"Why We Like What We Like"

Central Argument: The things we like and the things we dislike are influenced more by the things around us – our environment – rather than the way we feel and “who we are as a person.”

Essay:

We have new trends bombarding our daily lives with advertisements, with magazines commercials, and with movies that show everything we want but don’t have. We are also human beings and all we want to do is be part of the crowd, and not be socially outlasted by society. For that matter, being a social outcast is our biggest nightmare, whether we admit it or not. Everything around makes us want to be or have what society is presenting to us. This is evident with the way fashion has changed and with the way we have found the need for different types of electronic gadgets.

The fashion pattern in history seems to repeat itself every 20 years. I remember going through my mom’s old photos only to find that things were pretty much similar to what she wore when she was in college, when I was in middle school. There were a lot of solid colors, lot of flared jeans, a lot of scarves, and so on. Now, 5 years after that, the style has changed to short dresses, tight shirts, a lot of patterns, choosy jeans and so on. There has been a major shift in the way people dress up every few years. At Woodstock especially we notice, the fashion trends and changes among students quickly. One year you see people wearing bell bottoms and a plain t-shirt and sweat shirt and the a few years later you find people wearing animal prints, and patterns, and choosy jeans, and so on. People like the things that influence society because they don’t want to be classified as outcasts of society. They want to be part of the in crowd, and that is what most humans thrive and live for.

When it comes to gadgets, Apple products out ride every other company in the world. Apple is the biggest household name on the block and is the one who has made everyone change from PCs to Macs. 1990’s and the early 2000s consisted of mainly Windows products, as Apple was unsuccessful in winning over the ever-growing gadget seeking nation. After the MacBook came out, the change in demand of products were huge. Many started shifting from Windows to Macs. After a few people started with this, the majority of the technology population started buying Apple products. Apple became extremely famous after this. They came up with the iPhone, the iPod, the iTouch, the iPad, and so on. But why do people really buy these products? Because they are durable and reliable or because they are the in thing right now? I think that it’s because it’s the in thing. When my father bought his Mac, he bought it because it was of strong quality. That computer lasted him 10 years. When he bought me a Mac, the only thing that I though of was the way it looked and how everyone was going on about it being the best. I didn’t even consider my dad’s experience with it before buying the product. He just bought it for me, and I felt part of something – maybe the Apple revolution.

We focus too much on being accepted by everyone that we forget some times that we let them choose the way we become. But the reason why we like what we like is because we care about what others think of us.

Week 4 - Prompt 3: "Please Read This Article, Thank You"

Central Argument: Linton Weeks takes many different opinions from mannerists and etiquette mavens, and eventually concludes to the idea that people have forgotten how to express polite phrases such as “thank you” and “please” because society has started to expect everything casual – causal conversation, casual dressing sense, and casual behavior. But Weeks also goes to state that the reason why people have stopped using such phrases is because there has been a shift in ways of communicating where no one expects such “formalities.”

Essay:

            When we walk around the hallways at school during the class changes, we always hear the phrases, “Get out of the way” or “Why are you standing in the way, MOVE.” It is true that I am one of those people who yells these few phrases out every once in a while. Though this could be utter frustration from having to run to English class to earn a stamp for being on time, it is still out of place to scream such things on the top of our lungs. People are probably as frustrated as though who say this, but don’t seem to do anything about it. They take their own opinions and keep it within themselves. They know that it is out of place to say such things. For this reason, we can say that these people have manners, and know that rude behavior should not be accepted in any circumstances. I agree with Week’s concept that polite phrases are fading out in today’s world for these reasons: many feel too comfortable around their friends, allowing them to act any way they want; as we forget to appreciate those that take care of us on a daily basis; and as we are too used to receiving gifts and gadgets that we forget the meaning of love and happiness.

            Last week before my major mock AP Chemistry exam, one of my not-so-close friends, came up to me and demanded that I give her my calculator. There I was, sitting, trying to get my head wrapped around the concept of quantum numbers with the help of my trusty calculator, and this not-so-good friend of mine approaches me and demands that I give her something that is helping ME succeed. I looked at her appalled, to see only a blank face returning my appalled one. She expected me to give her MY calculator without her asking politely. I have always believed in common courtesy and being polite to those when possible, though I may not always follow it myself. But I was baffled to see this person, stand in front of me, asking me for something that was mine, without having the courtesy of even saying “please.” I thought that she had enough decency to do that much, but clearly, she didn’t. I looked at her and told her that I was busy preparing for the same test she was trying to take. I got up from where I was sitting, turned around to face her, and told her “If you had a bit of manners, I would have slightly considered giving you MY calculator,” and then stormed off. I understand that it wasn’t the best way to handle the situation, but I think that it is our duty as civil, kind, compassionate human beings that we were “made” to be, to follow through and be those people, even though times have changed. Just because society as become more corrupt, doesn’t mean the human race has to be.

            On Tuesday, during homeroom, my English teacher, also one of the advisors for the 11^th grade, approached the whole class and put us in our places; and I commend him for that. Though not all his points were fair, I feel that his message as a whole was spot on. To summarize his speech, he stated that the 11^th grade at Woodstock School didn’t have the decency to respect their elders and those who helped them when they needed it the most. People at Woodstock have everything that is luxurious. We have flat screen TVs in dorms while other boarding school students don’t have the luxury of watching TV, we have a menu filled with variety (even though we don’t believe so) while students in other boarding schools don’t have the luxury of choosing their menu, and we have teachers and dorm parents who care about our well being and our success (even though we don’t think so) while other students from boarding school don’t have the luxury of people who truly and genuinely care about their students. We are so used to these luxuries and these people who are always there to help us that we forget that to appreciate them. As we forget to appreciate them, we stop trying to be polite to them. We treat them as any other “objects” (no offensive to anyone) and forget to respect them. We forget to say “thank you” and “please” and “we appreciate everything that you do for us.” For this reason, we have turned into the brats of the 21^st century. We don’t know how to show people that we genuinely care about everything they have done for us, because we expect everything to be handed to us on a silver platter.

