Labelled by music
Emos, punk rockers, metalheads, the list goes on and on. People think they can judge people by their musical taste. If I described a person by his or her appearance, you could guess what kind of music that person listens to. I dare you.
Let's see, there's a girl walking your way in the street. She has shaved her head almost entirely, leaving just enough hair to make it to a spike onto her head. The "spike", or mohawk as most people would call it, is dyed bright pink. Her clothes are partly ripped and there are lots and lots of chains and jewellery hanging from her. Her ears, her nose, her clothes are all covered with metal.
See? I knew you'd figure this game out. As you might have guessed, I described a stereotypical punk chick.
Stereotypias towards people and their music style aren't a new phenomenon. It don't even limit to identifying your music taste by your looks. It affects how people treat you. You don't believe me? Let's take another test.
You're in a grocery store somewhere in the United States. You're picking up things into your basket and then you see him. He's sauntering down the aisle. He has oversized clothes and a cap backwards. He's covered with black-and-white tattoos. He has headphones around his neck playing rap loudly and - oh no - black skin.
What does your instinct tell you to do? Grab your bag harder so he won't be able to take it. I'm not a racist. That's just a fact. I'm not saying that every black hip hopper is a thief, I'm just saying that they get labelled by music - and clothes.
maanantai 2. huhtikuuta 2012
torstai 15. maaliskuuta 2012
Theme 3 - sports
The five senses
I'm chilly, even though I'm inside. I guess it's normal, after all, I'm in the ice hall. I've come to see an ice hockey match.
The air is moist because of the ice. I should've put on more clothes, I thought. I had goose bumps.
Suddenly I felt a sturdy push. A drunken man had decided to walk over me. I almost fell over, and I managed to grab to a railing. Unfortunately the railing was sticky and I happened to put my hand in a used chewing gum.
The smell in the hall was a mixture of hot dogs, beer, and pizza. I started to feel hungry, but then a guy who smelled like old booze and sweat came next to me. Thanks for ruining my appetite.
I saw an empty spot on the other side of the rink. I was willing to take any opportunity to get away from the sweaty man. When I walked through the crown, I saw black and yellow everywhere. Flags, scarves, t-shirts - anything you could imagine, really.
Soon I heard a loud beep which announced that the game had started. The crowd went wild when the players skated into the rink. There was shouting, whistling and booing. Every time something went well, the crowd went wild and shouted as loud as they could. Every time things didn't go like they wanted, all I heard was swearing. It was like they'd forgotten all of their manners.
I quickly got bored to this immature behavior and I headed for the hot dog stand. The sausage was greasy and tasteless and the bun was dry. I threw the hot dog into a trash bin. Dissapointed at the game, the people and the food, I decided to leave - and I'd possibly never come back.
I'm chilly, even though I'm inside. I guess it's normal, after all, I'm in the ice hall. I've come to see an ice hockey match.
The air is moist because of the ice. I should've put on more clothes, I thought. I had goose bumps.
Suddenly I felt a sturdy push. A drunken man had decided to walk over me. I almost fell over, and I managed to grab to a railing. Unfortunately the railing was sticky and I happened to put my hand in a used chewing gum.
The smell in the hall was a mixture of hot dogs, beer, and pizza. I started to feel hungry, but then a guy who smelled like old booze and sweat came next to me. Thanks for ruining my appetite.
I saw an empty spot on the other side of the rink. I was willing to take any opportunity to get away from the sweaty man. When I walked through the crown, I saw black and yellow everywhere. Flags, scarves, t-shirts - anything you could imagine, really.
Soon I heard a loud beep which announced that the game had started. The crowd went wild when the players skated into the rink. There was shouting, whistling and booing. Every time something went well, the crowd went wild and shouted as loud as they could. Every time things didn't go like they wanted, all I heard was swearing. It was like they'd forgotten all of their manners.
I quickly got bored to this immature behavior and I headed for the hot dog stand. The sausage was greasy and tasteless and the bun was dry. I threw the hot dog into a trash bin. Dissapointed at the game, the people and the food, I decided to leave - and I'd possibly never come back.
tiistai 6. maaliskuuta 2012
Theme 7 - Pets
A letter to my ex
Dear Patterson family,
I don't know if you remember me anymore, but I used to be your loved pet, Molly. It's been a long time but in my memories it seems like yesterday. Oh, the days when I used to play with the kids! But as you well know, things aren't the same anymore. Everything changed the one summer at the summer cottage.
I was lying on the grass watching you swim and play. Suddenly, I saw a huge butterfly! I had to go after it, even though I knew I shouldn't have left the yard. I just couldn't resist the urge to follow it, I was almost enchanted by its bizarre beauty.
