blog reflection.

1.  In your opinion, what was the purpose of this blogging activity?

I think the purpose of blogging was to begin creating a personal writing style, which a blog allows you to do.  This especially occurred since we got to choose our own topics, so there was a lot of freedom in how to write.  Because we were literally on a global scale, writing was automatically more interesting, too.  In my own blog, I was able to write about almost anything with my topic of simple joys.  Week to week, I would pick something that I liked and found happiness in, and then just wrote about it!  I’m immensely proud of the views my page got from other countries; I don’t even know how other people found it.  Writing seems like it would be more worthwhile since others are reading it, but when I would write my posts, I wouldn’t write for an audience, per se.  If I had done that, I think my posts would have sounded a tad robotic.  My topic involved a lot of non-critical opinion, and I probably couldn’t have changed it for something (or someone) else.  The only thing the views really gave was a slight motivation and inspiration to write.

2.  What have you accomplished during your blogging and give specifics to support you?

During our blogging, I accomplished becoming more comfortable with my writing.  When we had written our first post, I had been a little paranoid about doing it right and comparing the depth or feeling of mine to others.  I was also worried I would never get any views on my ClustrMap—I even vowed to delete it if that happened within two weeks of blogging.  Over time, I grew more confident in how I was portraying my blog in my own way, and my ClustrMap seemed filled to capacity with red dots.  Writing about simple joys also helped me think more about things that really did make me happy, and that tended to put me in a good mood while writing up my posts.  One of my initial goals was to put my readers in a content place; hopefully I accomplished that too. 

3.  What key concepts have you learned while blogging?

The most important thing I learned while blogging was to connect with the post.  If you drone on and on about butterflies and sunshine, your readers will see it as a pathetic and robotic piece of work.  Blog posts need an element of connection and poetry to tie it together.  Making it to a certain level of personality instantly improves the overall quality.  My topic could have easily been made tasteless, but I tried to put it at a more “mature” level.  Another thing I learned about is appearance of your blog.  I kept mine simple because my topic was, indeed, simple joys.  It wouldn’t have made sense to have an overly-extravagant explosion of colors and patterns and then write about calm summer days.  I opted for a plain bluebird with a light background as my theme.  As for text, I normally kept it to one color (usually just black) to keep my blog neat-looking and professional.  The one time I used numerous colors was when I wrote sixteen haikus about rain and then put them all in a different shade of blue or purple.  Whenever we had to color-code our sentences, I went for some restful hues along the same color scheme.  Keeping my blog tidy was important to me, and I feel like I learned more about how a business might market its products and such.

4.  How did the weekly requirements help you become a better writer?

The weekly requirements helped me become a better writer because they targeted certain concepts.  The hardest one for me was being concise but still saying enough when we had a very specific word count.  At times, I would construct my blog post to have it hit just over the word minimum, but when I felt I was done with the post, I would be 30 words off.  I found it harder to delete parts of the post than add on to it, since I had written them in for a reason.  The other thing I found challenging was color coding my sentences as simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex.  When I started to have a little trouble, I googled a good sentence structure website to help me.  I was able to fix a couple sentences before running into more complicated ones I had written.  I didn’t know what to do with hyphens or ellipses, triple simple sentences combined with commas, and a couple other things.  I tried my best to figure out which sentence was which, and realized later in class what mistakes I had made.  

5. Based on the skills (writing, technology, perspective) you learned while blogging, how will this benefit you in the future?

The skills I used while blogging can benefit my future because I learned more about my personal writing style and preferences.  I think I’ll feel more confident the next time I write a writing assignment in school with this knowledge of myself.  Also, I believe I am better at managing my time now.  I discovered early on into blogs that they take me up to three hours to write sometimes, and I would feel a little swamped.  As time went on, I learned to plan ahead to ensure a less stressful blog-writing time.  Time-management will probably help me greatly in and out of school, and for my whole life. I enjoyed having a computerized connection with the world from blogging, too.  It was a neat experience for me. (:

texas + moving.

