England. Setting of the famous Harry Potter books. Known for the English language spoken and written differently from Americans, the rainy weather, the double deckers, the castles and ruins from ancient times, and so much more. For some people, England is just like another America, with all of its praises and problems, but for others it’s an exciting adventure. What a dream it is for some people to just step outside of one’s homeland, especially after being in one place for so long, but what if it could become a reality? What a trip that would be!
Upon hearing of my parent’s final decision to go to England along with Bangladesh, I was overjoyed! I would be spending my summer vacation in two countries, far away from America. Not having gone anywhere far since our last trip to Bangladesh many years ago, at an age too little to remember clearly, this was an exciting time for me. Our trip took place in the summer of 2007, the year of my 8th grade graduation (I guess you can say this was a graduation present from my parents and a vacation t o relax before high school!) I told some of my teachers and friends that I would not be attending the graduation ceremony because of a trip that would take place before the school year ended. My 4th grade teacher, who I visited while my peers rehearsed for their graduation ceremony, told me that her daughter had gone to London and really enjoyed it. She told me to have fun and stay safe. One of my “friends” told me that she had gone and did a pigeon feeding and for me to try it! Overall, I was eager for my first trip to England!
We arrived at my aunt and uncle’s house after over an hours drive from Heathrow airport
in London. I noticed the houses in the area were very similar to one another, just like on Privet
Drive in the Harry Potter movies. I felt like I was dreaming. Not only was I finally in England, but I saw my cousins after many, many years. I even had another cousin who I didn’t have when we last met. We had so much catching up to do with our lives! My mom was doing the same with my aunt, her older sister in the kitchen.
The first couple of days were for family time, recalling memories of when my cousins had come to America in 1997, the games we played when we were little, our trip to New York and two years later to Bangladesh, the good old days of the past! One night my cousins and I told ghost stories (it was a “tradition” my cousins did), and boy did they have stories to tell, with all the shows they watch on TV! I remember thinking of England to be full of haunted houses from the stories I would read when I was younger. The next day we showed them a scary picture of a girl with a disgusting face and another one where a guy screams suddenly! It might not sound scary, but when one of my cousins saw the skeleton, she screamed and covered her face. I thought she had a heart attack, but she was bent over laughing! My other cousin laughed and said that was cool (they are really into anything that is scary, shows, stories, you name it!) Some days later, my uncle, brother, sister, 3 cousins, and I went to Rochester Castle. We climbed to the top and could see the cathedral nearby. The days passed quickly but it was almost time to leave England. My dad met up with us from America a few days before we had to get ready to go to Bangladesh.
After spending over a month in Bangladesh, which I enjoyed most of the time, we got a chance to stop at London again because our flight was rescheduled for a few days later. One of those days, my uncle took me, my dad, brother, and 2 cousins sight seeing. At first I didn’t want to really go but I’m glad I changed my mind. I would have really regretted it! We took a trip to London, since my cousins live far away from there. We took a train for some parts of the trip. It was the first time I went in a train and it was fun.
Our first stop was to Buckingham Palace. The gardens and fountain were beautiful! After going around the garden and fountain, we went in front of the palace (we couldn’t go inside though…). It was huge! Tall gates separated the palace from tourists, but we did see soldiers guarding the palace grounds. We later headed to the Tower of London. I recalled doing a social studies project in the 7th grade on the Tower of London and it was great that I was actually able to see it in person! We crossed the Tower Bridge and later came to the Palace of Westminster where the legendary Big Ben stands. We also saw the London Eye, which I later discovered was a Ferris wheel and the Swiss Tower, a rocket shaped skyscraper. Night fell by the time we got back on the train, our car, and finally home. The day finally came for me and my family to head back to America. I will never forget my vacation to England and hopefully will be able to visit again sometime in the future!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
G, H, I, and L Words
I will be posting writing terms every other week from the book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creative Writing" (2nd edition) by Laurie E. Rozakis.
1. genre- a major literary category. The 3 genres are prose, drama, and poetry.
2. haiku- a Japanese poetic form that uses only 3 lines and a total of 17 syllables.
3. hero/heroine- literary characters who we admire for their noble traits, such as bravery, selflessness, or cleverness. In the past, the term "hero" was used to refer to a male character, the term "heroine" for a female character. Today, "hero" is used for either male or female characters.
4. humor- parts of a story that are amusing. Humor can be created through sarcasm, word play, irony, and exaggeration.
5. hyperbole- exaggeration used for a literary effect such as emphasis, drama or humor.
6. image- a word that appeals to one or more of our five senses; sight, hearing, taste, touch, or smell.
7. imagery- imagery is the use of images and figurative language that helps readers visualize a person, place, thing, or situation.
8. inciting moment- the beginning of a conflict.
9. irony- occurs when something happens that is different from what was expected. In verbal irony, there is a contrast between what is stated and what that statement suggests. In dramatic irony, there is a contrast between what a character believes and what the audience knows to be true. In irony of situation, an event reverses what the readers or characters expected.
10. limerick- a type of humorous poetry. Limericks have 5 lines, a strong rhyme, and a set rhythm. The 1st, 2nd, and 5th lines rhyme with each other and the 3rd and 4th rhyme with each other- aabba
11. lyric poems- brief, musical poems that express a speaker's feelings.
1. genre- a major literary category. The 3 genres are prose, drama, and poetry.
2. haiku- a Japanese poetic form that uses only 3 lines and a total of 17 syllables.
3. hero/heroine- literary characters who we admire for their noble traits, such as bravery, selflessness, or cleverness. In the past, the term "hero" was used to refer to a male character, the term "heroine" for a female character. Today, "hero" is used for either male or female characters.
4. humor- parts of a story that are amusing. Humor can be created through sarcasm, word play, irony, and exaggeration.
5. hyperbole- exaggeration used for a literary effect such as emphasis, drama or humor.
6. image- a word that appeals to one or more of our five senses; sight, hearing, taste, touch, or smell.
7. imagery- imagery is the use of images and figurative language that helps readers visualize a person, place, thing, or situation.
8. inciting moment- the beginning of a conflict.
9. irony- occurs when something happens that is different from what was expected. In verbal irony, there is a contrast between what is stated and what that statement suggests. In dramatic irony, there is a contrast between what a character believes and what the audience knows to be true. In irony of situation, an event reverses what the readers or characters expected.
10. limerick- a type of humorous poetry. Limericks have 5 lines, a strong rhyme, and a set rhythm. The 1st, 2nd, and 5th lines rhyme with each other and the 3rd and 4th rhyme with each other- aabba
11. lyric poems- brief, musical poems that express a speaker's feelings.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
America's Environment in the 1970s
“Mommy, why are there so many dead fish? What killed them all?” questioned 5 year-old Kevin.
His mother bit her lip, wondering what to say to an innocent little child in terms he would understand. Mrs. Martini was taking her two children for a walk in the park in which a river cut through. Usually a place of splendor for families to stroll through on a beautiful spring day, the river now was practically littered with dead fish. Here and there lay a dead bird too, obviously from eating a contaminated fish. The pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, more commonly known as DDT, had worse results than many people had thought. The news of the affects of DDT had been all over the news for the past couple of days. Now Mrs. Martini saw the truth for herself. It was disgusting to see what humans were doing to the Earth. Killing oneself was one thing, but killing innocent plants and animals was a different story. How would the future look if this continued? She came back from her thoughts by the tug on her skirt by Kevin. He didn’t see the tears in his mother’s eyes.
The American environmental movement surfaced in the 1960's and 1970's. It wasn't until 1962 that Americans were concerned about the environment. Thanks to Rachel Carson, an ecologist and writer, her book Silent Spring (1962) was about how pesticides were killing birds and the dangers of pesticides on foods that people ate. Overall, this book described the health and environmental hazards of the pesticide DDT, which was widely used at that time in the United States and around the world, which was eventually banned in the United States in 1972. Because of Carson's writing, "many Americans realized that industrialization and economic development had exploited and damaged the natural environment" (Miller, 16). This realization helped launch an environmental movement which grew in numbers of people and organizations that were concerned and wanted to help. Thus, the American dream in the 1970s was to save the environment!
Primarily, people took advantage of raising awareness on April 22, 1970, the United
State's first Earth Day! Action that took place on this special day included planting trees, cleaning up litter, holding parades, and attending rallies. "Still, others staged protests to dramatize the goals of environmentalism" (Sonneborn, 47). More serious attempts of awareness on this day included the event of 100 students riding horses in Tacoma, Washington to speak out against auto emissions that cause pollution. "In San Francisco, California, a group calling itself the Environmental Vigilantes poured oil into a reflecting pool outside the corporate offices of the Standard Oil Company to draw attention to destructive oil spills" (Sonneborn 47).