            My parents are those who buy their children almost anything they want. They aren’t those parents who give children iPods or Mac Books when they get good grades or when they stay out of trouble; they are the ones who will try to do anything to meet their children’s demand and keep them happy. I have noticed this trend in my entire family. All my aunts and uncles treat their children the way my parents treat my sister and I – they try to meet every demand. Though I’m not always the most appreciative child, I always make the effort to say thank you to my parents when they get me gifts and when they do nice things for me. When I’m at school and my parents get me a parcel, I always make sure I write an email, even if it is a few words, to appreciate them remembering me and sending me a gift. I can’t say the same for my cousins though. They seem to expect everything from their parents as they are too used to getting almost everything they want. They get cranky and annoyed when their parents don’t get them what they want, when they want it. Because we always expect things from people, we forget the meaning, the innocence, of receiving gifts and the joy we feel will while opening the wrapper. That is all lost when we expect to always get gifts, and this why we forget to express our appreciativeness.

            I don’t believe that there is any society shift change in the world that can possibly explain and allow people behaving rudely to one another. However, there may be an explanation, though it might not be the most pleasant of circumstances. We are too used to things – both of people doing things for us and trying to help us out in any way they can and of people making us feel joyful by giving us gifts. People are too used to the relationships they have with others that they forget to thank them in the end, and instead act as though they own the person. Someone needs to bring these people, including me some times, that the world doesn’t revolve around them. 

Week 2- Prompt 1: "Of Marriage and Single Life"

Central Argument: There is a certain point where one should get married; this is after one's youth when they've gone out and "done" things, and when one can take their responsibilities of marriage and transfer it as a positive objective.

During my winter break, my mother told me a story about how my grandparents had asked her to stop working before she got married to my father. During the proposal and the engagement between my mother and my father, my mother was working as a single woman in a company called ICIMOD, an NGO that helps build roads in rural areas across Nepal. My mother had completed her Bachelors degree in English Language and Literature, and made her way to working in an NGO. She was a pretty well off Nepali woman during that time period. She had gotten many proposals from well-reputed families, but she refused each one of those offers. Though her parents believed that getting married off to a well-reputed family would make her life, she believed differently; she believed that her life would be made if she stood on her own two feet. She then met my dad, who came from an extremely well known family. His father, my grandfather, was the governor of Rastra Bank in Nepal, and believed that his daughter-in-law didn't need to work to sustain herself as she would be part of such a family. My mother felt offended with this statement made to her and stated that she didn't care if she didn't marry my father. She had no emotional attachments to him during that time, and believed that her single life was the time where she would "make a difference in the world" and contribute to society as much as she can. Sir Frances Bacon, like my mother, believed that there was a certain point when people should get married. This point is when they've used their youth to go out and "do" things and when they believe that their married life responsibilities will allow them to contribute positively to society. I agree with Bacon, as Juno from Juno shows us the sacrifice she made to become a better citizen of society, and as both Obama and his wife, Michelle, show us the balance between raising children and leading a country can contribute positively to society.

Juno MacGuff from the movie Juno is the sacrificial character when she gives up her child to a couple, so that she can excel in school, go and further her education, and contribute her ideas to society in a positive manner. Juno becomes impregnated by best friend and long time admirer. Whilst discovering her pregnancy, she considers giving up the child for adoption but then later decides to bring the child into the world and give him/her for adoption. She finds a well off family and decides on a closed adoption. She grows close the the couple who she decides to entrust her child to. Whilst growing close to the couple, she slowly starts realizing that their marriage is falling apart. She does everything she can to try and stop the couple from breaking up, partly because she doesn't want her child to go through this kind of lifestyle. But goes out and tries to stop a failing marriage. She tries to bring a family close together and then she goes out and tries to create a family of her own. She tries to build relationships with those important to her. She sacrifices the life she could have with her child so that she would be able to give her child a better life than one she would provide. She goes out and tells her baby's father, and her long time friend, how she feels about him. She shows him how much she cares about him and starts creating a "family" of her own. She gives her life with the child up, so that she can further her education, becoming a better student, a better citizen, and a better person for her child's world by studying and furthering her knowledge.

On the other hand, Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, furthers Bacon's argument about marriage responsibility bringing out the positive contributions to society. We all know the power couple, Barack and Michelle Obama, as household names all over the world. We know how much influence and strength they have all over the world. They seem to balance their lives out the best way they can. The couple has two children, whom they have to raise in a positive manner. This is their responsibility as a married couple. They reciprocate this responsibility whilst governing a nation. They have to be able to groom the country, teach them what is right and what is wrong, guide them in decision making, and try to make them the best people, and the best nation, they can possibly be. They use the techniques they use to raise their kids to govern the nation. They take the responsibilities of married life and contribute positively to society.

The day and age we live in today, people are not too worried about marriage and agree mostly with the idea that one's youth is to go out and "do" things, but there are still places in the world where marriage is looked at as a sacred ritual which every person should "get to experience." But I believe that there is a right time to get married, this time is when things have been achieved, and when your experiences and responsibilities in married life, make you a better person of society.

Prompt #4 - "Why Good Advertising Works (Even When You Think It Doesn't)"

Prompt 4: “Why Good Advertising Works (Even When You Think It Doesn’t) by Nigel Hollis.

Central Argument:

            Hollis states that a good advertisement engages an audience and implants memories that affect their behavior, influences their actions in a subtle way, and leaves impressions, which allow the audience to see the product in a positive light.

