Fascination with Culture

I would like to take the opportunity this week to reveal one of my passions. I love learning about different cultures. This fascination probably stems from me being very cultural myself. Everyday, I experience two worlds: an American school and a Polish home. I speak, write, and read both languages and I believe that being bilingual really opens one’s mind to what the world really consists of and how diverse the human race is. In school, I am currently studying Spanish and German. Personally, I enjoy Spanish more, but that is only because I know it better and have been it learning for a longer time. Language, however, is not the only thing I am learning. I am apprehending the way of life, the traditions, and characteristics of these cultures and I can’t wait to visit the countries, either for the first time or once again.
This brings me to my next point. I am very fond of traveling abroad. So far I have visited Canada, France, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, and Italy. This coming summer I am planning to visit Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. I firmly believe that everyone learning a language should have an opportunity to visit the country they are learning about. It gives a totally new perspective and helps teach the language better than any school here in America. Up-close experience and day-to-day situations in which one has to communicate are the best tools there are to becoming a fluent speaker.
Now, a little more about me. My family is Polish and we only speak Polish at our house. It’s terrible when some families don't continue their tradition, and their native language is not passed down to their children. Thankfully, my parents didn't let that happen. My mom is a great cook, and thanks to her we can still have a Polish kitchen here, in America. The food is amazing and I would recommend it to anyone. My mom knows Italian as well and how to cook Italian food. It’s a pasta-lovers paradise.
On the other hand, there are some aspects that I don't particularly enjoy. I think that the stereotype of foreign parents being stricter is true, at least at my house. However, this has taught me discipline, a valuable characteristic for life. So, being multicultural does bring a person to a different perspective. It creates opportunities and options. I believe that everyone should, at least, be bilingual. :)

Who Am I?

First, let me begin by saying that I am a night owl. In fact, this blog is something I am doing late at night. Not a single part of me is an early bird and the only motivation or possible way of getting me up early is school and tennis. Sadly, even on Christmas morning I don’t want to get up. Why am I a night owl? Maybe because I watch too many movie series. Deriving from this example, I believe the behaviors and actions we take in lives are what define us. They show our true personality, our habits, and our identity.
In saying this, another behavior of mine, which at times I become miserable from, is my hard work. Work ethic and school is dominating my life as a student at the moment, and sometimes it makes me frustrated. My dedication to academics right now doesn’t really have any other benefits accept a scholarship. Life should be lived to the fullest, except I can’t. School gets in my way.
  But leaving that aside, another definition I like to associate with identity comes from the book “The Things They Carried”. If someone were to look at me during the spring they would see me with a tennis racquet, a jacket, an iPod, and sometimes an art project, or paint of some sort. Tennis is absolutely my favorite thing to do. I love to play recreationally, competitively, with friends, on the weekends and in the summer. The jacket represents me being prepared, while the iPod, in the explanation of my parents, shows my addiction to movie series. My second favorite activity is the arts. I really enjoy painting and drawing, and I find it a nice relaxation from the hectic day. However, an exception exists on Tuesdays, because I have art homework due on Wednesdays, not something I particularly enjoy. While mentioning the arts, I also enjoy playing the piano and have been doing so for the past twelve years.
     Another thing I carry is my backpack. It seems like a regular backpack, but the things inside really show who I am. The computer I am using to type this rests in a separate pocket. It has been my companion for about five years and I don’t know what I would do without it. The fact that it is old, and that the screen glitches when it is moved doesn’t bother me. What matters is that it works, and that I take care of my things, so it will probably last until the end of high school. The folders and binders are all organized, and neat, like me. The lunchbox in the next section of the backpack shows my independence. How? I make my own lunches. Most of the time, they are very healthy because that’s the kind of lifestyle I lead. Lastly, a significant item in my backpack is my one pencil. It is the mechanical pencil I use the whole year, showing that I am not wasteful, but efficient.
So who am I? I am an organized and independent individual with a dedication to academics, tennis, and the arts. Yet I am also a good friend, sometimes funny, but definitely not a volunteer for any public speaking. I am an American citizen, but take pride in being 100% Polish. I speak the language and live the culture. This is me, myself, and my identity. 

