Velasquez,Edith

Summer Reading 2010

Week #1 JULY 4 For this special day for the United States of America, the day they became independent, i was at Houston, so i got the opportunity to watch the famous fireworks they through on July 4th, I also went with the family and cousins to some activities planned in the city, i went to a theater were there was amazing music, also very nice songs people sang, and other preformances. I could see something really nice and it was the union of all americans, and how happy they were. I also liked it because as an American citizen, i had the opportunity to share that same happiness. It was really nice!

Week #2 HOUSTON I travled to Houston, Texas were there I have some cousins, and family. I was there for over 2 weeks and one of the weeks i stayed at my cousins house whcich they only spoke english, so i actually spent lots of time with them speeking, laughing hanging out, and many other fun activities. In this weeks I really did practice my english to talk with them, because they do not speek spanish, so my only way to communicate is english, I also tried to help them understand some spanish, because they say they really want to learn. I think this helped my english get better because, it helped get my english more fluent .Also everywere i went i actually had to speek english, because not may poeple spoke it in the places i went. Week #3 ARGENTINA As every summer we make a family trip this year once of places i traveled was Argentina. It was our fist time visiting there so we wanted to visit all the nice places. One of days we went to this "City Buses", were it was a bus who took as all over the city watching the most famouse and tourist places of Argentina, like for example "El obelisco", they famous stadium of BOCA called "la bombonera, "the old argentina" and the "new argentina" "caminito", "recoleta", "plaza san Martin" " Casa Rosada" were the president is, and much many. In the buses you had to use like this hearphones becuase there was a guide talking in english explaning everything of the places we passed Week #4 "EL DELTA ARGENTINA" At the same time in Argentina one of the days I had the opportunity to go and visit The Delta. That day i woke up early because the tour bus was taking us and we took all day and came back until late afternoon. We went in a tour bus specially for visiting the delta and took us to a train station, were there the train took us to a little country and there we got the bus again and went directly to the delta. Once there we got into a big boat who took us all around the delta. This was one of the most things that suprised me of how amazing it was. It was so nice, in a summerized way it was actually a city but in a river, instead of cars boats, there was gasoline stations for boats, there was a supermarket who passed by all the houses, there were public schools, churchs, houses, small hotels, restaurants, taxis, the first casino in Argentina, police, and all the most important things a city contain, but it was all in a river, it was everything in boats, it was amazing! I really enjoy it a lot. Last but not least a good news about this is that the tour was in english

Week #5 TABOO Back from my vacation I spent time at my house with all of my friends, which usually they always come to my house and we have fun playing, and talking and hanging out. I got this game called TABOO which the purpose is that you have a period of time, and in that time you get a card which on the top there is this "special word" that you must try your partner to guess it by you telling your partner clues, but the hard part is that there are some words under that special word you cant say to desricbe that special word" so you must use your imagination, and creativity to try your partner to guess, in the other side the other members playing are checking for the time and that you do not say any of the words under the "special word" if you partner gusses it you keep on untill time goes out. It is a very exiting game and I really enjoy and have fun playing it with my friends. At the same time we are practicing our english, because the game and words, and the way you describe the "special word" must be in english. Is like my favorite ad best game ever!

Week #6 PRECIOUS A very strong movie that really touches your heart. By my last weeks of my summer i enjoyed watching this faboulse movie called "Precious" which recieved many nominations and even an Oscars. Its a movie that shows the very hard life for this girls who is a teenager and is already pregnant of her 2 child because of her father rapping her. The days for "precious" as they call her all black days, she only has sadness in her, nothing of love nither happiness, she feels the world for her is nothing, her mom treats her like animal, her dad left her house, and she does not speek with no one at school, she is keeping all those problems inside of her, until little by little people start to help her. It is an excellent movie that really shows you that you gotta aprecciate what you have and the value of the things. It is a great movie, that i really could recommend someone its great, although its very sad, i actually cried while watching it.

Week #7 ENRIQUE IGLESIAS While i was coming back from my trip, in TACA there is a magazine called Explore which it called my attention to read it because I am a big fan of Enrique, which he was in the cover page. Since the day I knew Enrique Iglesias existed i became one of his greatest fans. I just do not love his songs and way of singing, but also his way of being as a singer, and famous person. I admire him in the how he thinks about other people. In the magazine there was an article with an interview to him, and there was something that really made me realize that he as a person is great, and he knows that not just because he is famous he will treat people diffrently, that was the part that most got my attention, when they asked him about the way of peoples humility, and what he answered was that theres nothing more that bothers him about people but when they feel superior to others, and when people show this he thinks its because there lost of insecurity in yourself and lack of intelligence, and only because people become famous, and have money, and get they fortune does not mean they will feel superior and treat others diffrently, and all of that does not mean you must act this way. This article really convinced me more of whom this great singer is. Week #8 HELPING For my last week, i felt very good for what i have done. One of my maids at home is very young and still goes to school, one of the classes she takes at school is "English" class, for her that class is very hard, and is having problems in her homeworks and that class activities. I was at my computer, when she came and asked my for help, i gladly help her with my arms open because i know she really wants to learn, and I think that if you have the opportunity to help others do it because at the end you will feel very glad with yourself. She had to identify singular and plural, she also needed to know when to use the words in past,present, and future, she also had to translate some words in english, she also had many other small activities. Myself as a girl who assist to a privite school were english is the language I speek there helped her in all the things I could and tried to make her understand the things in the easiest way as possible. As the same way i need help for some classes at school, i can help her in what i know. I really feel good because i think i have made something very nice, and helped others