Essay:

            Mid-way my first semester of junior year, I entered my best friend’s room and I witnessed horror. I saw my friend and her roommate, along with five other people, sitting on one bed, playing a game called “Tetris Battle” on Facebook. They had paused their games to have a conversation with me that lasted thirty seconds, and then went back to playing. Offended, I walked out of the room and went to my own where my roommate was playing the game. She did the same thing to me; it was only later I realized that the game only allowed you to pause for thirty seconds. Still, it was a bit rude. When I went to school, I saw EVERYONE playing it. In classes, during break, lunch, and before going to bed. I was appalled. I would always hear people praising “Tetris Battle”; they would tell me the joys of winning the battles, about looking forward to gaining more energy, and about how addicting it was. I thought it was all nonsense when I first heard of it. I was disinterested and I made a vow to myself saying that I will never play that game. But that didn’t happen, and the result, I’m addicting like those seven girls playing “Tetris Battle” on one bed. My friends had left an impression on me; they had made me believe that the game was truly utopia. They had advertised the game to me, and I had fallen for it. With my little experience, I believe that Hollis is correct in saying that good advertisements leave an impression and create memories, which make you want to relive that moment. Good advertisements have humor that create memories and ads with celebrities leave an impression.

            Many Americans look forward to the Super Bowl, not only for the football matches, but also for the hilarious TV commercials that air during the tournament. The Super Bowl is a time for families to bond, get together, and watch games – that seems more like a pastime than Baseball for Americans. The Super Bowl commercials are present to enhance the feeling of togetherness among family members. They marketing companies take advantage of that and create commercials, which are funny to make things more memorable. The companies know that funny ideas, comments, actions, and so on stick to people more than anything else, and therefore, they try and use humor to get people to buy their product. Watching the commercials with family and having a good laugh, makes people remember the advertisement better. When they come across something that triggers that memory, people will want to go and buy to product in order to relive that certain moment.

            We know we’re not perfect and that’s what makes us humans. That is why we have role models, those we can look up to and those we can try to be like. Marketing companies tap our insecurities and make sure that they include celebrities we look up to, celebrities who are famous. This makes their advertisements successful. They use the idea of ethos in their commercials. I recently watched a commercial that promoted Pepsi. The advertisement had Elton John commenting on people’s talents. The message basically stated that Elton John drinks Pepsi, and so should you. Though it’s a logical fallacy, the audience doesn’t really look and analyze it closely, instead, they are mesmerized by the advertisement and want to go out and buy Pepsi because Elton John drinks Pepsi. The advertisement leaves an impression and wants you to feel like you need to go out and buy that product because it is the “in” thing to do.

            There are some commercials out there where we know what they are trying to do. They just straightforwardly convey their message. The audience normally feels taken aback by this and doesn’t want to go out and buy the product, just because they blatantly promoted it. The human mind works in weird ways, and even though more subtle commercials are doing the same thing, we see it in a different light. Commercials like this are trying to make memories for us which reminds us of the good times and makes us want to buy the product; it also leaves impressions by adding role models into their commercials. Commercials were we feel like we can relate more to are those, which are more successful. They are the ones that get the better results and the greater profit.

Prompt #2 - "Rick Santorum, Meet My Son" - By Emily Rapp

Prompt two: “Rick Santorum, Meet My Son” by Emily Rapp

Central Argument:

            Rapp disagrees with Santorum and believes that pre-natal testing is necessary for a mother to know what her child could possibly have; and that it is up to her to decide whether she wants to abort the child due to the condition or not, and should not be looked down upon.

Essay:

            Emily Rapp’s son, Ronan, is dying of a pre-natal degenerative disorder. It hurts her to witness him paralyzed, blind, and unable to speak because all she wants to do is get to know her son better. She hesitates to wake up in the morning, as she is afraid of the things she’ll witness when she enters his room. But she knows she has to be strong; for her son, for herself, and for those other women going through the same thing. Though she had done all her prenatal tests, the doctors were still unable to detect Ronan’s degenerative disease. It shocks her to find out that there are people, like Rick Santorum, who are against prenatal testing. These people believe that prenatal testing could result in an increase in abortion numbers as women don’t want their children to suffer with a disease, like Ronan’s, that will eventually kill them. Rapp disagrees with this and believes that the quality of life should be questioned. Though she also believes that all lives are valuable, she points a finger on the “quality of life.” She believes that those who can be spared from suffering should be spared, even if it is by the means of abortion. Rapp’s argument is more valid than Santorum’s, as no one should need to suffer when they don’t have to, as there will be no emotional attachment to the child if he or she is aborted            In our history classes we’ve learnt about John Locke and his idea of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness,” and one can say that, we, humans, have the right to all these things. They have the right to decide whether their life is worth living, and whether their life is filled with “quality.” If they are unable to make the decision, then it is up to their loved ones to make it for them. If everyone has a right to free, and happy life according to Locke, then it is only logical to allow one to not suffer at all than suffer even a little. Everyone has a right to a full and happy life, and if something is stopping a person from having that kind of life, then it is up to the individual to decide what he or she want to do. In the case of Rapp, she stated that she would have rather given up her son than made him suffer an incurable disease that would eventually kill him. Rick Santorum is no one to say she is wrong. Though he believes that prenatal testing only causes an increase in abortion numbers, it is clearly up to her to decide whether she wants her child to suffer or not live at all. She explains that she would have decided not to let him live at all. Though it would have been difficult for her to do so, it would be in his best interests. Locke believed that people had the right to be free and live a life filled with trying to find happiness. Rapp believes that her son is no longer free and will not be able to find happiness; but she also believes that if she had aborted her child, her unborn child would have been better off without finding happiness and living freely, as he would be free from all of the obstacles.

