad’ for the right reasons then it can be justified as moral. For example, stealing food for someone who is starving, or a Nazi hiding Jews in their home during World War II is moral though illegal. The one place I draw the line is killing another person. Even if it is a really bad person, killing is never the answer. Instead the person should be put in jail.

When I read this blog I was pleasantly surprised. I have hopes of one day maybe becoming a screen writer/director and I often have ideas for movies floating around in my head. Also, I just finished reading Kiss of the Spider Woman (a book that describes all these psychologically driven movies) so I am feeling inspired….

Main Characters:

Woman named Bella: She is very tall with long red hair. Her nose is very pointy and she has a beautiful smile (when she does smile). She wears very chic clothes and is very mysterious and hard to read. She has been in many abusive relationships and only one that was true love. Bella is often seen in her pink nightgown because it represents a sort of hope and happiness that she once had.

Henry: Henry is Bella’s boyfriend. He is a very boring man, He is very wealthy and has not experienced. Despite the ease in his life, or maybe because of it, he is an angry man.

Edward Hopper: Loosely based on the famous artist Edward Hopper he is a lonely man who spends much of his time, observing others, and painting beautiful, haunting pictures.


The film is very theatrical, with the feel that one is inside of an art gallery. Indeed, many scenes are sparked by and begin from a staging of an Edward Hopper painting. The plot revolves around Bella’s struggle with her loneliness and depression, which parallels the character of Edward Hopper’s similar struggle. The film does not offer a simple explanation or solution, and a lot is left for the viewer’s imagination.
*Note: Note: In order to understand the film it is important to see Edward Hoppers true paintings. Unfortunately I couldn't get the images on so I have put the attachment sights in prentices.


Charlotte Gainsbourg’s song ” Beauty Mark” plays in the background as beginning credits role. Then the camera frames the back of a man who sits with his paintbrush in hand and in front of him, on an easel, the completed painting “Night Hawks”. The camera zooms into the painting and then into a real life Phillies diner/bar. The waiter is talking to Henry as Bella’s habitually fidgets with her nails. Edward Hopper who is sitting near by listens and drinks. Then after a few moments Henry pays for the bill and the two of them walk out arm in arm but with a strong aroma of tension (this is signified by the expression on their faces) They hop into Henry’s car and drive off.

The next scene, finds Bella very quite and Henry scolding her, which immediately instigates a fight. Then, Bella flashes back to a time with her first true love. This is one of the happiest memories she has and we guess that she often thinks about it during times of sadness.

Edward Hopper’s painting of the lighthouse is shown and it is soon established that she and her love are in the landscape. Scenes of a seemingly different Bella follow, one where she is lighter and happier.
(http://www.columbia.edu/itc/lithum/ferguson/c1002/hopper_lighthouse.jpg)

Next, we see Edward’s painting of a woman in a pink dress staring out the window with confidence. Again, this is Bella and a huge smile is on her face. (https://www.statsbiblioteket.dk/editors/emneed/fs/x-files/kunsthistorie/gfx/Hopper_Edward_Cape_Cod_Morning_big.jpg) Then Bella’s imagination is interrupted by Henry’s harsh voice and she goes back into her deep sadness. She peers out the car window and observes how everything looks so beautiful when you drive by it in a fast a car, Henry laughs at her and calls her foolish. The next day while Henry is out at work we see Bella in Henry’s huge apartment peering out the window as if beyond there is something much better then the life she is living. (http://www.150.si.edu/images/10girl.jpg)

Time passes. Scenes of everyday life take on a sad and depressing tone. Bella is a very cool, creative, and thoughtful person but she is too alone. Worse, she is ashamed at the state of her life, and has let her creativity whither.


One day Bella meets with an old friend in a big hotel down in New York. They laugh so hard together that they each have to excuse themselves from the table. (http://www.edwardhopper.info/i/Chop_Suey.jpg)
When they come back they laugh again, this time at themselves for being so childish. This is one of the only scenes besides Bella’s flash back that we see Bella truly happy. Then her friend asks her if she is happy and Bella has to admit that she is not. She doesn’t know what would make her happy but she thinks she wants to pack her bags and move to the country. Meanwhile clips of Edward Hopper painting his beautiful paintings that are filled with a sort of loneliness flash on and off. As we peer into one of Edward’s paintings we see Bella packing up her stuff dressed in her beloved pink nightgown. The last scene of the movie is of Bella sitting in a café drinking coffee and the viewer has a final feeling of a certain contentment that Bella has established. (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/131/354725812_19fa2c2fd6_o.jpg) The song “Map’s by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs plays as Bella flips through the daily newspaper. We see her stare into a picture that brings tears to her eyes. The camera backs out and it is now clear that she is looking at Edward Hopper’s wonderful painting, “Night Hawks”. The music continues to play and the credits role.

The End.

