A sweet experience is coming!

Do you like ice cream? I love it so much! For people who love ice cream, they must know Ben and Jerry's! It’s “an American dairy company, founded in Burlington, Vermont that operates internationally, with interests in food processing, it is a division of the Anglo-Dutch Unilever conglomerate, that manufactures ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, and ice cream novelty products (Wikipedia). The ice creams are always a sweet and cool dream in everybody’s childhood lives.

I have eaten Ben and Jerry's ice cream since the first time that I came to the US. However it’s the first time that I knew Jeff Furman, “the Chairman of the Independent Board of Directors for Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream” was graduated in Cheshire Academy, which is the high school I studied in for now (A sweet commencement treat)! Surprisingly, the school would invite Jeff Furman to our school graduation ceremony this year, and it would give students a sweet experience with ice cream (Buchanan). I’m sure that everybody would have a great time during the graduation ceremony.

In my perspective, it’s admirable that an upperclassman of my school was such a successful student. In his introduction, I found that he was always planning for the company that could help the company to improved, and found a non-profit foundation to help the poor states after he had been success (Meet the staff and trustees). It’s hard for people think a lot for the others instead of only working or earning money. Jeff Furman was rich, and meanwhile he was also generous. As our head of school has said, “Jeff’s dedication to corporate social responsibility is part of why I asked him to speak at commencement” (Buchanan). His spirit and his experience would influence all the students in Cheshire Academy. I was kind of looking forward to the speech that he would give us.

On the other hand, the seniors are graduating from Cheshire Academy at the end of this month. They, or maybe including those of us who are still young, should know about their following life, not just their college, but also the life when they truly get into the society. Students will need to find their work and think about their future. Even though our seniors, or us are excellent, it won’t be too easy to get that successful. Not everybody is lucky; Furman’s business has started by being a bus drive for Ben and Jerry's

ice cream after graduated from learning business and receiving law degree in New York University (A sweet commencement treat). In my perspective, it should be his hard work and continuously thinking of ideas helped the company to grow until now. Students should learn from his experience. We should know that it’s important to be hard working; if there aren’t lots of opportunities, we should at least try our best to make every thing better than.

Lastly, let’s welcome Jeff Furman’s coming once again! I wish everybody in our school would have a great, unforgettable graduation ceremony this year!

Citation:

"A Sweet Commencement Treat." Cheshire Academy Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2015.

http://www.cheshireacademy.org/page/News-Detail?pk=973582&fromId=206150

Buchanan, Jesse. "Ben & Jerry's Official to Give Commencement for Cheshire Academy." MyRecordJournal.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2015.

http://www.myrecordjournal.com/news/latestnews/7199843-129/ben-jerrys-official-to-give-commencement-for-cheshire-academy.html

"Ben & Jerry's." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 06 May 2015.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_%26_Jerry's

"Meet the Staff and Trustees." Ben & Jerry's Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2015.

http://benandjerrysfoundation.org/who-we-are.html

Portfolio in class storming

In my sophomore year, I had a lot of improvement in writing class. Firstly, it was a huge work for me to write 500 words last year, and all of my projects were just about 500 words. But this year, there were plenty of blog posts that required 500 words, especially the blogs during 30-day challenge. Then, I got more familiar with writing a lot, and writing fast. I thought it was terrible to write a blog each week at the start of this year, but I’m already got used to it now.

On the other hand, the structure of the essays I wrote became clearer now. For these days, even though I didn’t spend enough time on writing, the structure was much better. When I looked back to the stories, and essays when the year started, I thought how terrible I wrote, and I cannot even understand my writing easily. It’s not that hard to see my improving process through my works of the whole sophomore year.

Then, my grammar was also improved. I had had a tense problem for many years, and it never got better. I was so bad at grammar. However, during the studying this year, even though I still have some grammar mistake, I got better on it. Also, I fix many wrong using on grammar, especially “every day” and “everyday”.

I was more familiar with the language using through the whole year. I knew that what kind of language that I should use in a formal essay, or just a blog post. And I knew the condition that each different way to talk can settle in. 

