Kalpana+Iyengar


 * Final final exam topic**
 * Based on consensus reached by the EN 1313 class members, we have decided to read an article on the Wiki (copies were distributed on Thursday) and write a detailed summar to present in class on the final examination!**

Final Examination Review for EN 1313 Your final exam is on December 6th (TUesday) 1. You will be asked to read an essay and answer a few questions based on your reading of the essay 2. You will be aksed to write an essay on one of the rhetorical modes/patterns that we discussed in class thrtoughout the semester 3. You must bring your final research essay to class 4. You are required to bring the portfolio to class as well 5. Please also bring any extra credit assigments to class (If you attended an interview with Prof. Dunitru's students, please write a paragraph on your experinec and post the same on the wiki. YOu will get 5 points extera credit foe reading your stories at the "Historias de la Vida Kahani"

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Please attend the interviewsTuesday 11:05 Reinbolt 003 Remove File Zhou Yun

yzhou@stmarytx.edu

We decided to watch the movie "My name is Khan".

Please attend Naomi Nye's reading event ay UC A on Wednesday at 6.15 pm. Write a reflection on the event for extra credits. Post it on the wiki by this week (10/15/11).

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**Telephone Conversation**

Wole Soyinka

http://www.nexuslearning.net/books/Elements_of_Lit_Course6/20th%20Century/Collection%2015/TelephoneConversation.htm

Assignment for 11/22/11 Read the attached researched document. Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving.

Please also read the article titled, "Tolerating Intolerance" and write a **detailed summary of the same**. Please do not forget to include a reflection section. Post the same on the wiki by Sunday. Thank you. The following is my summary and reflection of the article. You are welcome to read through it.



http://69.18.156.82/21/blogs%20wikis%20podcasts%20learning%20tools.pdf

Culture Shock By Du Fei People experience culture shock when they are in a new country. It happens very often to people who live outside of their familiar environment. In today’s world, students abroad often face this problem during their stay in a new country. They should adapt to many new factors in the countries that they visit, such as weather, food, language, local customs, and the lack of friends to support them. Study abroad students experience culture shock, and it may be difficult to adapt. Many international students cannot adapt to the weather in the foreign country. Some countries have four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter, while other places only have two seasons: winter and summer. For example, I am studying in St. Mary’s University, and I cannot adapt to the hot weather in San Antonio. In my hometown, the weather is warm and clear all year. The rain water is abundant, and the sunshine is ample. However, in San Antonio, it is very hot and sometimes it does not rain all year. I do not like hot weather; the hot weather gets me down while I live here. Another aspect that study abroad students may find it hard is to adapt to the foods. People always like food from their hometown. Also, people have different tastes, which influence how they choose their foods. For example, most Americans like to eat fried food, such as french fries and chicken. When I first arrived at St. Mary’s last year, I could not adapt to the American food. on the other hand, In my hometown, my mother made homemade foods, such as dumplings and noodles. My taste buds and preference for Chinese food makes me feel American food unappealing. I miss foods in my hometown and the ethnic dishes that my mother makes. This is a serious problem that contributed to the culture shock I faced during my stay. Language is another barrier. It is a shock for the first timer when a person goes to a country where he does not know the language and the culture, which are completely different. Language is the most testing problem to international students. For instance, my mother tongue is Mandarin Chinese, not English. When I attended my first class at St. Mary’s University, I did not understand the sentences that the professor used. It was a horrible feeling because I looked like a deaf-mute at that time. Thus, a limited understanding of the language can put students in a depressing mood while they study abroad. The fourth obstacle is local customs. This can be another factor of culture shock while students study in foreign countries. Because of the differences in social habits or customs and the existence of taboos in different cultures, international students must learn to use euphemisms to avoid misunderstandings and misconceptions. For example, I experienced the typical American holiday, Thanksgiving, last year. The biggest impression Thanksgiving left in my mind is that people brought food to the host’s house. This is a surprising behavior to me because in China, the host family should prepare all the food when they invite people to a festival. The final problem is making friends. This can be challenging while managing culture shock when studying abroad. There are a lot of friendly people, but it is hard to find true friends as an international student. People cannot live happily without friends. For instance, I often miss my friends and parents when I feel lonely on campus. Because of the communication problem, people have difficulty understanding my moods. This is a prominent culture shock to me. Hence, culture shock is a situation of loss and disorientation predicated by a change in one's familiar environment, which requires adjustment. International students should face and conquer culture shock during their life abroad.