-Lucia

I think something people would not only appreciate but very much need is a water filter for all the water in the world. In America water is something that we take for granted. It comes out of countless faucets, is poured out in thousands of pools, fountains, and landscapes, and we can drink it out of bottles that are designed like the best clothing. How ever, in much of the world, clean and drinkable water is a matter of life and death. In many places in Africa, South America, and Asia the access to water is limited, and often comes in dangerous forms. I propose to invent a water filter, that would cheaply, simply, and efficiently clean dirty water into a useable form. The filter would be an improvement on current models, for mine would cost pennies, be easily manufactured close to the problem, and remove both toxins and diseases from any water supply. The filter would be made out of bio-degradeable materials and fit into a deck of playing cards. In sum, I would hope my invention would improve the life of people who often don’t have access to new technologies and inventions.

cheers,
Lucia

1. What is your favorite book?

I have several favorite books such as The Metamorphosis, The Road, Animal Farm, Kite Runner, and, When Kambia Elaine flew in from Neptune. The reason I love all these books so much is because they are full of great description. Each one of these books allowed me to forget reality and become ‘lost’ within the pages.


2. If you could/had to live in any country besides the United States, where would it be?

When I was young I lived in London and ever since then I have wanted to return. I love it because it is very familiar and it is easy to get around on the underground trains. Also, there is always something to do. For example, it is nice to go to the cafes and there are some great theaters, like the Globe. The local people always seem very polite with their British accents. I like the feeling I get when stepping into a black cab (the kind of taxi they have there) with the lovely leather cushions and extra pull-down seat. I also like that British police do not carry weapons, although I think that is beginning to change.


3. Who is your favorite superhero?

Wonder Woman is my favorite superhero because she is the only woman superhero I know of. It is nice to see a strong, independent woman as a superhero rather than the classic ‘macho man’.


4. If you could change any one law, what would it be?

I think I would change the law legalizing weapons. To me, weapons do no good and if they didn’t exist we would have a much better world. It is also funny to me that people are working to make abortions illegal since they kill (not yet born) babies yet weapons are considered all right and are perfectly legal. I believe even the police should not carry weapons because it is too easy to abuse that power. All killing devices should be illegal. Although I am sure people would still find ways to kill each other, it would make it more difficult.

6. Is it better to be too hot or too cold?

When it comes down to it I think it is easier to cool down when you’re hot rather than warm up when you’re cold. Yet at the same time, I cannot stand being too hot. It makes me feel as though I am suffocating. I would rather be too cold. I think partially the reason I cannot tolerate heat is because when I was only 3 months old Hurricane Andrew struck my home in Miami. There was no electricity for 6 weeks so no A/C or fans were available. My mother said my face was bright red for that whole period.

7. Which is better: to get in a car accident that isn't your fault and lose a leg or to get into a car accident that is your fault and kill an old lady?

I would much rather get in car accident and lose my own leg. It would be terrible to no longer have my leg but I could never live with the guilt of killing someone, no matter how young or old. This reminds me of when I was little and learning to ride my bike. I lost control and hit an old lady. She was so angry with me and to this day I still feel guilty.

8. Do you believe that pain and suffering is a necessary part of life?

I think that emotional pain is part of being human. There are things out there like pills to suppress depression, but I think the first step should be to talk, think or write about your feelings.

9. Is animal testing acceptable?

The only time animal testing can be considered just is when it is in order to find a cure for a disease or new scientific break throughs. Other than that, NO. I think that using animals to tests cosmetics is a terrible thing. That is why I check the labels and steer away from certain brands.

10. Do you believe that ghosts exist?

This is an interesting question. In fact, just the other day some friends and I were wondering the same thing. But no,I don’t believe in ghosts. I think ghosts arise from fears that we secretly have. Often times when someone has gone through something very traumatic they tell stories of seeing ghosts. This may be a way to display their worries.


11. Do you believe that you can never have too much of a good thing?

I think that it is very possible to have too much of a good thing. For example when I was little I loved jelly beans so much that I ate way too many and got very sick. That is too much of a good thing.

12. Do you believe that school is the best way to make a person smarter?

No. School may help with the basic skills one must acquire during life, but it certainly doesn’t tell you how to question things and make the world a better place. Also, grading people with letters doesn’t really help anyone become smarter.

13. Do you believe that Free Market Capitalism is fair? If not, what would you suggest?

I think it is fair to a degree. Someone who works hard should be allowed to receive a fair share of money. But, when it gets to the place of exploiting others, such as Gap and their child labor, or Coke and their stealing water from impoverished places and then re-selling it to them, that is where I draw the line.


14. Do you believe that war can be justified?

No, not really. I understand that warfare has always been around and so it cannot be stopped. Also, I understand that force may be necessary to stop terrible violence such as occurred in Hilter’s Germany. Still, an action as huge and dangerous as a war is too risky and has too many consequences to be justified. There are mechanisms to deal with conflict besides war.

15. If you could switch your gender, but it had to be permanent, would you?

No, I enjoy being a woman. I also like the idea that I can caary a baby inside of me, and men can’t.