Does English Make Sense?

      A friend is walking in the hallway in school and sees another friend. The typical teenager interaction at this point would be the phrase “What’s up?”, resulting in an answer “nothing much”. Another situation, probably the worst one yet, is “How are you?”. I guarantee that ninety-nine percent of the times the answer will be a plain old good. But wait, there’s more…. How about the phrase “How’s your day been?” or a typical mom question: “How was school today?”
The first problem is that some of the questions themselves don’t make any sense. Take, for example, “What’s up?”. Literally, it turns into “What is up?” I would say that the sky or the ceiling are good answers, depending on where a person is located. And the response “good” doesn't make a whole lot of sense either. One can't just say that he/she is good. This would mean that they are the physical embodiment of good (but nobody’s perfect). A more appropriate answer would be “I’m well”, but this phrase is disappearing as well.
As for the rest, they have been transformed into robotic scripts. Society uses them as their bases of social interaction, which is somewhat pathetic. Most people would even be surprised to hear a different answer than good. Definitely, nobody wants to hear a tangent on how someone’s feelings changed during the day. And moms, they don't want to hear what happened every hour of their kid’s day, unless this person is still a cute first grader.
So what is happening? Society’s interactions aren't really evolving or developing in today’s world. Actually, they might as well be degrading. In my opinion, the major fault lies in texting. People are accustomed to short conversation and do not no how to interact in the real world anymore. Below are some more examples for questioning the sense of English. Can you understand them?

-Why is it when you transport stuff on a ship, it's called cargo, but when you transport it on a car, it called a shipment?
-Why isn't "palindrome" spelled the same way backwards as it is forwards?
-Why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways?
-Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?
-If the cops arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent?

Moral Heroism (Essay Intro Draft)

Daniel P.            
Teacher              
Class                  
28 October 2014

Moral Heroism

The Second World War was one of the most extreme and terrible wars that occurred in history with estimated death tolls as high as 60 million. Officially beginning on September 1st, 1939 with the invasion of Poland and ending on September 2nd, 1945 with the surrender of Japan, World War II devastated Europe and the Pacific sector for a seemingly never ending six years. Over 60 cities were completely or mostly destroyed with more than 2.5 million tons of bombs dropped. It was a global crisis, but to an extent that most do not know about. In fact, 61 countries were involved and 1.7 billion people participated one way or another, three quarter’s of the world’s population! 

 
     Heroism, a characteristic most commonly associated with soldiers and wars, was not solely based on being on the ‘good side’ during the war. It was not just battle for defense and it was not just the fulfillment of military duty for one’s country. War has absolutely no humane side or no right justification, yet heroism is doing the good, the right thing, or whatever is moral, even though it might go against authority. Thus, even if a person was forced to fight for a cause they didn't believe, the simple action of resistance proved them to be heroes. These people used logic to clearly see what was right. They stood from a judicious and objective point of view and strived for the good. 

 
     Ultimately, heroism is not defined by the end game success, but by the attempt at putting morality and lives of others above danger, which is exactly what Philipp Freiherr von Boeselager did. In his book, Valkyrie, Philipp uses chronological progression and personal experiences/examples to portray his message: morality above danger. He explains what these dangers were and how the risks affected him, but, more importantly, Philipp tells the reader of why it was important to continue the resistance and why morality did, indeed, need to stand above danger. 