People say that home is where the heart is.  If that is so, then my heart has been missing for a very long time.  Seven years ago, I left my heart in America for the barren desert.  But this summer, I can finally permanently rekindle the love I had been missing all these years.  I may not be in my first place of choice (that would be Warrenton, Virginia), but my soon-to-be new home of Houston, Texas, will do perfectly for now.

I’m overly excited for so many reasons, including the fact that I will have greenery all around me.  Things like school-supply or clothes shopping will be fully accessible again.  Bagels and peanut butter won’t suddenly disappear from the country for a couple weeks at a time.  I’ll be able to wear shorts in public if I wanted to.  I can have the stereotypical high school experience!  That is the fact that excites me the most.  Football games on Friday nights, road trips on spring break, and stargazing in wheat fields on weekends are just a few of my hopeful American high school expectations.  I’m also really eager to get a new house and design a new bedroom.  As of now, I am planning a Santorini-type room.  Light blue walls, plenty of sunshine, and a cloudlike comforter are in the blueprints.  One thing I have heard about the houses in Houston is that they have lots of windows.  That’s a very good thing; I love windows!  I also love backyard swimming pools.  Houston has plenty of those, too!  Just looking at all of the beautiful houses for sale online makes me happy and excited to go there.  I am highly fascinated by the Google Earth street views they provide.  It’s a really cool way to see the neighborhood and houses.  It also makes me feel like I know the area better.  Recently, I’ve spent hours looking at all the homes on real estate websites!  I think the reason I’m so excited to move is because I feel practically un-American after living overseas for 85% of my life.  Visiting only once a year has come to depress me.  I crave the stability of being in one place year-round for several years.  I can barely contain the joy I feel in the mere thought of moving back home.  Even if every person I meet wears cowboy boots and plaid shirts, polo shirts and white tennis shoes, or super skinny jeans with black blazers, it won’t affect me at all.  My happiness will overtake it all!  I long for the couple upcoming months, when I pack up my house and fly off to America.  And then, for the first time in a long time, I won’t have to pack up at the end of the summer and fly another thirteen hours back to Doha.  I probably won’t be going on any planes for a while.  I must admit that I will miss traveling all over the world during breaks, since I won’t have that opportunity in the States.  I think my new opportunity is traveling to all the states around Texas!  I haven’t been around the Midwest at all.  Everything is a new chance when you look at it in the right light.  I’ve never really been to Texas, so I don’t know exactly what to expect, but I know (I’m hoping) I’ll be happy.  That said, I already know that anything that involves me in my home sweet home will make me extra happy!  (:

dogs + love.

There is one thing on this planet that loves unconditionally.  It’s one thing that will love you every second.  One thing that doesn’t care about your strange quirks or how much money you have.  Clothes and cars don’t matter to them.  The most important thing in their world is you.  All they need is love.  These things are dogs.

