Reflection

Making my own online portfolio was a challenge for me because I'm not really good with the computers. At the beginning it was really hard because I did not know what I am supposed to write and post, but then after writing the first piece I understood that it is not so hard. It was interesting to see my classmates' portfolios because every portfolio had different design and the stories were different too. It was fun to make comments on some of the posts and also read the comments for my posts. I liked the assignment because we were free to write for everything that is interesting to us.
The exchange was not really successful because of some technical reasons but I was really excited about the chance to talk to someone who lives in US. Somehow I became more self-confident and responsible toward my work. I wanted to be done with everything on time in order my partner to be able to see my post and comment on them. I think that this online blog gave me the opportunity to reach more people over the world and it is a good experience for my future writings. So I think that it was great.

What is the effect of television on people's communication?

Although television has an informative, educational and entertaining function, I think that it has destroyed communication among friends and family. Different movies and serials give us fake and unrealistic models of communication. Spending hours in watching various shows limits our time for talking with friends and family. Television destroys our communication because there is no exchange of information while watching it; people can get no personal experience.
Almost all television shows present models of communication. Imaginary characters show how they live and interact with each other. In real world this television communication is impossible because people are real; they have real feelings, wishes and problems. Watching these dramas all day makes us feel part of the action, but actually no one can hear what we think or feel; the reverse part of the communication is missing. For example, if we watch a 1200 series long serial, where there are a lot of lies, complex situations, characters that suddenly become rich or a miracle happens to them, we can not talk to them and share our thoughts about all of this. We will know everything about them, but they will know nothing about us. This destroys our ability to communicate because we start to follow a no interactive model of television communication.
Another reason that television destroys our communication with people is that it consumes our time. Instead of watching meaningless movies, we can read a book or spend more time with our friends and family, discussing our and their problems. The essence of real communication is hidden in getting a feedback. To have a communication, there should be more than one person involved. If we spend less time in front of the television at home, we will have more time for talking with our families, going out with friends, doing relaxing activities and for something more useful.
Finally, television destroys communication with friends and family because it does not give us exchange of information which does not improve our development. To communicate effectively we need to see the other person, to see his/her face expressions and to know his/her point of view. The discussed topic may be soothing seen on television, but we can not have communication with the TV, so we have to spend less time in front of it and more time discussing different things.
Communication happens between two or more people. When we communicate we have to hear the other’s opinion and share his/her feelings. Television does not present us with real models of communication. It exhausts our free time and we hampers out healthful social relations.

The “tragedy” of Othello-on the ridge of the death

OTHELLO (ACT V, Scene ii,310-332, p.257)
    Behold, I have a weapon.
A better never did itself sustain
Upon a soldier’s thigh. I have seen the day
That with this little arm and this good sword
I have made my way through more impediments
Than twenty times your stop. But, oh, vain boast!
Who can control his fate? ’tis not so now.
Be not afraid, though you do see me weaponed.
Here is my journey’s end, here is my butt,
And very sea-mark of my utmost sail.
Do you go back dismayed? ’tis a lost fear.
Man but a rush against Othello’s breast,
And he retires. Where should Othello go?—
Now, how dost thou look now? O ill-starred wench,
Pale as thy smock! When we shall meet at compt
This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven
And fiends will snatch at it. Cold, cold, my girl,
Even like thy chastity. O cursed, cursed slave!
Whip me, ye devils,
From the possession of this heavenly sight!
Blow me about in winds, roast me in sulfur,
Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire!—
Oh, Desdemona! Desdemona! dead! Oh! Oh!