            Though the loss of her child would have been more different type of mourning for Rapp, she believes that it would have been better for her to abort Ronan if she had the chance. Many believe that it’s the wrong thing to do, and every life is valuable, we have to think about the way the child would have lived if the child were brought into the world. The Harlow experiment done by the two husband-wife scientists, show us the emotional attachment a child has to it’s mother and the touch of it’s mother. If a touch has that much of a significant impact on the child, imagine what spending time with the mother would do to the child. Instead, think about how it would affect the mother. The mother is an adult and is more sensitive towards an intimate relationship such as this, as she has a better understanding of such things. So, if prenatal testing were done, and mothers would have decided to abort her child as she didn’t want him or her to suffer, then no intimate relationship would be formed and would be less painful to let the child go as the mother, or anyone for that matter, has not been able to get to know that child.

            Though abortion is usually looked down upon, no one ever stops to think about the reason for aborting the child. If it were a careless mistake, then it would be unethical to abort the child, as the parents should have been making the wiser decision. But if it depended on the quality of life of the child, then it would be the decision of the parents as the unborn child would not have the ability to make decisions on their own. For this reason, Rick Santorum is wrong and Emily Rapp is right. If she had taken the decision to abort her child if she had known about the degenerative disease, I believe that everyone would have supported her all the way.

One Republic

I'm split between these two songs. I don't know which one is better.

They are both good though!

1. Secrets


2. All We Are

College Essay # 233

233. Ten simple rules for dating me.

There used to be this guy she knew. He wrote her songs, he gave her letters, and he followed her from place to place. Her friends would tease her and laugh at her misery. She wasn’t interested, she never was. She never had crushed of such sort and she never cared for things like boys. She was always independent and she worried about her studies and about her career more than anything in the world. When she parents asked her if she wanted to get married after grade 10, she refused and said it wasn’t the life she was looking for. She wanted to stand on her own feet and earn her own money; she wasn’t going to settle for marrying a guy from a well-reputed family; that just wasn’t her thing. One day, her lover approached her and gave her a card. She had refused many times but he just wouldn’t listen. She didn’t know whether he was stupid or whether he was madly in love with her, but she refused to accept the gift anyways. She didn’t want to lead him on. She had never accepted any of the gifts and she wasn’t going to start with that today. She told him no, but he just left the card on the ground next to her. She was furious. Didn’t he get the picture? Her anger took over her and she approached the lover with his friends. She took the card and asked him what that was, he smiled, and she glared. She held the card tight in her hands and tore it into pieces and threw it in his face and walked off. Everyone’s eyes followed her the whole way back to her group of friends.

When my mother told me this story about her college experience with boys, I laughed really loud. It was funny. I knew my mother not to be the type to go around with boys, but I never knew she had the guts to shoot him down like that. She explained that she had warned him a hundred times but he wasn’t listening. I asked her why she had always been like that. She told me that she never thought anyone was that worthy. Though it may sound cocky she just never thought that she’d have a companion, which she would appreciate. That got me thinking. Who would be someone that I was compatible with? What were his traits? 

Well, here are some clues.

1.     He has to be confidant, but not over confidant. He should be able to support and stand up for himself but he shouldn’t flaunt his accomplishments and achievements. No one wants to be with someone who loves himself more than the other person.

2.     He should have nice eyes. I would prefer hazel or light brown. You can tell how passionate someone is about a cause, about a person, or about anything for that matter by the way his eyes are set.

3.     He should be friends with my friends. I’ve chosen my friends because they are the types of people that I like spending time with. If he likes to spend time with me, then he should be able to spend time with me when my friends are around as well.

4.     He should be able to tell me the truth about me. Just because he’s in a relationship with me doesn’t mean that he needs to like everything about me. There are certain things a person doesn’t like in an individual. He should be able to tell me the things he doesn’t like about me.

5.     But he should be able to understand that I won’t change everything about myself just because he doesn’t appreciate those qualities. At the end of the day, I am the one who gets to decide which qualities I like and don’t like about myself.

6.     He should be considerate about my feelings. He should understand that there are going to be time that I wont’ want to talk to him and there are going to be times that I want to be alone. He should be able to respect that and give me my space. I will eventually come and talk to you myself.

7.     He should understand that I’m not a kid and that I can take care of myself. I don’t need him to be doing everything for me. My parents are there for that. He needs to just care about me, but not TAKE care of me. When I’ll need him to take care of me, I’ll ask him myself. My independence is the most important thing than anything else.

8.      He should be able to be open with me. He should be able to share his feelings with him and tell me what’s going on in his life. If there are things that are too personal, I won’t expect him to tell me. You should be able to trust me with things. I am here for you to be able to share things with me as well.

9.     He should understand that before anything I am his friend.

10.   He should love me with all his heart. He should think of think of special things to do for me (though it sounds a bit demanding). But these things don’t have to be extravagant. Leaving a note in my locker will be good enough for me. He should try to show me that he loves me, because I would do the same.

College Essay # 107

107. What is your approach to life? Reveal your life philosophy.

I used to be preoccupied with the what if’s and the then what’s and the future. I was too concerned with what happened if I did this, or what would the outcome be if I did that. I never took time to breathe and to just relax. I just wanted to be sure of everything, I just wanted to be in control. Last year, I started to realize that if I was too occupied with the future I would start losing the present. And that’s exactly what happened. I started losing my friends, my grades dropped, and I got into a lot of trouble. It was a bad year for me. I knew then that I had to start everything over. And start over I did. I tried to do everything in a different way; I tried to think in a different way, I tried to act in a different way, I tried to everything in a new manner. It worked, and now I find myself a better person. Happier, nicer, and just plain content.