Mohan Iyengar 8A English 10/26/11 Humanitarian Award Essay The planet we live on is a place of great beauty. Many splendors are found throughout our planet’s many countries; I believe that India, the place of my parents’ birth, is the land that possesses the most grandeur. Temples and palaces are found in abundance throughout this wonderful country, which attracts thousands of tourists each year. However, my parents’ motherland is greatly affected by poverty, and I believe that the greatest solution to this problem is to introduce education into the lives of the needy. The nation of my parents’ birth, India, is in my opinion a magnificent country of impressive grandeur and beauty. However, hidden behind this glamour hides a world afflicted by poverty. I believe that the greatest way to battle this widespread epidemic of destitution is to provide education to the needy people of the slums and villages of India. I believe so strongly in the importance of education because it can provide the materials necessary for a successful life, and create a strong foundation from which a child can excel in high school, college, and as an adult. My father is a perfect example of how education can change one’s life dramatically. He was born in the small village of Mavanur, which is located in south India, about one hundred and ten miles away from Bangalore, one of the largest cities of India. During his earlier years, my father spent his time herding water buffalo and working in the farmland in his rural home. He attended a school that taught up to seventh grade. However, the school did not teach English and instead taught the local language Kanada. His school did not have electricity, and the teachers who taught him had received no training and were born in the village just as he had been; this gave him a low quality of education. My grandfather sent my dad to the large city, Bangalore, at the age of twenty-eight so that he could receive a proper college education. After receiving a degree in mathematics, my father left to America to increase his chances of success as an adult. America was and still is widely thought as a land of opportunities. In America my father attended Temple University and decided to choose a job in which he could help people. He chose to earn his degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences and is today a successful pharmacist in the Veterans Administration Medical Center. My father’s transition from a village school to a college totally changed his life. While his friends are still farming in the land of his birth, my father is a successful citizen of the United States of America, the country of opportunity. Like my father, I plan for the best possible life in the future and know I will accomplish my plan through my education. I aspire to pursue a career in the medical field, possibly as a cardiologist. After I receive my degree in the field of my choice I hope to establish a successful practice in America, after which I hope to return to my father’s small village in India and to construct a hospital that provides medical treatment free of charge for those who are unable to pay for treatment on their own. This ambition of mine will be a difficult one to fulfill, but my education in San Antonio Academy has prepared me well for life, and will make the achievement of my goal less challenging. In conclusion, India, my parents’ birthplace, feels the impact of indigence throughout its vast territory. I hold the firm belief that no matter what social or financial status a person holds, a proper educational instruction will take one far. As Governor Kathleen Blanco once said, “ Think about it: Every educated person is not rich, but almost every educated person has a job and a way out of poverty. So education is a fundamental solution to poverty.”

The Toads in the Ditch

By

Gowri M. Iyengar

5th Grade

Keystone School

There are 3 types of love - people, places, and things. Two types that I have are for the place my parents originated in, India, and for what lives there. One day my brother, my mom, my dad, and I were walking around Belur temple, a beautiful structure made with the most detailed statue-like carvings on every side. My brother and I saw a ditch. My mom and dad were about to walk into the temple when they called us, but we refused to go. After they went into the temple, we ran to the ditch and looked inside. There were a few flattened toads, some straws, and a live toad hopping around. Out of our love for animals, my brother and I thought about the toads that were flattened in that ditch. We did not want the living toad flattened. So, we decided to jump into the ditch to save the poor animal. After a few attempts, we managed to get the toad out but to our surprise the toad jumped back in. Although we were dirty and we were eager to take a bath, we jumped back in //again// and let the frog go far away from the ditch.