Dogs have astounding effects on humans.  One look into a pet shop window and you’re smitten.  From the first moment you lay your eyes on a dog in that store, you just know.  There’s a connection, a sort of invisible magnetic field that tells you: this is the dog that will worship you, no matter who you are.  The only thing these creatures ask for is a loving home, and in return they give you the most special adoration that no other animal could ever harness.  There is truly a dog for anyone on Earth—a tiny poodle to fit into designer bags for the fashion conscious, a guiding collie to help the aged, a Labrador puppy for the budding family.  It doesn’t matter; as long as the owner provides love, the dog will be more than happy.  Dogs are evidently warming to the heart.  For example, we all cried for the dog we never even knew in Marley & Me.  If Marley had been a fish, or even a hamster, would we have felt the same emotion when he died?  I think not.  No animal connects like a dog does.  Creatures like cats can give love, but they would rather be sleeping on the windowsill.  They don’t interact and play like a dog does.  Maybe that’s why dogs seem so special.  My own dog has given me countless memories.  I remember when I was six, playing in a huge pile of autumn leaves.  My dog, who was a puppy at the time, came out with me.  It was almost like he was trying to be a fox, based on the way he weaved through the leaves, keeping his head low.  I also remember the time he and his friend ran off into the woods together, ignoring our calls to come back.  They were on a mission, chasing squirrels and pawing butterflies.  These are just some of the things I remember from earlier years.  Today, my small dog is still the mascot of our family, even if he does think he’s the alpha.  We love him, so he loves us.  I wouldn’t exchange him for anything in the world!  Someday, when I’m on my own, I want to get two dogs—a small teacup Yorkie and a glossy golden retriever.  They’re very different, but I figure it’s a good combination of personalities.  One of them is the cute, vulnerable puppy that always wants to play.  The other is the loyal, protective one that never lets you down.  But honestly, if I find myself in a few years with neither of these breeds, I know I won’t mind.  Dogs are dogs.  All they expect from you is love, and all you need to truly expect from them is more love.  Dogs are the heartbeat of a puppy, the nuzzle of a cold nose, the touch of soft fur…one of the greatest gifts in the world.  (:

My beloved puppy Cody (:

rain haikus.

Dark clouds gathering

Threatening to shower rain

Run and take cover.

Raindrops are falling

Glistening in the gray sky

Landing on the ground.

Angry wind howling

A million clear raindrops

The rain is pouring.

Shower of nature

Refreshing to the planet

Pure water from the heavens.

The streets are empty

Rain rising fast and flooding

Makes temporary streams.

Bullets of water

Plinking on the windowsill

Steadily beating.

Trees rattle and sway

Lightning splits the sky in two

A dangerous night.

New York City rain

Beige designer umbrellas

No rain boots in sight.

Cool sprinkling of rain

Assurances of rainbows

A mist on flowers.

Dancing in the wind

Rain falling on the sidewalk

A blissful evening.

Rain in the country

Fog settles over the fields

Echoes every sound.

Run beneath a tree

Hide from canopies of clouds

Wait for storm to pass.

Final raindrops fall

Clouds disappear in the sky

The storm is over.

Mother Nature’s song

Cascading like a waterfall

Fresh scented perfume.

Chilled rain is falling

As cold as a winter night

Almost like snowflakes.

Rainy city day

Inspiration to writers

Coffee shops are full.

springtime.

Everyone can tell when spring is in the air.  The sun begins shining, the flowers bloom, the birds sing!  Snow melts to uncover the mint green grass below.  Clouds separate to reveal hypnotic blue skies.  The ground sprouts flowers like they’ve been hiding from the world all winter.  Spring is a delightful time, indeed.  It’s the time to bounce back from the cold spells of the past few months.  There’s a sense of relief, thankful that the long winter is finally over.  While coats and gloves go on sale at the stores, brand new collections of spring shorts and tops in vivid colors appear almost by magic.  Say goodbye to hot chocolate, mittens, and fireplaces.  Say hello to picnics, butterflies, and flip flops!

School goes on full speed ahead after the much-needed time of spring break, students longing for the long summer days beneath the sun.  But during the spring days, there is a hazardous mix of feelings.  On one hand, I want to embrace the air and sky, spending afternoons at the pool, toes wriggling in bright pink flip flops.  But then there’s the other part—the part that is drowning in homework assignments and tests and a large heap of quizzes.  Weekdays are the enemy.  Weekends are the knight in shining armor, the angel sent from heaven above, the refreshing swimming pool on the hottest of hot days.  Weekends are practically the only time to enjoy springtime!  That is, if you spend your time wisely.