So if you ask me now, my philosophy on life is live every moment like it’s your last. I understand that many of you might think it’s a cliché, but I truly believe this. Don’t listen to other people’s complains and queries about you; just do your own thing. Other people will always try to out do you, they will always try to bring you down and tell you that you’re the wrong one. Don’t listen to them. If you’re wrong, you’ll know it yourself, you don’t have to hear it from someone else. If you’re right, you don’t have to justify yourself to others. It’s you that needs explaining to if you do something wrong, not someone else. There are too many moments in life that you’ll regret missing. If given the opportunity to do something different and spectacular, don’t hesitate. That chance will probably never come again in your life. Don’t waste your time thinking that it might. Try to do good to those you can, because helping others will never hurt you. Don’t help others to gain something out of it, karma will definitely come and bit you in your back. Try your hardest in everything you do, because there’s no reason why you can’t.

College Essay # 158

158. Reflect on these words of Dorothy Day: "No one has the right to sit down and feel hopeless. There's too much work to do." What is "the work to be done" for your generation, and what impact does this have on your future as a leader? Write a creative, reflective, or provocative essay. (University of Notre Dame)

Woodrow Wilson once said, “You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and to impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.”

I completely agree with this quote. Looking around at the different adults I come into contact with on a daily basis, I feel like the generation older than mine are only merely living to make a living. Many of those whom I know, don’t seem to be the least bit bothered about saving the environment, enriching the lives of those less fortunate, and don’t seem that concerned about sharing the knowledge they acquired with the rest of the world. Many teachers leave the school I attend, because the salary isn’t enough to sustain their family and themselves. Though I agree that low income is a valid reason to leave everything behind and go somewhere more prosperous, where does the idea of sharing visions, sharing knowledge, and helping the world gain a “finer spirit of hope and achievement come in?” Some students in my grade have had new advisors every single year. With people changing all the time, these students have no hope of connecting with teachers and having a trusting relationship, because there is no time to build one.

I agree with Dorothy Day when she says, “there is too much work to be done,” but I feel like there is numerous things that need working on. Our generation has been more aware of the global environmental crisis because we’ve been growing up with the knowledge that we’re destroying our earth. Yet, there seem to be no one taking much action upon this dilemma in our generation. People seem to be learning about it through one ear, and then throwing it out another ear. It’s ridiculous. They show that they seem to care, but they actually don’t. Many of my peers seem concerned about the poor and their living conditions, but they walk away when a beggar comes asking them for money or food. They show they care, but they actually don’t. There are many external things our generation can work on, but the biggest things we really need to work on are things within ourselves.

We need to build integrity, compassion, and determination to make a difference. My generation keeps talking about the things we’ll do and the ideas we’ll contribute to the world and to society, but when it comes time to taking action, nothing is done. We need to work on the idea of doing things rather than just saying them. We all know that there is “work to be done” but even with this concept, no one is willing to take the step forward to actually make a change. But when someone else starts it, they’re willing to join. I feel my generation is a coward, because they are afraid of taking that first step. They are willing to let someone else do it, and then say that they were part of the “planning process.” Is there integrity in that? Are people compassionate about the poor and about saving the environment? Are they really determined to really make a difference? No, not at all.

College Essay # 238

238. If your entire memory were wiped out except for one experience, what would you choose to remember?

In 2002, my family and I took a vacation to the island of Kasamui in Thailand. From what I can remember, it was a beautiful place with a lot of sandy beaches and clear, blue waters. There were many things to go and see. We could go to the crocodile farm, we could go and see the Scorpion Queen, we could go and see old statues of mermaids, we could go and visit rocks shaped as different animals, and we could go Go-Karting. My sister and I were really excited to go and visit all the different places, and we couldn’t wait for the day to start. Usually, my family would go on the travel tours with tour guides, but this year my parents decided to do something different. They decided to rent a car and go driving around the island and exploring things themselves. My father booked a car for four; he asked it not to be too big, but not too small either. My sister and I went to sleep excited. But who knew what was in store for us the next day.

We awoke early only to find that our car was a little red jeep where two people could fit easily in the front seats but the people sitting at the back would probably lose their legs due to numbness. The back was extremely small and my legs weren’t fitting in properly. My dad had let the reception know that my parents have little kids, but we weren’t THAT little. Not even a baby would be able to fit in that back seat. My dad ordered another car, but the receptionist told him that this was the only one they had. There was nothing left. He asked my sister and I what we wanted to do, and being the oldest, I told him that we didn’t have any problem; that we’d manage. But we couldn’t manage. My sister and I had to take turns putting our legs over the other person to let it stretch a bit. My parents kept asking whether we were okay, and I kept saying it was fine. There were too many things to see to be worried about how much space we were getting; I was sure we could manage. And manage we did.

We manage to see the Scorpion Queen’s show, we managed to go and see the crocodiles at the crocodile farm, we ate at a seaside restaurants, my sister and I modeled with mermaid statues (which I still have the pictures of) and we managed to see the animal shaped rocks up close. It was a worthwhile trip. I even fell and bum-slid down the stairs in the crocodile farm after watching a man stick is head in the crocodile. I was also able to feed a baby tiger milk. But even with all this, we managed to get lost on our way back to the resort. I was a kid, I was tired, and I was squished in the back of a red jeep. Life couldn’t have gotten worse, even though we had a great adventure. I was a kid, I whined, I only enjoyed things until I was tired. And I was tired. And we had to get lost. That was just the fate of it all. I started becoming cranky and my dad was getting annoyed because I was whining. But what could I do as well. I was a kid. I didn’t know any better. I didn’t understand how we could get lost. We were on an island. We could only go around in circles so we should have eventually landed up in the hotel in one round, but no. It took us around five or six hours to find our way back. It was nightfall by then.

I was hungry. But when we reached back to the safe haven, the only thing I could think of was getting out of that car. The car stopped, and I jumped out. I landed on the ground, knees first. Though I scraped my knees, I had never been that happy in my life before. I ran to the reception, got the keys, went up to the room, and dived in bed. By the time my parents were up, I was apparently fast asleep.

College Essay # 96

96. Look through old family photos and pull out a few that remind you of important times or significant moments. (Remember that the impact of a moment is what makes it significant. A hike through the woods can sometimes be more significant than a birthday.) Choose one of these "Kodak Moments" to describe and explain its significance to you. Speak about the photograph and your feelings about what you see in it.

When I was a kid, my mother told me, that I was very interested in using the phone. She told me that whenever the phone would ring, I would be the first one to rush to pick up the phone. Though I couldn’t utter words more than a “ga ga” or something of that sort, I was always keen. The people on the other end would laugh knowing that it was me. My mother would rush after me and yell at me, laughing, telling me not to do that next time. I looked at her in amazement and repeated the same thing over and over again. I just wouldn’t listen. I had a thing for talking to people and letting them know that it was me they were talking to. Slowly, after I started talking in words instead of gibberish, my mother taught me how to say hello and how to talk to people. She would teach me, I would repeat after her, but then I’d forget. After a couple of times of being unable to say anything on the phone, she started sitting next to me and guiding me on the phone. Though it was a petty thing to feel happy for, I would love having my mom sit next to me and tell me what to say. For that time being, I would feel like her. I would feel like my mother; sophisticated, cultured, and purely just amazing. It was the best feeling you could possibly ever have, because she was my mother, the greatest.

This picture symbolizes many things. It symbolizes the innocence of a child, it symbolizes the idea of exploring things on your own, but the thing that stands out to me the most in this picture, is my love for my mother. I would always look forward to someone calling only because I loved having my mom sit next to me and play some sort of puppet show. But I loved that my mother was there to guide me, even in something as minimal as talking on the phone. But I’ve always looked forward to my mother’s advice. Of course, there have been some mother-daughter conflicts, but this picture always reminds me of how much I looked forward to my mother’s advice, and how much I appreciated her. This picture reminds me of how great my mother is and how much she means to me. This picture shows me that I should never take her for granted and that I should always value her … just in case I wasn’t able to see that myself. Even though this picture is of a little Spreeha, it tells me and now even you, the relationship my mother and I have.

College Essay # 95 - Notre Dame

95. Select a technological innovation of this century and discuss its effects on your family, local community or nation. (Notre Dame)

I see the sleek rectangle lying on my table. I can feel the coldness the metal radiates. I can see the applications springing in my face telling me, “Use it. Use it. Use it.” I can see the silver cover sparkling at my direction telling me, “I was totally worth it.” Then she receives a call. She’s in use for hours at a time talking about the latest gossip, the latest trends, and whose friends with whom. This happens everyday and at least a couple of times daily. Yes, my friends, this is the Iphone.

Recently, my sister acquired the Iphone. She was ecstatic. She went and bought the cover, she got the phone unlocked, and then she started downloading different Apps … everyday. She had around ten-downloaded daily. With my sister’s newfound possession, I was the only one in my family who didn’t have the Iphone. My parents bought one for themselves last year and my sister got one just recently. I watch them use it. I feel jealous at times. I do have the I-touch but there’s no gadget that can be as great as the Iphone, well at least not in my mind anyways. Though I feel jealous, I feel freer than the rest of my family. They seem to be completely bogged down with this new innovation. But who can blame them? There are so many new things that keep coming up that you can’t resist yourself. You need to keep updating the software in order to get the new apps. Without the new apps you feel behind than the rest of the world. Without being part of the rest of the world, you don’t feel part of the world. Though this logic may be stupid and nonsensical, I think that people are more engrossed in technology because they don’t want to feel left out.

So, if I have to name one technological innovation that has affected my family, I would definitely say that it would be the Iphone. I only say this because there have been many times when we’ve held a conversation as a family; one person is always on their Iphone. I know that it’s a great technology to keep up with the things happening in the world, but it doesn’t mean that you have to be on it ALL the time … I literally mean 24/7. I am one that doesn’t appreciate it when people are distracted when holding a conversation with me. I don’t want people to fidget when they are talking to me. There are times when you should just let go of the innovations, and just talk, in an old fashioned manner

College Essay # 180

180. If you could ban anything in the world, what would it be and why?

Returning home to Kathmandu after spending a few months in school, I’ve noticed many changes in the city. Some were good changes and some were bad. But there was one thing that really caught my attention. While driving down the streets of Kathmandu, I’ve really noticed an increase in number of “holy images.” I’ve noticed many posters stuck on building walls next to sidewalks. Though many Nepalese are religious and pious, I thought it was a bit peculiar to have such a poster hanging close to a filthy, smelly sidewalk. I noticed this not in one place, but many places. The unusual thing was that, the posters were put in places where a lot of people pass by on a daily basis. I asked my parents why this was so, and they explained that people started putting pictures of our Hindu deities in order to stop people from urinating on the streets and throwing garbage near the sidewalks. Like I told you, Nepalese are very religious people. If garbage was thrown near God, or someone urinated near God, it was considered a sin and would not be accepted or tolerated.

Though this was a very clever idea to stop trash from being thrown on the streets and from people urinating wherever they feel like, it saddens me that we have to use the idea of religion and God to stop man from committing horrible crimes like these. Don’t humans have common sense? Don’t they know that doing these things helps no one? They only harm the environment and make people uncomfortable … especially with the smell. So if I had to choose something to ban in the world, it would be a race between throwing garbage on the streets and urinating everywhere. But I feel that it is more important to look at the environmental aspect than something that merely disturbs us. I’m not saying that urinating on the streets should be allowed, I’m just saying that throwing garbage on the streets is a much more serious crime.