“Tragedy, then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its katharsis of such emotions. . . . Every Tragedy, therefore, must have six parts, which parts determine its quality—namely, Plot, Characters, Diction, Thought, Spectacle, Melody.”(McManus, Barbara.) This is Aristotle’s idea about the meaning of tragedy and “Othello" by William Shakespeare, fulfills almost all of the requirements needed to satisfy Aristotle's idea of a true tragedy. The tragedy has a noble protagonist in Othello whose one flaw will ultimately lead to his downfall. Othello’s speech almost at the end of the play, after killing his true and only love, Desdemona, shows the understanding of the character that the end is coming. The speech reveals a lot about the character of the protagonist, that he is an honorable person who will die with honor, a person who can realize his own mistakes, and a person who cannot fear by truth.
Othello is a soldier; he did terrifying things to different people when he was on the front. He went through many difficult moments and he overcame them. In his speech he defines himself as a different person now. He says:
tis not so now. Be not afraid, though you do see me weaponed (316-317).
He knows that he is not the same as he was many years ago; he believes that Desdemona has changed him and he has become a better person. He understands that people are scarred by his personality and his sword. His words show that he is not a person who can frighten people because his journey is about to end. He tries to save his reputation, he wants to be an honorable man who is respected by the Venetian society and to show his motives for killing his lovely wife. But now in this speech he talks about death and about the end of his honor. In this speech he realizes that while trying to defend his honor, he was not able to defend the most valuable thing in his life-his love Desdemona.
Here is my journey’s end, here is my butt,
And very sea-mark of my utmost sail.
Do you go back dismayed? ’tis a lost fear.
Man but a rush against Othello’s breast,
And he retires (319-322).
He is not passionate enough to live this life without her. He does not want to scare people anymore; he wants just to stop everything.
The whole play revolves around the themes of jealousy and honor. This speech is right after the desire of one full of love and jealousy man to defend his reputation after understanding that his wife is cheating on him. In Othello’s speech Shakespeare shows that he is realizing his mistake not to believe Desdemona’s words and to be manipulated so brilliantly by Iago.
Whip me, ye devils,
From the possession of this heavenly sight!
Blow me about in winds, roast me in sulfur,
Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire!—
Oh, Desdemona! Desdemona! dead! Oh! Oh! (328-332)
Othello is full of pain and wrath. He cannot look at the heavenly sight of Desdemona. He wants to be tortured because he is feeling so bad because he believed the villain’s words. He understands that believing Iago was the worst mistake he had ever made. He realizes that any torture will hurt less than the pain in his heart; he wants to be with Desdemona and exactly these final words of his speech foreshadow that he is going to be with her in a different world- the world after the death though he seems to think he will go to hell. So this speech suggests that Othello is in the moment between life and death-he is on the edge of death.
Othello is a real protagonist of a tragic play. His speech reveals that his mistake led to his downfall-he lost his love in order to defend his reputation, but he is the one who is manipulated and treated as a puppet, so again his reputation is lost somewhere. The only thing that he is able to do in order to save his honor is to end his own journey.

The first kiss

Every girl in her life expects her first kiss, her prom or her marriage. She is concerned about everything: her dress, the perfect flowers, and the perfect place. Everything should be amazing and memorable. I have a friend that had invented everything about her wedding day when she was only 15. She had made the guest list, she had talked to some restaurants for free dates and she had called some newspapers to make them publish her wedding in the news. For her this was a big deal, she was collecting everything in a special box and she still has it. When she looks at them, she can not stop laughing. So every girl all of her life is waiting for her special moment. For me this was my first real kiss.

All of my friends talked about their boyfriends and how they kiss, but this was far away from me. I did not have a boyfriend and I didn’t know what the real kiss was. I was really ashamed by the fact that I am the only one that has never kissed a boy. The most embarrassing was that I was an 8th grader and for everyone to kiss someone was not so exciting. So I decided just to wait for the right moment.

So how it happened? My family and I went on a trip to one village near Sofia for Eastern. We were a big group of around 30 people. There were many kids my age. It was really funny, we danced, walked around, laughed; the whole experience was just amazing. There was a boy that was really cute, I really liked him, and he was the most romantic boy that I have ever known. The last night we were watching the stars on the roof of the hotel and he was telling me scary stories about ghosts, and then my moment came, he just kissed me. I had the feeling that the Earth stopped to round, I could feel only his lips touching mine, and my dream has become real. Then the world seemed different to me, I could see the beauty around me even the trees looked different to me.