Spring is a bittersweet time, per se.  Summer is so close, yet so far away.  Teachers beg you to stay focused, which seems near impossible.  Tiny wildflowers bloom on the edges of the roads; bicycles and rollerblades plead for your use.  Homework becomes an unfeasible task.  The only thing on your mind is the promise of the days to come.  Even on the days when the sun disappears for a while behind rebelling gray clouds, the cool rain washes away all the impurities on the budding leaves and blossoming blooms, leaving you with nothing more than an intensified desire to frolic in the outdoors without a care or worry.  The most agitated season, yet the most relaxed season, spring is awaited by all.  When it officially comes, there’s nothing else to do but appreciate the clear sky and shining sun, complemented by speckles of flowers.  Spring is the simplicity of the year.  (:

Simple Sentence - Complex Sentence - Compound Sentence - Compound Complex Sentence

Cherry blossom trees bloom in the spring. (:

http://fineartsfeedbag.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/cherry-tree.jpg

tie dye.

What’s better than tons colors swirled together on clothing?  Nothing!  A perfect evening can involve lots of things, for different people—a romantic dinner for two, a charitable trip to the orphanage, or a quiet reading time in the library.  Although those plans do sound pleasing, the most satisfying day for some would contain an extended tie-dyeing session. Its colors that swirl together in dizzying patterns may be the opposite of simplicity, but tie dye represents hippie freedom and loads of peace and love.  It makes me think of Woodstock, where millions come together to celebrate music and peace with bright assortments of color! It’s also the infamous design of toddler summer camp T-shirts and too-upbeat aerobic videos, but when worn sparingly and charily, tie dye becomes the new statement of the fashion runway. Articles like swimsuits and dresses are painting the pages of Vogue, splashing color onto pure chic fashion. Some choose to wear the style more rowdily, on leggings or jumpsuits, but I personally think they’re abusing the design. A soft-looking, blended rainbow of tie dye looks best on sundresses, while the spunkiest, brightest combinations can be calculatingly worn on anything. Countless celebrities enjoy sporting the fashion, from the red carpet to leisurely strolls around the dog park. The best part of tie dye is that you can always make it your own. When you make it yourself, your personal way of wearing it shows through. The deep dyes that stain your hands reveal that you are the artist of the fantastic clothes you wear. You can say that no one else in the world owns that very item, because they wouldn’t! Tie dye gives a variety of designs—the swirl, the spider, the V…each one ends up one of a kind! From the boardwalk, to the streets, to the biggest party, tie dye produces a different effect that everyone will envy. I always love the mixing of the colors, for it is guaranteed to be exceptional! It’s always a fun, infinite thing to wear, in any season, to any event.  Its timeless style that expresses love is what makes it a simple joy. (:

Simple Sentence - Compound Sentence - Complex Sentence - Compound Complex Sentence

explosions in the sky + dashboard confessional.

Music.  A universal movement that changes lives and gives sensation to the words you can’t say.  Whether it’s a spunky techno beat or a classical chorus of melodies, music has an effect on everybody.  It doesn’t have to be a material thing, either.  The sound of waves crashing on the shore classifies as music to me.  So does the steady plink of rain on a window.  Stringy plucks of a guitar can be the most beautiful sound in the world on a dark, dreary day.  My most recent musical discovery came to me on a cloudy evening while I sat in my room under a navy afghan, reading.  I heard a charming tune transpiring from across the hallway.  My sister was playing a song from a CD; it had no lyrics or singing, just a surreal mix of sounds and melodies that somehow merged together.  It was almost familiar, but I was certain I had not heard this distinctive band before.  It was Explosions in the Sky.

They fit every mood, suit every kind of weather, and emit every emotion.  It’s a mysterious sound in every song, and you can’t resist listening to them on dull, hazy days.  Their sound is perfect for a number of occasions: while you’re lounging around in sweatpants; reading a book underneath a cozy quilt; trying to fall asleep at night; sitting outside on a lazy spring day.  Explosions in the Sky takes a new angle that I haven’t heard of before.  Their unique, idiosyncratic sound has been around for a little while, but they’re still not entirely known.  What is sure to be their best song is a mystery—it’s the theme song of the show Friday Night Lights, but no one knows where to find it or what its even called.  I did, however, work some Internet magic to produce the music clip here on the blog.  It’s on repeat at the moment, especially since it’s a short segment.  To me, Explosions in the Sky has an inspiring resonance and an almost chilling echo.  Their pure sound and creative melodies are what first pulled me in.  Now I feel like I’m floating high above the rooftops, above the clouds, above the meteors in space…above the Explosions in the Sky!  It takes me away to the sky and explodes me with emotions, even if it just is for a little while.