After a while I found myself lost in the middle of the forest. I didn't know which way to go, every way looked exactly alike. I ran in the forest desperate to find you. Since I didn't hear you looking for me, it took me days to get back to the cottage.
When I got back, I was hungry and desperate to come back home. I was even willing to stay in that horrible moving, metallic thing you all liked so much. But soon I found out that you and that metallic thing were gone!
I thought to myself that it was surely just temporary and you'd come back for me. After all, the summer wasn't over and you never left the cottage before fall.
But you didn't come back. I couldn't believe you left me! Did you even try to look for me? I was alone and I had to learn how to hunt.
Next year when you got back to the cottage, I ran to you. You didn't recognize me! I admit I didn't look exactly the same anymore, but I am still the same cat I was a year ago.
Maybe it's better this way. If you forget me after a few days, I deserve something better than you. And what's more, I've grown to love my new life in the wilderness!
Not yours anymore,
Molly
Dear Patterson family,
I don't know if you remember me anymore, but I used to be your loved pet, Molly. It's been a long time but in my memories it seems like yesterday. Oh, the days when I used to play with the kids! But as you well know, things aren't the same anymore. Everything changed the one summer at the summer cottage.
I was lying on the grass watching you swim and play. Suddenly, I saw a huge butterfly! I had to go after it, even though I knew I shouldn't have left the yard. I just couldn't resist the urge to follow it, I was almost enchanted by its bizarre beauty.
After a while I found myself lost in the middle of the forest. I didn't know which way to go, every way looked exactly alike. I ran in the forest desperate to find you. Since I didn't hear you looking for me, it took me days to get back to the cottage.
When I got back, I was hungry and desperate to come back home. I was even willing to stay in that horrible moving, metallic thing you all liked so much. But soon I found out that you and that metallic thing were gone!
I thought to myself that it was surely just temporary and you'd come back for me. After all, the summer wasn't over and you never left the cottage before fall.
But you didn't come back. I couldn't believe you left me! Did you even try to look for me? I was alone and I had to learn how to hunt.
Next year when you got back to the cottage, I ran to you. You didn't recognize me! I admit I didn't look exactly the same anymore, but I am still the same cat I was a year ago.
Maybe it's better this way. If you forget me after a few days, I deserve something better than you. And what's more, I've grown to love my new life in the wilderness!
Not yours anymore,
Molly
keskiviikko 22. helmikuuta 2012
Theme 1 The Life of a Teenager - Me now (and in the future)
So, I don't think I have anything special to say about this text. Just enjoy! :)
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Me now (and in the future)
I was lately just thinking about the pros and cons of being a teenager. Especially when you're my age, which is 16, you're old enough to have liberties you weren't allowed to have when you were younger. You're old enough to have a freedom to come and go however you like, and your parents trust you to do things by yourself, but you're still living with them. The pros with living with your parents are that you just don't have to do all the things by yourself. With that I mean, you don't yet have all the responsibilities you'd have if you lived alone. For example, you don't have to pay the bills or do the laundry, et cetera.
But sadly, life as a teenager isn't always a bed of roses. For example, me and my friend were waiting for the bus to come in a shopping centre. We were behaving properly and we definitely weren't disturbing anyone - I was even holding a shopping bag. We - paying customers - still got kicked out of the shopping centre by the security guard, only because we happened to be teenagers. And that isn't the first time something like that has happened to me.
You don't always get the appropriate treatment when you're a teenager. People may not take your opinions seriously or listen to you, because you're not legally an adult. The worst thing is that sometimes people assume you're up to something bad or you're assimilated with a hooligan only because you happen to be the same age as them. That kind of treatment isn't fair and it's insulting.
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Me now (and in the future)
I was lately just thinking about the pros and cons of being a teenager. Especially when you're my age, which is 16, you're old enough to have liberties you weren't allowed to have when you were younger. You're old enough to have a freedom to come and go however you like, and your parents trust you to do things by yourself, but you're still living with them. The pros with living with your parents are that you just don't have to do all the things by yourself. With that I mean, you don't yet have all the responsibilities you'd have if you lived alone. For example, you don't have to pay the bills or do the laundry, et cetera.
But sadly, life as a teenager isn't always a bed of roses. For example, me and my friend were waiting for the bus to come in a shopping centre. We were behaving properly and we definitely weren't disturbing anyone - I was even holding a shopping bag. We - paying customers - still got kicked out of the shopping centre by the security guard, only because we happened to be teenagers. And that isn't the first time something like that has happened to me.