Though many of the actions that took place may seem drastic, people wanted to let others know of the destruction the environment was going through before it was too late! What would become of the Earth, home to countless living organisms of people, plants, and animals, if something wasn't done soon to change the negative environment conditions? Furthermore, how would the later generations survive in a world that was neglected by past inhabitants? From that day forward, April 22 is known as Earth Day.
In addition to Earth Day, further action that took place for public awareness included the first major environmental law that was passed during the Nixon administration. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was signed into law on January 11, 1970 on live television. NEPA later created a brand new federal agency called the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA works to protect people and the natural world in the U.S. Some of EPA’s main goals include: clean air and clean and safe water, safe food, preventing pollution, reducing global risk, and better waste management.
EPA’s successes consists of "lowering the amount of lead that children are exposed to by controlling lead-based paint and banning DDT, a very harmful pesticide that can hurt animals
and cause cancer in people" (Binns, 8). EPA was also responsible for "cleaning up the Great Lakes, which were very polluted and also toxic waste sites such as Love Canal in New York in 1980" (Binns, 9). The Agency also "fines businesses that break the laws and pollute the environment. For example, Exxon, whose tanker Exxon Valdez spilled oil in Alaska in 1989. Many animals died as a result of the oil spill" (Binns, 9). These are just some of the many ways EPA is doing their part to make a difference.
Similarly, animal and plant protection was also a concern for many people. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) began with a conference in Washington, D.C. in 1973. The conference led 80 nations to sign CITES. CITES "monitors and sometimes restricts international commerce in plant and animal species believed to be harmed by trade" (A History). Cites overall aim is “to make sure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Trade is diverse, ranging from live animals and plants to a vast supply of products derived from them including food products, leather goods, and medicines" (What is). Later in the year of 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was passed by Congress.
The ESA's primary purpose is to protect and recover endangered species and the ecosystems in which they depend upon. It is administered by the Interior Department's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which is responsible for land and freshwater creatures. ESA is also administered by the Commerce Department's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), which is responsible for marine wildlife such as whales and salmon. Species may be listed as either endangered or threatened under the ESA.
According to the ESA, "endangered species are ones considered to be in danger of
extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range while threatened species are likely
ESA). To the ESA, "all species of plants and animals except pest insects are eligible for listing as either endangered or threatened" (ESA). ESA's ways of protecting endangered and threatened species and their habitats include prohibiting harassment, pursuing, hunting, shooting, wounding, killing, trapping, capturing, collecting, or harming which can actually kill or injure wildlife by impairing behavioral patterns such as breeding, feeding, or sheltering.
Overall, the concern for the environment was so great in America in the 1970’s that it brought the attention of many people who wanted to change the negative environment conditions. Jeopardizing the health and well being of the present and future inhabitants was the leading factor for so much change. For better living for people, plants, and animals, much was done to assist in many areas that needed improvement. All the organizations and people, who put so much time and effort into their work to help everyone and the Earth, did an impressive job to make a difference. We can all help too!
WORKS CITED
"A History of the Endangered Species Act of 1973." U.S Fish and Wildlife Service: Endangered Species Program. April 2008. 6 April 2010.
www.fws.gov/endangered/factsheets/history_ESA.pdf.
Binns, Tristin. The EPA: Environmental Protection Agency. Chicago: Heinemann Library. 2003.
"ESA Basics: More Than 30 years of Conserving Endangered Species." U.S Fish and Wildlife Service: Endangered Species Program. February 2009. 6 April 2010.
www.fws.gov/endangered/factsheets/ESA_basics.pdf.
Miller, Debra A. Conserving the Environment. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press. 2010.
Sonneborn, Liz. The Environmental Movement: Protecting Our Natural Resources. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. 2008.
"What is CITES." Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. 6 April 2010.
www.cites.org/eng/disc/what.shtml.
His mother bit her lip, wondering what to say to an innocent little child in terms he would understand. Mrs. Martini was taking her two children for a walk in the park in which a river cut through. Usually a place of splendor for families to stroll through on a beautiful spring day, the river now was practically littered with dead fish. Here and there lay a dead bird too, obviously from eating a contaminated fish. The pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, more commonly known as DDT, had worse results than many people had thought. The news of the affects of DDT had been all over the news for the past couple of days. Now Mrs. Martini saw the truth for herself. It was disgusting to see what humans were doing to the Earth. Killing oneself was one thing, but killing innocent plants and animals was a different story. How would the future look if this continued? She came back from her thoughts by the tug on her skirt by Kevin. He didn’t see the tears in his mother’s eyes.
The American environmental movement surfaced in the 1960's and 1970's. It wasn't until 1962 that Americans were concerned about the environment. Thanks to Rachel Carson, an ecologist and writer, her book Silent Spring (1962) was about how pesticides were killing birds and the dangers of pesticides on foods that people ate. Overall, this book described the health and environmental hazards of the pesticide DDT, which was widely used at that time in the United States and around the world, which was eventually banned in the United States in 1972. Because of Carson's writing, "many Americans realized that industrialization and economic development had exploited and damaged the natural environment" (Miller, 16). This realization helped launch an environmental movement which grew in numbers of people and organizations that were concerned and wanted to help. Thus, the American dream in the 1970s was to save the environment!
Primarily, people took advantage of raising awareness on April 22, 1970, the United
State's first Earth Day! Action that took place on this special day included planting trees, cleaning up litter, holding parades, and attending rallies. "Still, others staged protests to dramatize the goals of environmentalism" (Sonneborn, 47). More serious attempts of awareness on this day included the event of 100 students riding horses in Tacoma, Washington to speak out against auto emissions that cause pollution. "In San Francisco, California, a group calling itself the Environmental Vigilantes poured oil into a reflecting pool outside the corporate offices of the Standard Oil Company to draw attention to destructive oil spills" (Sonneborn 47).
Though many of the actions that took place may seem drastic, people wanted to let others know of the destruction the environment was going through before it was too late! What would become of the Earth, home to countless living organisms of people, plants, and animals, if something wasn't done soon to change the negative environment conditions? Furthermore, how would the later generations survive in a world that was neglected by past inhabitants? From that day forward, April 22 is known as Earth Day.
In addition to Earth Day, further action that took place for public awareness included the first major environmental law that was passed during the Nixon administration. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was signed into law on January 11, 1970 on live television. NEPA later created a brand new federal agency called the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA works to protect people and the natural world in the U.S. Some of EPA’s main goals include: clean air and clean and safe water, safe food, preventing pollution, reducing global risk, and better waste management.
EPA’s successes consists of "lowering the amount of lead that children are exposed to by controlling lead-based paint and banning DDT, a very harmful pesticide that can hurt animals
and cause cancer in people" (Binns, 8). EPA was also responsible for "cleaning up the Great Lakes, which were very polluted and also toxic waste sites such as Love Canal in New York in 1980" (Binns, 9). The Agency also "fines businesses that break the laws and pollute the environment. For example, Exxon, whose tanker Exxon Valdez spilled oil in Alaska in 1989. Many animals died as a result of the oil spill" (Binns, 9). These are just some of the many ways EPA is doing their part to make a difference.
Similarly, animal and plant protection was also a concern for many people. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) began with a conference in Washington, D.C. in 1973. The conference led 80 nations to sign CITES. CITES "monitors and sometimes restricts international commerce in plant and animal species believed to be harmed by trade" (A History). Cites overall aim is “to make sure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Trade is diverse, ranging from live animals and plants to a vast supply of products derived from them including food products, leather goods, and medicines" (What is). Later in the year of 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was passed by Congress.
The ESA's primary purpose is to protect and recover endangered species and the ecosystems in which they depend upon. It is administered by the Interior Department's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which is responsible for land and freshwater creatures. ESA is also administered by the Commerce Department's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), which is responsible for marine wildlife such as whales and salmon. Species may be listed as either endangered or threatened under the ESA.
According to the ESA, "endangered species are ones considered to be in danger of
extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range while threatened species are likely
ESA). To the ESA, "all species of plants and animals except pest insects are eligible for listing as either endangered or threatened" (ESA). ESA's ways of protecting endangered and threatened species and their habitats include prohibiting harassment, pursuing, hunting, shooting, wounding, killing, trapping, capturing, collecting, or harming which can actually kill or injure wildlife by impairing behavioral patterns such as breeding, feeding, or sheltering.
Overall, the concern for the environment was so great in America in the 1970’s that it brought the attention of many people who wanted to change the negative environment conditions. Jeopardizing the health and well being of the present and future inhabitants was the leading factor for so much change. For better living for people, plants, and animals, much was done to assist in many areas that needed improvement. All the organizations and people, who put so much time and effort into their work to help everyone and the Earth, did an impressive job to make a difference. We can all help too!
WORKS CITED
"A History of the Endangered Species Act of 1973." U.S Fish and Wildlife Service: Endangered Species Program. April 2008. 6 April 2010.
www.fws.gov/endangered/factsheets/history_ESA.pdf.
Binns, Tristin. The EPA: Environmental Protection Agency. Chicago: Heinemann Library. 2003.
"ESA Basics: More Than 30 years of Conserving Endangered Species." U.S Fish and Wildlife Service: Endangered Species Program. February 2009. 6 April 2010.
www.fws.gov/endangered/factsheets/ESA_basics.pdf.
Miller, Debra A. Conserving the Environment. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press. 2010.
Sonneborn, Liz. The Environmental Movement: Protecting Our Natural Resources. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. 2008.
"What is CITES." Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. 6 April 2010.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
E and F Words
1. epic- a long narrative in an elevated style, presenting high--born characters in a series of adventures that depict key events in the history of a nation. 2. essay- a brief writing on a particular subject or idea.
3. exposition- a type of writing that explains, shows, or tells about a subject. The word can be also be used to mean the opening parts of a play or story. During the exposition, the characters, action, and setting are introduced.
4. extended metaphor- an extended metaphor compares two things at length and in several different ways.
5. fable- a short, easy-to-read story that teaches a lesson about people. Fables often feature animals that talk and act like people.
6. fantasy- a kind of writing that describes events that could not take place in real life. Fantasy has unrealistic characters, settings, and events.
7. farce- a humorous play that is based on a silly plot, ridiculous situations, and comic dialogue. The characters are usually one-dimensional stereotypical figures. They often find themselves in situations that start out normally but soon turn absurd.
8. fiction- writing that tells about made-up events and characters. Novels and short stories are examples of fiction.
9. figures of speech- figures of speech (or figurative language) use words in fresh, new ways to appeal to the imagination. Figures of speech include similes, metaphors, extended metaphors, hyperbole, and personification.
10. flashback- a scene that breaks into a story to show an earlier part of the action. Flashbacks help fill in missing information, explain that characters' actions, and advance the plot.
11. foot- a poetic foot is a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables arranged in metrical feet. A foot is composed of either two or three syllables, such that the nature of the foot is determined by the placement of the accent. There are six basic types of metrical feet in English. The first four are very common; the last two are rare.
12. foreshadowing- provides clues that hint at what will happen later on in the story. Writers use foreshadowing to create suspense and link related details.
13. frame story- a shorter story within a larger one. Often, the longer story introduces and closes the frame story.
14. free verse- poetry without a regular pattern of rhyme and meter. Walt Whitman's poetry is an example of free verse.
3. exposition- a type of writing that explains, shows, or tells about a subject. The word can be also be used to mean the opening parts of a play or story. During the exposition, the characters, action, and setting are introduced.
4. extended metaphor- an extended metaphor compares two things at length and in several different ways.
5. fable- a short, easy-to-read story that teaches a lesson about people. Fables often feature animals that talk and act like people.
6. fantasy- a kind of writing that describes events that could not take place in real life. Fantasy has unrealistic characters, settings, and events.
7. farce- a humorous play that is based on a silly plot, ridiculous situations, and comic dialogue. The characters are usually one-dimensional stereotypical figures. They often find themselves in situations that start out normally but soon turn absurd.
8. fiction- writing that tells about made-up events and characters. Novels and short stories are examples of fiction.
9. figures of speech- figures of speech (or figurative language) use words in fresh, new ways to appeal to the imagination. Figures of speech include similes, metaphors, extended metaphors, hyperbole, and personification.
10. flashback- a scene that breaks into a story to show an earlier part of the action. Flashbacks help fill in missing information, explain that characters' actions, and advance the plot.
11. foot- a poetic foot is a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables arranged in metrical feet. A foot is composed of either two or three syllables, such that the nature of the foot is determined by the placement of the accent. There are six basic types of metrical feet in English. The first four are very common; the last two are rare.
12. foreshadowing- provides clues that hint at what will happen later on in the story. Writers use foreshadowing to create suspense and link related details.
13. frame story- a shorter story within a larger one. Often, the longer story introduces and closes the frame story.
14. free verse- poetry without a regular pattern of rhyme and meter. Walt Whitman's poetry is an example of free verse.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Field Trip to Pt. Pleasant
I realized that hard work does pay off the day I stepped onto the boardwalk to enjoy a field trip to the beach!
I was a seventh grade tutor in school for about five months, helping second graders improve in reading. Being a tutor was not all fun like I had thought (getting out of class early and having to miss certain classes). We had to be responsible enough to keep up with all the work we missed so we could continue doing well in school. The day we were going on the field trip was the most exciting day for me that year. We were going to spend our day in luxury while our peers were in class doing work. Me and some of my friends, along with other seventh and eighth grade students from different classes were on our ways to Point Pleasant in Ocean County!
The first one and a half hour on the bus was a bit tiresome, but fortunately we were on a bus that had a television and a bathroom. We watched movies, played games, and talked to keep ourselves busy. It felt great to be out of school with my friends for a change. After about another half hour or so, the bus pulled up leading to our destination.
Stepping off the bus, my eyes were fixed on the beautiful beach that was laid before us. The dazzling blue ocean and sparkling sand waiting to be played in was a gorgeous sight.
This is the life! I thought.
We were going to spend our day here while some of our other friends were stuck in class on a hot day in May. I felt bad for them, but proud of myself for being able to come to this wonderful place.
First stop was the Fun House. The four of us stayed together to be on the safe side. It was completely black except for only a few lights, which were lighting up the scenery including scary faces to ordinary plants. We had to get through slides, stairs, and other obstacles. Suddenly, one of my friend looked at me and screamed! When she turned around I realized why; everything that was white like our eyes and teeth looked blue. Both of us frantically rushed to find the exit.
Next, we went to the Jenkinson's Aquarium. Inside, we saw many creatures including fish, sharks, seahorses, penguins, parrots, a blue lobster, a white alligator, a cute little monkey, a starfish and many other animals. After about an hour of touring, we finally reached lunch time. I had three slices of pizza, a chicken patty, coke, and chocolate ice-cream. After lunch, we were told we had an hour and a half to ourselves. We went to the souvenir shop and after buying some souvenirs, the four of us took off our shoes and socks and ran for the beach!
We stood close to the water waiting for it to come up. The water finally reached our feet and above, soaking us up to our knees in freezing cold water. The wet sand felt squishy between my toes and I started to sink into the sand. We retreated further back and sat watching the other people. Before leaving the sand, we ran around racing just for fun. Later, we went to the clothes store and made a final stop at the arcade. Getting onto the bus, I looked back at the shore. I would never forget the great day I had!
I was a seventh grade tutor in school for about five months, helping second graders improve in reading. Being a tutor was not all fun like I had thought (getting out of class early and having to miss certain classes). We had to be responsible enough to keep up with all the work we missed so we could continue doing well in school. The day we were going on the field trip was the most exciting day for me that year. We were going to spend our day in luxury while our peers were in class doing work. Me and some of my friends, along with other seventh and eighth grade students from different classes were on our ways to Point Pleasant in Ocean County!
The first one and a half hour on the bus was a bit tiresome, but fortunately we were on a bus that had a television and a bathroom. We watched movies, played games, and talked to keep ourselves busy. It felt great to be out of school with my friends for a change. After about another half hour or so, the bus pulled up leading to our destination.
Stepping off the bus, my eyes were fixed on the beautiful beach that was laid before us. The dazzling blue ocean and sparkling sand waiting to be played in was a gorgeous sight.
This is the life! I thought.
We were going to spend our day here while some of our other friends were stuck in class on a hot day in May. I felt bad for them, but proud of myself for being able to come to this wonderful place.
First stop was the Fun House. The four of us stayed together to be on the safe side. It was completely black except for only a few lights, which were lighting up the scenery including scary faces to ordinary plants. We had to get through slides, stairs, and other obstacles. Suddenly, one of my friend looked at me and screamed! When she turned around I realized why; everything that was white like our eyes and teeth looked blue. Both of us frantically rushed to find the exit.
Next, we went to the Jenkinson's Aquarium. Inside, we saw many creatures including fish, sharks, seahorses, penguins, parrots, a blue lobster, a white alligator, a cute little monkey, a starfish and many other animals. After about an hour of touring, we finally reached lunch time. I had three slices of pizza, a chicken patty, coke, and chocolate ice-cream. After lunch, we were told we had an hour and a half to ourselves. We went to the souvenir shop and after buying some souvenirs, the four of us took off our shoes and socks and ran for the beach!
We stood close to the water waiting for it to come up. The water finally reached our feet and above, soaking us up to our knees in freezing cold water. The wet sand felt squishy between my toes and I started to sink into the sand. We retreated further back and sat watching the other people. Before leaving the sand, we ran around racing just for fun. Later, we went to the clothes store and made a final stop at the arcade. Getting onto the bus, I looked back at the shore. I would never forget the great day I had!
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