There’s nothing quite like Explosions, but there is another band I play when I’m in the same mood.  It’s Dashboard Confessional!  Well known for their soundtrack pieces, this band has been playing on my iPod for three years.  Their edgy, emotional songs come from deep in the heart of the singer, Chris Carrabba; the anxious guitar and drums complement every aspect.  A lot of their songs mull over the same story—boy likes out-of-league girl, just so happens that girl also likes boy.  Dashboard is really down-to-earth and appreciative, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they barely recognized their fame.  Their music is relaxing at times, and heaving with heaps of emotion at other times.  The singer is amazing, and it doesn’t even sound like he’s trying too hard.  That’s one of my favorite things about Dashboard; they’re honestly good musicians.  They’re actually kind of emo in their music, but I wouldn’t begin to say that about their real life selves.  I see them as great songwriters with blessed musical talent and a sense of humor.  Chris Carrabba recently twittered: Jon Bon Jovi just smiled at me from stage and turned me into a 17 year old girl in 1985.  The whole band still has an upmost natural outlook in life, just like they had before fame.   My favorite Dashboard Confessional song, titled Stolen, is embedded below.

Music is music, no matter how it sounds.  It can be loud, quiet, melodious, choral, DJ’d, peaceful, natural, processed….Anything can be musical, when you listen closely to nature and its sounds.  Music is something I love and appreciate every day of my life.  It slows life down when I need it too, and lets me focus on the simple things—because a day without music is a day without living.  (:

Explosions in the Sky

Dashboard Confessional – Stolen

Thanks to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv_q8WPro0Y ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0jKESouK1E ; http://www.video2mp3.net ; http://www.dashboardconfessional.com/bio!

beach towns + farm towns.

Another weekend, another blog…another thing to be happy about!  This time around, I’m publicizing the minuscule things that I find blissful.  Things that I love to do or love to think about when I’m sitting in my room alone.  I often think about the upcoming times.  I keep a manila folder labeled “My Future.”  In it, I keep magazine clippings of houses, wall paint samples, and whatever else I find that I like and intend on referring to again someday.  I’m the type of person that will plan all the tiny aspects of life, thus the folder.  I insist on having organized thoughts.  Of course, the only thoughts I tend to organize at this point are the clear, light ones.  My hopes and dreams of my future are precise, yet scattered.  I know what I want, but it’s always one of two things.  For example, one of my initial expectations of life is to live in either a beach town or a farm town when I grow up.  I’m torn between the two.  I have already mapped out the exact location for each, but I just can’t decide which one really appeals to me more!  Am I a “California” or an “Alabama”?  Or can I have both back home in Virginia?  I think about my future a lot.  Sometimes I tell myself to just take things as they come, and figure things out along the way.  Other times, I evaluate.

Beach towns.  A chill, surfer vibe floats around the salty air and lifts people straight off the pavement.   The long, relaxing days are spent on the sand, followed by afternoon ice cream cones from the nearby coffee shop.  Permanent tans and blonde-highlighted hair are just a few perks of living in a petite beach-town.  Wouldn’t you love to have an imperishable sunkissed, tousled look?  I would kill for that!  Even with the colossal amount of tourists, there is always the homey, familiar touch to the town and the feeling that you’re not just some visitor.  Tourists give you the right to belong!  Beach towns have everything a person could want, from the white driftwood and multihued boardwalk carnivals, not to mention the sunny, blue-stained sky.