Thus, this year seemed to be the most significant year for my writing. There weren't lots of big events happened, but it truly help me to improved in many details.

From CA's website, I found that "CA is a college-preparatory school that challenge its students" (CA Homepage).
CA is a high school that gives students lots of works to do to improve them selves; it gives them a great experience, which would be helpful in their college life (CA Homepage).

An unexpected but understandable hero

Oh my god! I have just finished my reading of chapter 48, but you know what happened? I found the hero of the book; I found the other main character of the book! It’s hard to say that I even haven’t mentioned it until my reading task tonight! It was so exciting, and I cannot believe that. That’s Mr. Knightley! Well, he had a complex relationship with Emma that he’s the elder brother of Emma’s elder sister’s husband. I didn’t know how to describe the love story between the new couples. They weren’t growing up together technically, but indeed Mr. Knightly watched Emma’s growth.

The love story reminded me an old poem in ancient China, “When you were born, I was not yet. When I was born, you were already old. I wished to have been born together. We could enjoy our time together”. It’s like a rhyme that nobody knew where it came, but it might be a form of Emma and Mr. Knightley’s love story. I found that they were so lucky to find each other even though there was a distance for more than 10 years. I was so glad that they finally got together after everything had happened, and after a lots of envious or doubt.

When I first noticed that Mr. Knightley was the hero of the book, I was shocked, but then I found that was reasonable. It was a long term for Emma to noticed that her true love was Mr. Knightley, so it’s a long term for the readers to find out that the hero they anxious longing for was him as well. I have thought that Mr. Frank Churchill was the one, because Emma loved him for a period of time. However, she started matching him and Harriet as soon as possible. Then, I started my nervous waiting, and I even doubted if Jane Austen truly wrote lover for Emma in the book. Fortunately, my mind was released now, and I can brightly swim in the ocean of imagination of the love story between the emerging couples.

It took a long time for Emma to realize her mind. As I have said before, she thought she loved Frank Churchill, but she changed her mind soon. Harriet accidently been saved by Frank and Emma thought she would love Frank. Then meanwhile, Mr. Knightley saved her from Mr. Elton’s sneering by inviting her for a dance. Then, Frank Churchill engaged with another girl, and Emma finally realized the person Harriet admired was Mr. Knightley. She was so regretful that she encouraged Harriet and she realized that the only person that sat in her mind was he. In chapter 48, I finally saw they show their mind to each other, and engaged. Did you struggle with this issue? It even took me so many words to explain what had happened.

I have talked about Mr. Knightley since my first blog, and I identified who he was until the last few chapters of the whole book. That was crazy, but I love it! Do you love it? I have to say that my challenge is going to end soon. Hopefully, I would have a great ending of my challenge. 

P.S. I would watch the movie Emma tomorrow since it won't be a spoiler of the plot.

Cheshire Academy is a private high-school in Cheshire town. It seemed to be a great school to help students grew up and preparing for college. The school has many international students, and it could give students a learning of different cultures (Cheshire Academy Mission). The school will "develop the critical thinking skills, confidence and character that enable them to succeed in college and as citizens of a global society." (Cheshire Academy Mission) Thus, I would recommend people to join the school, which would give students a good condition to study.

My challenge would be done soon!

I have done so many works tonight, and I even wanted to appreciate myself. A lab report, my Spanish big test review, my English quiz review, and this blog have been waiting for me for a long day. How can I not appreciate myself? The hard works were mostly done, except this blog.

After my golf practice, I returned my room with my exhausted body, which worked hard for a whole day already. Then, I went to take a bath for waking my mind up. I didn’t know why the works were usually accumulated together. Then, using more than an hour to finish the terrible lab report and one more hour to review the whole “lesson 4” for Spanish, the works’ finishing comforted me a lot. However, there was still the “evil”, “endless” and “boring” reading challenge and the blog post stayed, and waited for my visiting. Actually I have thought about leaving the blog post for tomorrow, because it would due on tomorrow. But how can I know if there would be even more works for tomorrow? In China, there was an old saying that, “Never pull off till tomorrow what may be done today.” Thus, my dear 30-day challenge, I’m coming.