The garbage left on the streets will not be picked up for many days, even weeks. The smell disturbs passer bys and is just not something that anyone needs to smell. I don’t think anyone has committed such a crime to deserve smelling rotten garbage. But health concerns are involved as well. Bacteria accumulate and diseases can easily be spread. Many can get sick and those in contact will be affected as well. Banning garbage does harm to no one anyone and should not be tolerated; instead it should be banned.

College Essay # 215

215. A disappointment you've experienced.

Living in a country filled with poverty, my family and I have come across a lot of little kids begging on the streets. They either try to sell us some postcards or they just plainly beg for money. Most of the time we’ve been really conformed to turn the other way, but there are times when you give in and try to help the other person out. We’ve been taught that giving money to little kids only gives him or her another reason to go buy drugs and get high. Many times, we’ve seen kids holding old, dirty plastic bags sniffing the contents within. Though, we don’t know exactly what is in those plastic bags, we can pretty much guess. Today, however, was different.

A little girl approached my mother, my sister, and I with a pile of postcards. We instantly knew what she wanted. She was wearing an old, almost yellowed salwar kameez and I instantly felt she was different from the rest of the kids down the infamous area, Thamel, where all the kids huddled together and sniffed plastic bags. She did not look rowdy nor did she insist that we buy something. She merely asked us whether we wanted to buy her postcards. When my mother asked how much she replied, “ten rupees.” While contemplating on whether the money should be given to her or not, a group of guys walked past us. But the problem was, they didn’t JUST walk past us. The guy in the middle extended his arm and slapped the girl hard on the head. I looked at him, bewildered, while he just walked away, as though it was something that he did on a regular basis … hit poor, underprivileged children. Still shocked, I watched my mother take out a ten-rupee note and hand it to that girl. I watched the exchange. But before the girl took the money, she wiped her tear stricken face. We walked away. My sister and I turned around to look and see what that girl was going to do. I was expecting her to stare at the newfound money that she got, but instead, I saw that little girl, not older than six years old, against a wall, covering her face and crying. Everyone walked past as though nothing was wrong.

I felt guilty. I wanted to do something, but what could we possibly do? We tried out best to help her out. There are always things in the news, which inform us that foreigners come into third world countries and help out the poor. They build orphanages, they open NGOs … they try their best to reduce poverty as much as they can. The disappointment I face is that these foreigners try their best to rid poverty in others’ countries but the people of Nepal don’t seem to care about anything. They complain about the kids sniffing drugs, they complain about the homeless lying on the foot wide sidewalk giving them no space to walk and they complain about being followed by beggars asking for money. I am disappointed that people of this country complain about endless things but don’t have the heart and to reach out and do something.

College Essay # 120

120. Tell about the most unforgettable experience you've ever had.

In the summer of 2005, my family had decided that we needed to experience everything American. We had already been in the country for around a year and a half, and we hadn’t really gone to see many places that categorized America as everyone sees it. So, we headed from our little home in Syracuse (in upstate New York) and made our way down to Iowa first. My parents were able to convince my aunt and uncle to join us on the family trip. They agreed, and we were on our way to make a trip across the country. The thought of that familial love is all a bit overwhelming now if I think about it. But I’ve got to say, the whole trip blew my mind away. We visited the Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Hoover Dam, the Las Vegas Strip (and enjoyed every minute of that 116 degree Fahrenheit heat), and so on and so forth. Though we did a lot of adventure-y type things like hiking and rafting and rock climbing, it was a great trip. Being a kid, I would always ask the person in the driver’s seat to honk the horn because it seemed like no one in America ever honked the horn. Maybe they did, but I had never heard it until I reached Vegas. It was amazing to see the vastness of the rocks, to feel the rush of the Colorado River, the excitement when you feel your fishing line tugging at you, and even to feel like you were going to faint in the excruciating heat.

But there was one thing that I will always remember and something that I will always keep close to my heart. Being the oldest in my family, my father had always pushed me to do sports and become strong. When I was younger, he put me in karate, in swimming, in soccer, and even in tennis. I was that son that he never had. But at heart, I was still a girl. Certain things scared me and certain things that boys did didn’t entertain me. Some times I wanted to just play with Barbie dolls and braid my hair.

We reached the Grand Canyon pretty far in our journey cross-country. We spent a couple of day looking at different places in the canyon. I remember seeing a huge boulder balancing on a sharp point on a 30 foot tall triangular rock, I remember seeing the haziness deep in the canyons, and then I remember seeing a huge face of what looked like a mountain … and it was completely open. That mountain-side-thing was called the Window. It was obvious of course. It looked like a window, a more oval window, but definitely a window. My father called me over and asked me to look at the top right hand corner of that “window.” I didn’t understand what he was telling me to look at until I really saw what he wanted me to do. I saw many people climbing up to that corner and going somewhere where a person from below couldn’t see. You “turned” some sort of corner and you disappeared … poof. First I thought it was some place where you bungee jump from or something, but I realized that it was a place where people take pictures. A tiny, slab of rock about the size of your torso where people take pictures. What kind of adventure is that? I didn’t understand why people wanted to risk their lives to take a stupid picture with something called the “Window.” It was pathetic and lame, or so I thought. My dad asked me to come and join him to take a picture. I protested a couple of times but my dad insisted. He told me that it would be the most unforgettable experience I would ever have. When I climbed up to that top right hand corner and put my right foot out on that slab, I realized that it WAS the most unforgettable experience.

My dad asked me to face him and smile. I did, but I sat there for a couple of minutes and I took that moment in. I remember seeing everything, I felt like I was watching the sky and earth meet. I could see so far out. I remember feeling insignificant and I remember feeling like everything in the world, all my problems were so small compared to what the eye can see. I remember promising myself never to back down from something that challenges you, because in the end, you will realize that you are much stronger than you think (corny as it is :p).