You don't always get the appropriate treatment when you're a teenager. People may not take your opinions seriously or listen to you, because you're not legally an adult. The worst thing is that sometimes people assume you're up to something bad or you're assimilated with a hooligan only because you happen to be the same age as them. That kind of treatment isn't fair and it's insulting.
keskiviikko 15. helmikuuta 2012
Formal letter
Ok first of all, I have to make sure no one thinks I'm as diva in real life as I sound like in this letter. That's just for fun, that's all. Second of all, I don't think I'm gonna be a publicist or a bestselling author. I just wanted a job there that sounded majestic! Sooo here it goes...
---------------------------
Here's My Name
Streetname 123
Zipcode City
Suomi, Finland
Email@email.com
February 12th, 2012
The Hotel Manager
Hotel Taj Mahal
Apollo Bunder
Mumbai 400 001, India
Dear Sir or Madam,
My letter considers my stay in your hotel. I have a reservation in a luxury suite for two weeks between June 25th and July 9th. My stay is during the monsoon season, which according to my knowledge, makes the weather really humid. Therefore I think it's reasonable to ask if my room has decent air conditioning. Since you can't change the weather, I think decent air conditioning is the least you can do for me. After all, I'm the one spending my money on your hotel.
I've also heard good things about your restaurant. All the same, I think it's necessary to inquire the source of the ingredients in your food. After all, it would be a shame to get a stomach flu on my lovely holiday.
I expect a quick answer. If I don't get a pleasing answer quickly enough, I can equally well cancel my reservation and transfer my Louis Vuitton bags into Hotel Oberoi.
Sincerely,
(allekirjoitus, jota en pystynyt padilla liittämään)
Leeni Varis
International publicist and bestselling author
---------------------------
Here's My Name
Streetname 123
Zipcode City
Suomi, Finland
Email@email.com
February 12th, 2012
The Hotel Manager
Hotel Taj Mahal
Apollo Bunder
Mumbai 400 001, India
Dear Sir or Madam,
My letter considers my stay in your hotel. I have a reservation in a luxury suite for two weeks between June 25th and July 9th. My stay is during the monsoon season, which according to my knowledge, makes the weather really humid. Therefore I think it's reasonable to ask if my room has decent air conditioning. Since you can't change the weather, I think decent air conditioning is the least you can do for me. After all, I'm the one spending my money on your hotel.
I've also heard good things about your restaurant. All the same, I think it's necessary to inquire the source of the ingredients in your food. After all, it would be a shame to get a stomach flu on my lovely holiday.
I expect a quick answer. If I don't get a pleasing answer quickly enough, I can equally well cancel my reservation and transfer my Louis Vuitton bags into Hotel Oberoi.
Sincerely,
(allekirjoitus, jota en pystynyt padilla liittämään)
Leeni Varis
International publicist and bestselling author
Informal letter
Yeah.. The letter says it all!
Streetname 123
Zipcode City
Finland
February 12th, 2012
Dear Johnson family,
How are you? Everything's great here, I hope the same for you, too. I'm writing to you just to say thank you. I loved every minute of my time there in Brighton and that's mostly because of your hospitality towards me. You were so warm and loving and I felt like a true member of your family. I can't thank all of you enough for letting me - a foreign stranger - stay with you for those wonderful three weeks! Without you my language course could have been a living nightmare!
I miss you really much and I feel like you are my second family! You are always welcome to Lappeenranta and to stay with my family for a change! Especially Sarah, if you ever fulfill your dream to travel alone, I'll be waiting for you at the airport. Besides, there's always room for one roommate!
Love,
your host sister and daughter Leeni
----------------
Ps. Asettelussa jotain ongelmaa, en oikeen saanut korjattua :D
Streetname 123
Zipcode City
Finland
February 12th, 2012
Dear Johnson family,
How are you? Everything's great here, I hope the same for you, too. I'm writing to you just to say thank you. I loved every minute of my time there in Brighton and that's mostly because of your hospitality towards me. You were so warm and loving and I felt like a true member of your family. I can't thank all of you enough for letting me - a foreign stranger - stay with you for those wonderful three weeks! Without you my language course could have been a living nightmare!
I miss you really much and I feel like you are my second family! You are always welcome to Lappeenranta and to stay with my family for a change! Especially Sarah, if you ever fulfill your dream to travel alone, I'll be waiting for you at the airport. Besides, there's always room for one roommate!
Love,
your host sister and daughter Leeni
----------------
Ps. Asettelussa jotain ongelmaa, en oikeen saanut korjattua :D
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