I had decided to watch the movie, Emma, for today, but I’ve already said that I seemed to be too busy tonight, and it wasn’t that easy to find the film. Then, I chose to talk a little bit about Mrs. Elton. Even thought many people in the book had described her as beautiful, clever and elegant, she reminded me Miss. Bingley. People who have read Pride and Prejudice must know her; she’s the sister of Jane’s husband. She was a minor character, who also loved Mr. Darcy, but the halo effect of our main character Elizabeth must kill her dream. Mrs. Elton was similar to Miss. Bingley, who was the second choice of Mr. Elton that Emma would never loved him, so he could only chose Mrs. Elton as the wife.

Was Mrs. Elton’s life a joke? Not really. She was rich, kind of pretty and had a good husband in her life. However, none of her skills were better than our main character. It wasn’t a big deal if people didn’t compare them, but Mrs. Elton just remained she in a little box, and only talked about her friend’s life or how she thought her life was. It was a tragedy that an arrogant woman has been written by an author as a minor character. Please don’t think that I was acerbity, I wasn’t aggressive. I just found it’s ridiculous for her to only stayed in her own world and imagined that she’s much better than the others. Well, although nothing might happen to this character, I didn’t think she would have a good life in the following story. Mr. Elton married her only because of her dowry, so when time passed, how can they continue their marriage successfully? I hoped life wouldn’t be so cruel on her.

The reading process was continuing! I’m going to read the ending of the book soon. I wish there would be a attractive ending to prove that I didn’t waste my time on it!

Comparing and contrasting during reading

I wasn’t so busy yesterday and today, so I used some time to review Pride and Prejudice, the other book of Jane Austen. Also, I finished four more chapters of Emma that I read up to chapter 37. Then, the third part of the book started. I found the books are similar but also different.

So, I would introduce Pride and prejudice firstly. It told a story about a family that had five daughters and no sons. In Britain for that time period, their family didn’t have an heir according to the law, so they would have no money after the father died. Elizabeth, the second daughter of the family, was a clever, beautiful and stubborn main character of the book. Her intelligence and her bright personality made her found her love Mr. Darcy. Even though it wasn’t so easy to make to people who excluded each other fell in love, the author Jane Austen did a good job. Because of the book, she became the best writer in my own perspective. Thus, I cannot stop myself to compare Pride and Prejudice, one of my favorite book, and Emma, the topic of my 30-day challenge.

Let’s talk about the similar parts now. By writing with the same writer, both of the books are having the same writing techniques. Also, for the setting of the characters, Mr. Woodhouse and Mrs. Bennett were having the same purpose. Well, please come down if anybody like one the two characters. That’s just my own opinion. Even though Mrs. Bennett always wanted to marry off her daughters, which Mr. Woodhouse never wanted to, their thinking is the same. They both proud of their house and always want to show off it to the others; they both always had headache; they were both stubborn on disputing their side; also, they had the same role in both of the books. That’s only a part of the similarities, I won’t tell more unless you go to read the book and find them out by yourself.

About the differences, that’s a plenty. For example, Elizabeth wasn’t in a rich enough family, but Emma does. Emma was in a glorious family that their wealth was even more than Darcy’s family. Elizabeth must marry some one to ensure her life after Mr. Bennett’s death, but Emma didn’t have to. Although both off them didn’t do anything excellent, Emma had a better education from the noble family that she had. It’s made her as proud as a peacock. She was usually kind, but we could know how she looked down to some peasants. For example, she totally disagree the marriage between Harriet and Martin.

Nevertheless, those differences weren’t big deals. The biggest difference between the two books is, I still don’t know who the male main character was! I noticed Mr. Darcy’s setting in love story since he appeared in the book, but I still didn’t know who was the remaining half of Emma after two third of the book. Was that a Romance or a Mystery? I wish I would know the following plots soon. I need to keep working!