Unfortunately it was just a short moment, time which I wished to be forever. I was so happy in those 50 seconds, I was happy that one of my childish dreams has become real, I knew that dreams are not just dreams but things that just need time to happen.

My country

Many of my classmates describe some of their trips to different places in the world but for me the most interesting place in the world is my homeland-Bulgaria.
Bulgaria, like every other country, has its positive and negative sides. My country has a good climate which gives possibilities for developing tourism. It offers a good education and it is peaceful. Nevertheless, the low standard of life (low salaries, bad roads, dirty streets) makes my country less attractive than many states with similar characteristics.
My native country is located in a functional climate region. We have four seasons, a lot of beautiful and full in rivers and lakes, mountains. During the summer we enjoy going to our seaside. In Bulgaria are located some of the best skiing resorts like Bansko and Borovest. There people can have an amazing vacation because they can combine their passion in skiing or snowboarding with relaxing in the spa. That’s why we have a developed tourism. The only problem is that our transport is bad and we do not keep our nature clean enough.
Not only will Bulgaria impress you with good climate, but it will also offer you education. People can receive a great opportunity to be taught by some of the greatest professors on the world. Our universities produce good professionals. Yet, there is a problem in my country: salaries are low. For example, some people who have a degree in philosophy have to work as something else because they do not earn enough money, practicing their profession. So if good education combines with good pays, people will be stimulated to study here.
Lat but not least, my country is peaceful, there are not many crimes. People can walk around the streets and parks without fear. The bad thing is that when a crime occurs our police do not do much to understand the truth about it and punish the criminal.
In conclusion I can say that although my country is not perfect because of its low standard of living, it offers wonderful tourism, good education and peaceful life. I do not know a country which is perfect that’s why I think that Bulgaria is the best place for living and having a vacation.

This is link to a video which presents photos from Bulgaria:
http://vbox7.com/play:fc6d1543

"Eleven minutes"

Two months ago I read “Eleven minutes” by Paulo Coelho and I really enjoyed it. The book is published in 2003 but I though that the it is not enough interesting to read. One day I was sitting in my library at home and I saw the book on the shell, somehow it gained my attention and I decided to read the summary on the back of the book. When I started reading, I couldn’t stop. I read it for a day. I wanted to read it again and again.
Actually I liked many things about the book. I really enjoyed the style of the writer. He uses vulgar words and expressions which makes the story more real and engaging for an 18-years old teenager. He says everything in a straight way which makes the story easily to follow. Another thing that I really liked about the book is that the novel talks about important themes of our lives. The main character is a prostitute in a foreign country, far away from her family. The conditions are forcing her to do this. She is young and scared and as many people has to deal with her problems alone. Many people can see themselves in her character. Many people have to live outside of their homes in order to succeed and have a better life. While the main character is working, she talks about her feelings and emotions and she describes all of these in a diary. The most common theme is about loneliness. While I was reading the book, I was really lonely. I didn’t want to go out and see my friends, and when I was around people I was still feeling alone. So the theme of the book is really common. I think that the progress of the topic is helpful for the readers that feel the same way. On some points I though I’m there, it was so realistic. Actually the book is trying to show that you have to be who you are and follow your dreams whenever it takes you: even if you have to be a prostitute.
The story of the book is actually real and this makes it even stronger for me, because I know that it is normal to feel lonely sometimes, its normal your life to be hard for you and it’s normal for you to desire something more, and do everything to get it. So my advice is read the book, you are going to enjoy it.

The Rain

Many dictionaries say that fear is an emotional response to a threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. Actually if this is a feeling it cannot be defined by a definition. It means different for every individual person. You can feel it without any reason, sometimes it just happens. No one can escape from it but everyone is capable of overcoming and dealing with it. So many people love to say :”never give up”.
It was raining. She was staring out the window, watching nothing particular in the space. She looked scared and confused. The little drops of the rain fell down on the window. It was dark, the streets were empty and it looks like she was searching for something or someone. Her name was Savannah, but all of her friends called her Savi. She was the most incredible creature on the world. She was a good person. She was born to help people without expecting any help back. At the same time she was unique: she had golden hair and big, blue eyes, the same blue color as the one of the sky. The light in her eyes was always so pure and innocent; she looked like a little child. She had the most fascinating family: her parents were civil engineers and her sister was a student at the local university. She had strong relationship with her parents; she thought of them as her friends, she could tell them everything about her friends, problems at school and thoughts.
She decided to turn on the television but she could not really concentrate to watch the night show. This was her favorite show- sometimes it was about fashion, another time for cooking and traveling. This night she was concerned about something. Her head was full of crazy thoughts. Someone came in and she saw that this was her mother, Erica. Erica asked Savi about her day and how was she. Savi did not answer and continued staring with her worried eyes in the television. Her mother realized that this was one of her daughter’s moments of fear. Fear was the forbidden word in their family. Savi’s parents wanted their children to be strong and to overcome every obstacle on their way. They taught them that fear can destroy their lives. That is why Erica wanted to understand what is in her daughter mind, she wanted to help her. She knew that it was serious because Savi was rarely acting strange and only when she was scared. Erica made the dinner and asked Savi to sit on the table. She started talking about her business party today and how people annoyed her. She was angry at one of her business partners. She thought that somehow her story will make Savi talking or even smiling, but she was wrong. Suddenly, Savannah started to cry and now she had to tell her mother what is going on. Savi did not want to bother her mother with her childish problems, so she shouted at her mother and ran away to her bedroom. She could not stop crying. She was feeling bad because of her reaction to her mother’s words. She decided to apologize to her and explain her everything.
The connection between Savi and Erica was really strong. That is why they could say anything to one another. Savannah went downstairs and just started talking and talking. She was concerned about her best friend and her boyfriend. Savannah’s best friend, Norma, had a serious problem and she was not able to help her. Norma lost her best friend in a car accident and she wanted to committee a suicide because she could not live with the pain. Savannah tried to talk to her and make her think about her beautiful future. Norma did not want to hear her friend. So Savannah was worried that while she was a t home, Norma could do the worst decision in her life. Savannah explained this to her mother but this was not the only thing. She was angry at her boyfriend because he did not care about her problems. For him these were teenagers’ way of getting attention. He did not realize that this was hard and important for Savi. She needed support and he was the one who had to understand and help dealing her with the problem. At the same time he was so jealous that she was not able even to see her friend. She was confused what to choose: friendship or her love. Always in her life friends were the most important thing just after her parents and sometimes she was feeling guilty because she did not have time for her boyfriend. So she did not know what to do. Her heart was splitting into parts and she did not know which part to follow. She needed someone to tell her.
It looked like this was not her mother. Her mother wanted to teach her daughter to deal with her problems alone: to take the responsibilities of her actions and to make her own decisions. She wanted to show to her child the real world: with all the pain, choices and fears. She only told her to listen to her heart, to believe in herself and follow her wishes. Savannah did not want to hear that but she said:
-“Ok you are right I am a big girl”, but her voice tone was not appropriate for her mother understandings.
-“You can not talk to me like this, you deserve to be grounded forever”, shouted at her Erica.
Savannah was so stressed right now; the only thing she really wanted was to be alone. She could not stop her cry; she even could not hear her mother’s words. She was so angry; she did not want to be a big girl because big girls do not cry. Again she stared at the rain, again thinking, but maybe this time she was thinking not about her friend or boyfriend, but about herself. She saw one couple on the street, walking under the rain. They were smiling and laughing. For a second she smiled too but then she stopped and run off the apartment, going somewhere and nowhere.