And then there are farm towns—secluded, quiet pastures a world away from subways, skyscrapers, and street construction.  At any time of day, there’s a haystack to laze on and a big sky to gaze at.  When you’re out in that sheltered field, there’s nothing but grass and dirt.  Imagination runs as free as horses.  There’s not much to say about farm towns, except that it’s about as simple as you can get deep in the country.  The only things filling clear heads are the fresh air and stunning green scenery.  Old crimson pickup trucks hold black-and-white border collie dogs that bark raucously at scurrying squirrels.  The lofty trees point upward towards the endless, indigo night sky, speckled with incandescent stars.

With so much to love in both milieus, it’s hard to even think of picking one someday.  I know that decision is far, far away, but it’s fun to dream.  All the idyllic things on Earth seem to come together when you think of them hard enough!  For now, I can always imagine I’m on the beach or in the country, even when I’m not.  Simplicity is tranquility. (:

valentine’s day + soundtracks.

So, Valentine’s Day is coming up, which is pretty perfect for my first blog entry of simple joys.  There’s a whole bunch of things that you could love this Sunday!  I’m in an attempt to prepare for this day.  For example, yesterday I saw the movie Valentine’s Day with my sister.  I thought it was really cute, and I had the bubbly, dreamy Taylor Swift song stuck in my head all day.  When I got home, I was incredibly in desire for a fairytale photo shoot, complete with flouncy tulle dresses and meadows of daisies.  I realized that wasn’t possible, and I was virtually depressed for the next twenty minutes.  Once I got over that, I decided to make do and just make little scenarios in my head.  Imagination will get you everywhere.  I was fantasizing about my future like it was the Valentine’s Day movie, where all the right people found love and the rest came up short.  While I was imagining all these kinds of things, I was also imagining the characters from the movie.  I have to say that my favorite couple was Alex and Grace, the high school sweethearts.  But anyway, the point of all this is that this movie had the most eccentric effect on me.  Even now, I’m still thinking about it.  That’s why I’m writing about it—I don’t know why, but I found so much delight in this film.  I’m a movie person; I always fall in love with a character or find myself dreaming about the setting or some other aspect.  I’m also a music person, especially when it’s from a soundtrack of one of my favorite movies.  Since yesterday at four o’clock, I’ve been longing to purchase that Taylor Swift song.  And ever since November, I’ve been absolutely DYING to buy this other song from another one of my favorite movies.  I guess it’s the combination of the words and the music with a scene from the movie.  For example, that Taylor Swift song plays in the movie at the part where everyone’s going back home after their Valentine’s dinners.  The part I remember really clearly is when the other high school couple, Willy and Felicia, is saying goodbye in the elevator of Felicia’s apartment.  In the movie, she’s been lugging around a giant white teddy bear that Willy had given to her.  She still has it when they’re in the elevator, and when she gets off, she seems to realize how much she’s in love.  So, in the background, the song is singing “today was a fairytaaaaale!” while she’s just beaming and seeming so genuinely happy.  It’s a mesmerizing thing to me—finding a song that describes a scene from a movie perfectly.  To me, that’s a simple joy, even though it involves movies and such.  In past Valentine’s Days, I don’t remember ever feeling like it was so important.  But I guess it is, considering it’s all about love and appreciation.

Earlier today, I was walking my dog and I passed my neighbor’s house.  They have three daughters, all in elementary school, and taped on the door of their house was a huge pink heart.  It wasn’t extra-special; it was just a lopsided heart cut out of wrapping paper.  But somehow, it reminded me of how when you’re little, all you know about love is love.  Everyone loves you, you love everyone.  It’s so uncomplicated.  At least, that’s how I see it.  So now I’m pretending to be a third-grader, prepping my valentines to give to my friends, planning my outfit to be all pink and red…the list goes on.  Tomorrow, I’m putting all the complicated stuff behind me.  I’ll just love like a first grader who got a lollipop from every person in the class.  I’ll love the world like it loves me!  (: