Finals : Part 1

       It was a nice, sunny day in Carmel, California and I decided to go to my favorite bakery for my daily croissant until I got pulled over for the dumbest reason. Apparently in Carmel, California, a man is not permitted to go outside while wearing a jacket and pants that do not match. I was taken aback at this absurd law and that it even exists. The officer was telling me it's just part of his job, but I had to argue my case. All I wanted was a damn croissant for breakfast so that I could get to work with somewhat of a full stomach and get on with my day but instead, I have to be issued a ticket for something so trivial as unmatched clothing. I guess I came off to the officer as some kind of jerk so he decided to issue me a ticket for disorderly conduct. My day couldn't have been worse, but it did. As I was walking back to my car, I see a parking enforcement officer issuing my car a ticket. I rush over to let him know I was only late because some officer decided to detain me over unmatched clothing. I was practically begging him to not give me the ticket but it looked like it wasn't going to go anywhere so I simply accepted the ticket and got back into my car. Now I'm staring at a white envelope that reads "City of Los Angeles Parking Violation" forcing me to pay nearly a hundred dollars to the same city that a cop can pull a man over for unmatched clothing. To put it in simpler terms, I basically had to pay a $97 fine for wearing blue jeans and a black sweater.

Winter Break Descriptive Essay

        My winter break wasn't the most exciting few weeks, but it was still fun nonetheless. My family and I really didn't do anything interesting like traveling or something like that, but I think it was still pretty fun.

        On the first few days of break, all I did was sleep-in and stay home and play games. My friends would call me to hang out, but I was too lazy and I would just play games alone. My second week, however, was a bit more exciting than the first.

        During the second week, I started to go out more often and hang out with some friends. We went out to play pool, drink some boba, eat, and other things. That was pretty much a daily routine during the second week of break. My third week was a little hectic, but I could be considered lucky.

        During my third week of winter break, some of my friends were already back in school so I guess I'm a pretty lucky guy. I spent most of the week finishing up my adult school independent study and some other work in different classes. I also got to see and hang out with some of my old buddies in the Palisades so that was awesome. I think my last week was the most fun.

        This winter break wasn't as exciting as some of my other breaks, probably because it rained like everyday and it was cold. To be honest, most of my friends also stayed home and just played games. Even though it wasn't the most exciting break ever, I still had a great time during those three weeks. 

English 11A Finals : Virtual Selves

        People can get lost in virtual worlds. These days, it is much easier for people to blend their real and virtual lives together. There are thousands of online games where you can make an avatar and just be somebody else instead of yourself. Because of problems with insecurity in our society, the virtual world and characters create an illusion where everyone can be viewed as an equal. For some, it may just be easier to express their emotions and true feelings online rather than in real life. 

        Jason Rowe was born with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, meaning almost to all muscles in his body don't function properly. Jason says that online, he is treated equally among his peers. "'Not disabled,' he says. 'Not in a wheelchair. In virtual worlds, everyone is on common ground.'" (qtd. in "Alter Egos in a Virtual World" 137). In real life, Jason may be a frail guy in a wheelchair but in the online world, he's a fully functioning robot that fights monsters. Living in a virtual world creates a sense of equality and freedom from prejudice and physical limitations. Though the virtual worlds may give you a sense of freedom, there are plenty of things that can go wrong.

        The accessibility of an Internet-created character can actually hurt our real identity. Playing so many hours of the game with the same people that share your interests can make you addicted  to the game to the point where you're playing every single moment you can. This makes it even easier to blend your two lives together. You should always prioritize real life friends and family over your fantasy life. I know from my own personal experiences and what I've seen. I've seen so many of my friends whose lives revolve around video games. For many of them, their virtual lives are so important that they forgot how to socialize in the real world. There are people all over the world who get on Facebook and just loves to chat 24/7 but once you see them in person, it's like they're a totally different person and they can't even talk to you face-to-face without being awkward or shy. 

        Online media and social networks can be just as bad as creating avatars in a virtual world. Social networking sites like Facebook have millions and millions of people online everyday, with 70% probably being underage teenagers. They post pictures of drugs, alcohol, and themselves with little to no clothing at all. To them, it's just a private network where they can interact with friends, but they don't realize that they're risking their reputation and possibly their safety. Teens don't realize that there are so many other users who can obtain your pictures and personal information. The online world is truly a dangerous place to get into.