Our Techie World

      There’s no better marker for human progress than innovation and advancement in the field of technology. From the first computer the size of an entire room to mini tablets that fit in pockets, mankind has transformed the structure, functioning, and design of technology. In fact, the change is so grand that what is considered modern today has barely any connections at all to what it was ‘back then’. However, the question remains: “What is technology?” Some argue it is purely the electronics. Others believe it is simply the tools people use; it doesn't have to have wiring or on/off switches. Yet, another group would suggest a dictionary based definition: “the branch of knowledge dealing with engineering or applied sciences.” Thus, this definition would be focusing more on the educational aspect of learning, not physical materials.
      All definitions seem true, yet the most prominent one is the ‘stuff’. People, in general, define things with observation or personal experience. A majority would instantly imagine a cell phone, a laptop, or an Apple product when hearing the word ‘technology’. Not surprisingly, no one would think of the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), the first computer. This only reveals the amazing process and journey the technology field has undergone physically and visually. As I sit here, using a Microsoft Works Word Processor, I too realize that the image and the ease with which one can use modern technology is severely different from the antique computers that had to have programs encoded for every action. If it was presented to a child in these times, would he even consider it a computer? The Apple company has revolutionized our depiction of electronics. Limitations have been broken with touch-screens, air connectivity (e.g. Air Printers), and multi-functioning tools that are part of our everyday lives. Design, simple but stylish, has had a tremendous impact as well.
      Image and design can, however, be used when describing the ‘simple tools’ technology, the products not requiring electrical engineering. Objects like mechanical pencils, shoes, building material, paper, cleaning liquids, and microscopes all have one thing in common. They are, in one way or another, a technology of the modern day. None of these, however, use complicated electrical circuits, or run electricity (considering that the microscope is not battery powered). Invention is founded from desire and necessity. Being invented in 105 A.D. (paper) or in the 1590’s (microscope) does not change anything; they are still considered a technology created by humans, and will remain so for eternity. Therefore, this definition argues that anything man made, can be considered a technology.
      Besides actual products and materials themselves, a more philosophical approach explains that technology is the knowledge. It is the progress, the calculation, the experiments, and the understanding that define technology. The physical objects are simply an embodiment of the mental concepts. Under this definition, the change from mental to physical technology, or the application for practical purposes, can be included as well. People describe technology to be only what they can see and use, yet it is limitless. Anything concerning human involvement becomes affiliated with technology.
      All day, everyday, and everywhere we see it, we use it. Society has become dependent on modern technologies, like cell phones, and takes older technologies, like paper, for granted without giving it a single thought. The cumulative effort in creating technology throughout history has created such an enormous mass of information and data that individuals do not acknowledge the fact that it surrounds them in every situation. I ask myself again: “What is technology?” It is everything mankind has created!

Closet Character

     The closet, primarily thought of as a storage space for clothes, has evolved into something completely different in today’s world. While maintaining its traditional function, it serves many other purposes for different people. These purposes, along with closeting behaviors, can reveal a person from the inside. They show that person’s true qualities, an idea that might seem creepy at first, but, essentially, is the absolute truth. A fashion statement, athletic participation, an individual trait revealer, and the place to hide in or fear are all doors that lead to unique closets. Surprisingly, the closet becomes, in many ways, a part of a person’s description.

     As the primary function states, the closet holds clothes. This is the most common category of closets, probably the only one most people are aware of. The clothes inside the closet are what make this type of closet special. They represent the style, fashion, and overall appearance preferences of the individual. The closet can be filled with top quality brands, representing preference to the luxurious style, or it can be filled with sweatpants, t-shirts, and hoodies, appealing to the comfortable style. However, the previous examples represent, a normal behavior of mixed brands. Some people, lean towards the more extravagant side, tending to buy a single brand because others don't seem to hold any worth. Thus, their closet becomes a representation of their tastes.

  However, closets can assume a different classification. They are able to represent a person’s interests beyond fashion and appearance. The most common feature of these closets is their containment of sports related items. Whether it be basketball shorts, swimming suits, or martial arts uniforms, closets are able to reveal what activities a person might be participating in. Older, worn out tennis shoes or running shoes can even tell the story of the past: what a person used to like.

  Then there are the trait revealers. These closets tend to be on the extreme sides of the spectrum. For example, a closet that has some clothes folded nicely, but other wrinkled won't say much about the owner. However, there are closets that look like a jungle with clothes thrown everywhere, including on the floor, and not a single item that is wrinkle free. Surely these represent someone who is lazy, disorganized, but also someone who just doesn't care. On the other hand, closets with organized hangers and neatly folded clothes must represent people who are neat and organized. Whatever the extreme is, some closets simply function as behavior displays.

  The last category of closets belongs to children. Contrastingly though, they don’t primarily serve as storage for attire. Their most important function is a ‘hide-out’, a place to hide from the big world, a place where childhood games took a side adventure. To other children, however, the closet represented the hiding place of the world’s most feared monster. Many can still relate to the habit of closing their closet door before going to bed.

  A closet is not just merely a closet. It is a place that secretly represents a person for who they are. It tells about their preferences, activities, and memories. What would the world be like if we judged people based on their closets? What closet category would you fall under?

Louis XIV: Absolutely King of Kings

      The Middle Ages was a time period in Europe, where a power shared among kings and assemblies could be observed. Yet, the advent of Absolutism marked the real beginning of complete monarchical rule in many countries across Europe. This meant that kings would have no limits, an idea feared by many because of the potential tyranny laying underneath. During the second half of the seventeenth century, the monarchical absolutist Louis XIV gained control of France. This was possible through his religious, economic, and political efforts, which essentially lead France to become a world power. However, his rule extended further than France, for he revolutionized tradition and etiquette across Europe. The new cultural trends he set would last long after his time.
Many developing European nations faced a similar issue at hand. Religion was the most influential factor in the division of nations. With the Reformation sweeping across Europe, religious war erupted among the traditional Catholics and the newly formed Protestants. French Protestants, called Huguenots, were what prevented France’s complete unification. One of the ways in which Louis XIV became an absolute monarch was by getting rid of the people he could not control. Therefore, Louis, being a Catholic, revoked the Edict of Nantes, which was established earlier to allow the Protestant practice. Not only did he ban Protestantism, but he persecuted those who did not convert or were still suspected to be Protestant. In unfair trial, he became the jury, judge, and prosecutor. Unifying France under one religion was an important step towards absolutism. Another important characteristic of Louis was the way in which he supported his kingship. Holding a firm belief in the divine right of kings meant that Louis would only be responsible to God, and God alone. Whatever he interpreted from God, or just his own ideals, would become the law of the country.
Louis XIV's reign and authority would not have been possible if it weren't for the enormous wealth that he acquired. All of this was the work of one man: Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the controller general. Colbert’s mercantilist position and his ideal of wealth serving the state became very favorable with Louis, allowing Colbert to strengthen the French economy. The new motto became “selling more than buying,” a motto that led France’s industry to expand, producing all necessary products for the French people. Abolishment of domestic tariffs, new regulations, and encouragement of immigration into France helped create the economy that gave the funds for a successful absolutist rule. With this new establishment, France became the center of diplomacy. Louis XIV’s rule was so magnificent that every country began using French in negotiations.
An even more important contribution to Louis XIV becoming the most successful absolutist monarch was his political strategy. Louis XIII’s rule was weak and his mother, Marie de Medici, had a greater role in ruling the country. The famous Cardinal Richelieu also held great political authority. As Louis XIV came to the throne, the chief minister was Cardinal Mazarin. In order to increase his own power, Louis dismissed him and removed the position of advisor. He attained complete personal control. To keep an eye on everything, Louis appointed new, loyal nobles, who depended on him for their titles, lands, and wealth. In fact, nobles were ordered to visit Versailles, the new capital, and serve the king for a certain period of the year. Louis could gather reports on the situation in the kingdom and rule more efficiently. His expansion of the empire, centralization of the army, and training of professional officers, caused him to be the most powerful ruler in Europe during the peak of his reign.
Louis XIV is, perhaps, the best example of an absolutist ruler. He came to the throne, conquered, ruled, and achieved the height of France’s development, while spreading his influence across Europe. The Versailles palace, grand, luxurious, and expensive, was to be the new model for monarchical estates. His courtly etiquette and daily rituals inspired kings in many countries to follow suit. Under Louis XIV, France became the center of the world!