College Essay # 183

183. Do you think that you have the qualifications of a good parent? Discuss.

A couple of months ago, I saw one of my old elementary school friend’s pictures on Facebook. Her stomach was huge. First I though that she had just gotten really fat, but when I looked closer, I could see that she was a pregnant woman awaiting her child’s birth. Yes, many of you must be shocked. She is a 16-year-old girl and she is pregnant. No, her boyfriend who impregnated her hasn’t left her, and yes she HAS a job and she IS attending school. Many of you may look at her with disgust, and many of you may judge her, but who are we really to judge her? In fact, I’m very proud to say that I have a friend who is that strong and who is able to get through life with her head held high. I’m sure like many young teenage mothers, she never planned on becoming pregnant and having a child, but there is nothing she can do about it now. She is pregnant, and she does have a child to take care of.

I recently discovered that she has delivered her baby, and she’s very happy and content. Whilst talking to her, I asked her how the new mother thing was working out for her. She explained that she was tired all the time and her baby daughter was always keeping her awake with her screaming and crying, but all in all, she explained that she was extremely happy. I asked her about school and about work, and she told me that everything was good. She said even with everything going on, her grades were good and she wasn’t failing anything, and her work was work, she was doing the job and was getting paid; there was nothing more to that. I looked at her and thought to myself. She definitely DOES have the qualifications of a good parent. Though her circumstance has brought her to this point, she has everything a child needs from his or her parent. She is organized, she is practical, she knows she needs to take care of her family, she is able to support her daughter and make sure she is able to finish school and get an even better job. She knows that her daughter means the world to her and she needs to protect her. She values everything is has and doesn’t neglect her daughter for a second. While she was talking to me, her daughter was screaming and the minute she uttered a noise, my friend would run to her and calm her down. Though, it took some time, she would wait until her daughter was calm and got what she wanted. This happed around 10 times in a 15-minute conversation. Hats off to her, she definitely has what it takes. 

Whereas for me, I don’t think that I have the qualifications of being a good parent. I only think about the goals in my life. I haven’t had to think about anyone else’s ever. I am not patient with kids, and I don’t like it when they scream and yell. I get myself into drama from time to time. I’m unable to really handle my emotions at all times. I need to be grounded and need to get back to reality. I dream too much. I worry about only my grades and the things happening in my life. Sometimes I forget to take a step back and think about my loved ones. I’m too engrossed in my own life. Though I’m the more responsible one among my friends, I often forget where I’ve kept things. I get stressed very quickly and that makes me jumpy, agitated, and angry with those who cross my path. I am not ready to have a child, and if I was, I would definitely not be able to handle myself, let alone a child. 

Parents are those who think about their kids first. Parents are those that try to teach their kids good values and good etiquette and are grounded. Parents are those that don’t show their stresses to their kids and try to handle things without letting the kid know that there is a problem. Parents are those that love their children unconditionally and hold nothing against them. Parents are those that take care of their children but are able to take care of themselves as well. Parents are those that know their responsibilities and try their level best to fulfill them. Parents are those who are practical and think about reality rather than dreaming. Most of all, parents are those that think about others and are less concerned about their lives.

I seem to be the complete opposite of those things. I would be unable to raise a child at this age, I don’t know how my friend is doing it, but she is doing it. I am not set to be a good parent as of right now … and I don’t think I will be for a while.

College Essay # 133

French novelist Anatole France wrote: "An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't." What don't you know? (Brown) .

1.     I don’t know what is going to be going on in my life in the next 10 years.

2.     I don’t know why my Ipod battery keeps dying so fast on me.

3.     I don’t know why something bad always happens when everything seems to be going in the right direction.

4.     I don’t know why people backstab behind my back and then come and apologize as though they didn’t think it would hurt me.

5.     I don’t know why bad things happen to good people.

6.     I don’t know why the sky is blue.

7.     I don’t know why people that our family knows seems to be dying left and right.

8.     I don’t know why grandfather seems so upset these days.

9.     I don’t know how my neighbors can spend such a long time decorating their pagoda.

10.   I don’t know why women can’t accept their aging gracefully and instead use “Gold Radiance” or “Total Repair 7” to cover up their age.

11.   I don’t know why people can’t accept themselves the way they are.

12.   I don’t know why Woodstock doesn’t just take everyone down to Delhi on Going Down Day by train.

13.   I don’t know why it’s unusually cold in Nepal this year (I do have a hunch though).

14.   I don’t know why I feel like there’s no privacy anywhere you go in the world.

15.   I don’t know how some people don’t feel cold while I’m freezing my butt off.

16.   I don’t know how it is so easy for people to say they will do something when the next person tells them not to do that exact same thing.

17.   I don’t know how people find reading and writing boring.

18.   I don’t know what makes gold so much more attractive than silver.

19.   I don’t know why people design clothes for fashion shows; it doesn’t seem like people wear those kinds of clothing on a daily basis and isn’t the point of making clothes to sell it?

20.   I don’t know why my sister needs SO MANY pairs of shoes when she already has like 20 pairs.

21.   I don’t know how people can eat so much and then puke it all out. It’s just disgusting.

22.   I don’t know why people get depressed. Life is too short and there are too many things in the world that can make people happy.

23.   I don’t know why in many countries, having a mental disorder is worse than committing a crime.

24.   I don’t know whether I’m going to end up with a zero for my first semester grade in English, because I was unable to keep up with my blogs for a week.

25.   I don’t know when my family and I are going to move into our new house.

26.   I don’t know whether I’m ever going to see snow in Nepal.

27.   I don’t know why clouds weren’t something we could just sit on and float around. I only wish.

28.   I don’t know what I’m going to eat for lunch today.

29.   I don’t know how I’m going to do in school this semester.

30.   I don’t know whether I want to go to school this semester. Home is so relaxing.