Arad, Israel

On my first journey to the Holy Land I never even realized we had passed through Arad on our way to the Dead Sea. I was on a Taglit trip to visit and explore Israel through my Jewish roots. During the trip We passed by this small town where they explained What and who the Bedouins were in Israel. That's what I remember from my short encounter with Arad. Then of course for most of those passing through we were headed to the Dead sea.

After spending some quality time with this little town I would love to call it home.

I spent a weekend enjoying the things that Arad and their people have to offer

The first night was in this boutique hotel name Yehalim. The owner was there to greet us at our evening arrival. His name is Gili and was also our tour guide for the hike the next morning. the room was beautiful. I shared the room with 3 of my cohorts for our adventure. with two connecting rooms we were in the family suit.

As we sat there waiting for sleep to find us we relaxed on the balcony and watch the bunny running around and the place next door. Our first thought was why are there bunnies running around in the desert.

As we sat and chatted we enjoyed the view from the balcony, a valley in the desert. The next Morning we were preparing for the long hike ahead of us. Gali there head of the kitchen was an amazing cook. Very friendly and lively. Their homemade pesto and olive spread were so good. the morning meal was something unforgettable.

Our hiking guide Gili was taking us to the Kina River. As we started there was this set of ruins at the top of a ridge. and we started down toward the river. During the hike he stopped to show us makeshift wells that people use throughout the desert. When the rainfall comes the wells fill and the desert dwelling people or visitors can use the water for themselves or their animals.

The Hike was a lot of fun. Lasted about 7 hours. We climbed over ridges and stopped in the shadows of the canyons for tea. Our tour guide Gili was always excited to see the plants growing through the rocks. Along the way we were climbing up one side of a mountain and saw a herd of camel just grazing the hillsides.  

Once we got don with the hike we headed of to Michal’s guest house Desert Bird. she greeted us at the door and chatted about our hike.. but our exhaustion lead us all to a shower and naps. sleeping outside in the yard is where I found myself while my friend was in the hammock. while we were there a group from Nepal showed up. But it being Shabbat we had dinner plans.

Shabbat dinner was spent at Muza. Then back to Desert Bird for sleep. The next morning was probably my favorite part I stepped outside to have a smoke and some coffee. The air was crisp and the yard with its big tree hid me from the rising sun. The other guests came out slowly one by one. we chatted and had our coffee while we talked about life and Arad. After breakfast we were met by Giora the jeep tour guide. A friendly man with a big smile. The jeep tour brought us around the desert we drove through a bedouin village. The tour was nice. We ended up on the plateau the gave us a view to the Dead Sea and the Jordan border. The view was incredible. The jeep tour was bumpy and fun and his company was great.

Overall Arad though it’s a quaint little town carries so much personality. The people you walk by and stop to talk to are so friendly and always have so many questions for the visitors. If you are confused they're always someone who is willing to help. The city is small and full of life.

True Love

      Two people that I know that have been in a relationship that has lasted years is my house parents Bob and Debbie. They have been together for thirty-six and a half years. Debbie and Bob differ in many ways, their personalities are practically opposites. Debbie is more laid back while Bob is more of a strict father. In their relationship Bob is the rock of the relationship and Debbie is the spontaneous child. Although, they have differences in opinion their love continues to show through everyday they spend together. They both work on their relationship everyday. Their best quality as a couple would be their communication, they may get mad but they talk through their issues.
     To have a strong relationship communication is key. My house parents have great communication as well as trust. These are qualities that make a relationship last. I believe that these will help any relationship. With out theses key qualities one could fall apart before anyone really knows whats happening.

"Sonnet 292"

The eyes I spoke of once in words that burn,


the arms and hands and feet and lovely face

that took me from myself for such a space

of time and marked me out from other men;


the waving hair of unmixed gold that shone,

the smile that flashed with the angelic rays

that used to make this earth a paradise,

are now a little dust, all feeling gone;


and yet I live, grief and disdain to me,

left where the light I cherished never shows,

in fragile bark on the tempestuous sea.


Here let my loving song come to a close;

the vein of my accustomed art is dry,

and this, my lyre, turned at last to tears

Francesco Petrarch

Summary

So the author speaks of a women who is very beautiful.  he explains what he finds beautiful, and talks of grief he has over the loss of her. she seems to have bveen his everything, and he loves her supposedly. I am not sure how he lost her but he gireves her absence. He says he sings this song for her and cries for this woman.

Music link
http://www.playlist.com/searchbeta/tracks#swim%20(music%20box)/all/1

Sonnet 130 Translation

Her eyes do not sparkle


Her lips are pale red

Tan skin is what she has, she is not fair

Black hair is what she has

I have seen beautiful pink roses

But her cheeks are far from that color

Some perfumes smell awesome

But her breath does not smell like them

I have never seen perfection walk

She does have a normal walk

   But I love her which is rare

   She is not exaggerated, she is just real

extended interpretations: Sonnets

I believe that everyday incidents can be poetic, if expressed with the right words. If someone would take a step back and watch others interact with one another, stare off into space, or just are by themselves, there is a beauty to a human being that sometimes words may not be able to express. Poetry isn’t always about love; it can be about anger, wonder and many other emotions that may play out on people’s faces. People yelling at each other or wrestling can be a work of art, its just the right person has to be able to see it that way and be able to express it with words that make it more beautiful that grunts and cursing. Being able to make something beautiful while others see it as normal behavior is a gift in itself that a poet has mastered. Everyday incidents can be looked at as poetry through the right eyes and if written down that perception is being shared. An example would be sports, such as basketball, when our coach makes us do suicides all you can hears is the squeak of shoes, hard breathing, and grunts of exhaustion. That all combined could be poetic; it gets in touch with the senses and has a clear image. Another example is when softball players warm up, you hear the thwack of the ball hitting the glove, the ball whizzing through the air, and see all the players move to the path of the ball.  These are things that happen everyday and can be seen as poetic.

Integrity : Quote of the Day 10-7-10

   Having integrity without knowledge is weal and useless, because without integrity no one will truly believe what you are saying is the honest truth as well as it lacking evidence, it is similar to being ignorant.  Having knowledge without Integrity can be dangerous because then you do not have strong morals or principals in life. Having not morals or principals makes your knowledge have the ability to be used for cruel ways.
   An example of this in my life is that I have integrity, but sometimes i do knot have all the knowledge I need for the subject at hand. Like Ms. Ramirez would say it would be called a "weak sauce" argument or "talking out the side of your neck". When this happens i don't have true integrity because i don not have all the facts so my argument is useless and weak to the opposing side because they may have more knowledge about the subject.

Thinking: Quote of the Day 10-07-10

   When we know how to think and understand the flow of our thoughts writing will come naturally. When you can follow your though process it makes writing flow, and become understandable by an audience.
   An example of this n my life is in my English class. Ms. Ramirez always tells us to think, and once we know how to think writing will be easier. Being able to think on our own will help develop our thought process. In our English class we have to processes we go through when writing to organize our thoughts. Being able to "jot down" our thoughts helps me be able to organize them and put them in order of sense. When I "Barf" on paper my papers are always choppy and don't make so much sense. So thinking and organizing my thoughts before I start writing helps me establish my ideas in a way that makes sense to me and others.

Real Life Quick Write : Alumni

  Many alumni are unsuccessful because they fail in aspects of their lives that are important to success. To be successful for an SPA alumnus you would need to be responsible, dedicated, and mature. Being dedicated is huge , if you are dedicated you are committed in everything you do. Having responsibility will give you opportunities, because you get things done when needed. Maturity is something most students do not have but will help when they are in college, work or meetings. these characteristics are most important to becoming successful.
   Practice always helps people get better. Being a god person doesn't just happen, people have to practice as well as keep your morals. To attain these traits opportunities need to be given so one can show they have these qualities and if not they need to work on themselves. Having trust with students gives them the ability to be responsible and mature. Helping students strive for success  helps them with dedication. when students are put to the test for theses traits it can create better alumni.
   Qualities that I have attained over my years at San Pasqual Academy are dedication and some responsibility. I know I m not perfect, but I take responsibility for my actions. When I get involved in sports shows how dedication and responsibility are needed. Going to practice is a responsibility and being dedicated when you need to do something for your team. 

Quote of the Day [9-29-10]

The quote is saying that school is supposed to give basic knowledge about a subject. But it is also to help people make their own opinions or judgments. If an education is allowing you or makes you think it helps students to gain their own ideas, habits  and sound judgment. when students are allowed to gain these qualities it builds character.
One example of this in my life is in Ms. Ramirez's class, she tells us to "think, think, think". When we are able to learn and think about what we are doing in school, it helps us establish a relationship with the two. its shows that there is a connection between our education and who were are when we think. her job is to make us think, in addition to the basic English terms, she wants us to be able to make good judgments and learn common sense. 

IDK

Crossed and Determined

Temptations all around

Which way should be followed
Paths are crossed and faded

How to determine whats right

Being tempted by the demon of lust

While others follow those of greed

When we resist we still have the desire

Temptations all around

We choose which to follow

Crossed paths fade from our sight

Then we determine whats rite for us

From My Heart to Yours

My smile never fades from my heart
You make my anger disappear
Confusing is what you are to me
I like this challenge it's exciting
Don't let me know it all
I want some mystery before I fall
I sneak a look in your direction
We have no limits with our time
My nerves are on edge from your touch
A tingling sensation runs through me
Just as i listen to the rhythm of your heart
I lay my head on your chest
My heart beat quickens with your kiss
A lingering tingle resides on my skin
These heart beats are meant for you to hear
Yet i shy away with fear
I'm nervous to take it to far
But I want you to know
My love is something for us to share

Ink Exchange

I have been reading a book Ink Exchange which has gotten better every day. The book is about faeries and mortal intermixing. It’s okay but the beginning was pretty boring and it took me a while to take much interest in it. I was reading it last night and it is better now that there is an actual conflict. So Niall is a faerie that was once part of the Dark Court but has moved to be part of the Summer Court. His rules for staying in the Summer Court are that he cannot have any mortals. So now he is falling for a mortal named Leslie. So this book has finally gained my interest.

Her and I

You're my other half

My unknown support

Telepathic twins
I miss you

Do you miss me too?

Many good memories

Lie beneath broken hearts and promises

I've lost you

Have you lost me too?

Your my eyes through the darkness

My wake up call to life

Telepathic twins

The last of the three blind mice

Can I put the pieces back together?

Can you help me?
My one and only best friend

Poetry Sounds

At first, I thought rhyme was when words sounded alike, but I learned that rhyme is...

An example of a poem with end rhyme is below. The title is "Nerver Alone", and the author is Rodney Belcher. The rhyme scheme is abcb.

On my poetry pretest, I was below grade-level. On my posttest, I hope that I will be at grade-level.

I feel you in the morning

When at first I awake

Your thought is with me

With each decision I make

You'd been around forever

Since the first breath I took

Now I have to go on alone

But for love, I need not look

Cause by what you bestowed

In our short time together

Will last in my heart

Forever and ever

Although you've left

And now walk above

I'm never alone

I'm wrapped in your love

Enjoy now your long waited reward

Feel peace that your love continues on

What was taught to me, will be taught to mine

Cause you live on in me even after you've gone

Reasons

Insecurity keeps me hidden

I shy away from your care

Will you still be there?

I try to understand your motives

But turn up dry for reasons

Reasons for you to care

Reasons for me to care for you

Why do I push the more you pull

You stray from my heart

And why...

Because I had to have a reason

Who will be there?

When sadness fills my soul

Who's shoulder can i cry on?

When hatred fills my heart

Who's ears can i vent to?

When pain nips at my nerves

Whose arms will be there to hug me?

When confusion rots my thoughts

Who will be there for me to confide in?

25 Random Things

1. I'm scared of outer space, because it is so big and unknown.
2. I do not like to study for tests because I want to see how much I remember without extra help.
3. My very bestfriend is my purple teddy.
4. I love to write, but I hate reading what is on the paper.
5. I wish that I could be as smart as my brother.
6. When I am alone I like to look for images on my ceiling wall.
7. When I was younger all of my friends were boys.
8. I like to argue for fun, with people who make me look less intelligent.
9. I tend to spend a lot of my money on school supplies.
10. My favorite colors change about every five months.
11. I hate drama, so I tend to hate those who start it.
12. I like snails, and when i crush them I get sad.
13. I love to buy mechanical pencils.
14. When I try not to laugh at someone I think of the color orange.
15. I'm very worried about my future.
16. My worst fear is that I will be just like my mother.
17. I miss my step brothers everyday of my life.
18. I am not a very jealous person.
19. In eighth grade I cut my hair really short.
20. When I was younger I wanted to start a bug collection.
21. I write with my paper sideways, and I cannot write in a straight line.
22. I am fascinated with the life of beetles.
23. I love to spend money on my friends without having anything in return.
24. A lot of my poetry is depressing.
25. I like to know that people have devastating lives.

Imagery and Figurative Language.

At first, I thought imagery was and image that had to do with a simile, but I learned that this was wrong. Actually, imagery is language that appeals to the five senses. I also learned about figurative language. I used to think figurative language was language that was figurative , but I learned that figurative language is a word or phrase that describes on thing in terms of another and is not meant to be understood on a literal level.  The three main types of figurative language are similes , metaphors, and personification

Figuritive Language Games

The best figurative language game I played tonight is metaphor battleship, because it quizzes on widely known metaphors. In order to play this game, I had to find the ememy's ships to sink them. When I hit a ship, I was asked to fill in the rest of the metaphor. My final score on this game was that I had finished successfully. If you want to play this game, go to this link: http://www.quia.com/ba/42131.html?AP_rand=163810965 .

Another enjoyable figurative language game is fling the teacher, because it is a quiz that asks what type of phrases are showing. In order to play this game, I had to complete fifteen questions. My final score on this game was 100 percent. If you want to play this game, go to this link : http://www.newton.k12.ks.us/tech/fling3.html

My least favorite figurative language game is simile practice, because all you have to do is drag and drop,which is very boring. In order to play this game, I had to drag and drop phrases to make a simile. My final score on this game was 100%. If you want to play this game, go to this link: http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112392/simile.html