16. Do you think you are anyone's favorite person in the world?

No I don’t think so. I haven’t helped someone to the point of deserving that title. I know my family cares about me and I am one of their favorite persons but I share the title.

cheers,
Lucia

I have many passions, though I don’t think I have found my true calling. I think one of the passions that I’d like to write about is traveling. From the time I was little I was lucky enough to be able to travel all over the world. I was born in Miami, Florida which is a pretty interesting place in itself. At the age of three I moved to London for three months and although I was very little I still remember many parts of that time. Then we were back in Miami. When I was four I moved to California. By the time I was seven I had been to Sweden, Norway, France, and Italy. Now with school, busy summers at work, and the high prices of traveling I rarely get to travel around the world. But when I do it is always a great adventure. The reason I enjoy traveling so much is because you get to experience first hand something about a place that you never knew. From museums, hotels, cafes, to shopping malls you see get to see all of a new culture. At the same time you can find time to relax and lounge. Whether I am going to a familiar place like Miami or exploring the outback of Australia it is almost always enjoyable. I think that even if it’s too expensive (which it usually is) to go out of town one should still take a road trip to another state or even just bus down to a city near by that you have never been to. If you go with an open mind your bound to have a great time. If I have been away for a while there is this great feeling of coming back home refreshed with a whole new list of adventures to share. I adore traveling and I strongly suggest saving up for at least one big trip to somewhere, anywhere in the world.

Cheers,
Lucia

If I were an animal I think I would be a Koala. There are few animals like the Koala and in fact the Koala is considered an endangered species. Like the Koala, there are few Lucias in this world as well. Since Koalas are an endangered species they are at risk and I, being a human being today, sometimes feel like we are endangered from global warming, war, disease etc.
Koalas are a marsupial mammal which means they give birth to undeveloped babies and these babies are carried around in their mother’s pouch. This reminds me of when I was little, because I too liked to be carried around in the warmth of my mother’s (or father’s) arms.
Koalas like to sleep a lot and though this is not so much true for me, I do share a similar trait in that I like to huddle in my own space and I can’t go a day with out having some ‘alone’ time. Also being a small person I can identify with this species.
Koalas like to eat a lot and I too eat tons. Like me, Koalas are nocturnal meaning they tend to be most active during the night. Koalas are great tree climbers and am I. Another interesting thing about Koalas is that they all make a call (yelling sound) when they are fearful of something or stressed by something. This call is often accompanied by shaking. Although I do not shake when I am stressed I can definitely feel something in my body letting me know I am afraid--like my stomach tends to hurt.
Finally, the Koala reminds me of my roots because I was conceived in Australia (sorry about the gross detail!) and the Aboriginals believe that the animal you are created by is the animal you will reincarnate to. So while I may not believe in reincarnation there is always a possibility I could become a Koala at sometime in the future.

cheers,
Lucia

One of the most traumatic things for me when I was a child took place in the summer before fifth grade. This something still plagues me today. I was visiting my hometown of Miami, Florida we had gone up for the weekend to the Everglades to stay at a nice, fancy, hotel with some relatives. It is important to note that this hotel was fancy-- very fancy. It was not some run down Motel 6. On the 3rd day there my cousin, my sister, my mom, and I had an appointment to go air boating. As I remember it, we were running a few minutes late so we rushed down the hall to the elevator. My mom hit the L (lobby) button and we all stepped on. No one else except my cousin, my sister, my mom, and I were on the elevator so we were being a bit rowdy. Actually, we were being very rowdy and jumping up and down so as to get the sensation of flying. In fact it took us a minute to realize that the elevator was taking quite a while to get us to the lobby. It took us a another minute to realize we were stuck!
So yes, my childhood fear and my current fear is of elevators. Unfortunately we weren’t stuck just on one floor, we were stuck between two floors, the lobby and the garage. So, we did the only thing we could do, we called for help. My mom opened the emergency call box and after what felt like an hour, but was probably only about ten minutes, we could hear fire engines. While we waited, I remember feeling scared and also hungry because it was way past lunch. Then the panel on the top of the elevator opened revealing a buff man dressed in yellow. He introduced himself and explained that somehow we were stuck between two floors making the only way out through the ceiling. It’s embarrassing to admit but I think the reason we were stuck in the first place was our own fault. After all, we had been jumping.
One by one we were pulled up through the panel and into the section where all the wires that control the elevator were. It was terrifying. We had to stand very still until they carried us out to the hotel lobby. That is why I am terrified of elevators. Whether it is a nice or a junky building, I am scared of ALL elevators.
Today I still try to avoid elevators as much as possible. I almost always take the stairs. When there is no other option I stand in the elevator and take deep breaths until I reach my destination. I realize this is an irrational fear because it is very rare to be stuck in an elevator and when it happened to my family and I we brought it upon ourselves. But, I am still scared of elevators.