The Millennium: Ukrainian Revolution

Pride
is shown in the flags that wave high for every Ukrainian citizen to see, and heard in their voices as they sing their national anthem.
Unity
is shown is the sheer size of the crowd; thousands of normal, non-political people gathering together for support of an important cause.
Change
is the reason that these protesters come flocking to Maidan for their voices to be heard.
Hope
is the feeling that they all radiate to each other as they stand side by side.



Respect
is shown when the citizens tried to protest peacefully, but in return the people were beaten brutally by the police.
Confusion
is heard in the voice of a man asking the police why they are betraying their people to follow the orders of Viktor Yanukovych, and seen by the shock on peoples' faces as they run from merciless police batons.



Courage
is felt when each citizen stands together to fight for their freedom no matter what;
it's seen in the people running toward the wall of police, unconcerned that they are out-numbered and barely armed;
and it's heard in the strength that it takes to say "I came here to die."

This is...

This is a new born me;
the very first piece of proof.
Who knew in my future ahead
I'd be living my life for you.

This is my father's excitement
captured by the action of a photo.
Who knew how much he'd teach me
and how close to you I'd grow.

This is a sweet, small child;
a child of God, you could say.
Who knew I could live in heaven
as long as I trust and obey.

Antique Photos

These are the Williams sisters. They are not related by blood. Annabel's father married Charlotte's mother when they met in 1930 in Chicago. These girls couldn't be more polar opposite.
On the left you Annabel. She is the independent and adventurous one. Despite being a female during this time in history, Annabel will grow up to become a well-known author and journalist. She will spend a huge portion of her life exploring interesting and dangerous territory all around the world. All she wants from life is success and respect. She wants her legacy to live on and be remembered. Her only fears are being tied down or bored.
Charlotte, on the other had, will grow up to become the housewife of a hard working a middle-class man. Charlotte enjoy sewing, playing piano, and hosting family reunions and get-togethers with her neighbors. Her aspirations are to be appreciated by her children and husband and admired by her community. She is afraid of instability, constantly worrying about finances.

MSU Chinese Exchange Students

I met a girl named Venus and a guy named Coco. I learned that they are both Pisces and they love to travel. Venus likes to read books and Coco likes to watch cartoons. I told them that I am Virgo and explained what our zodiac signs meant. I also told them about my family and about my favorite movie, Clueless.

Sophia and I showed them all around the school. They didn't have electives at their high school so they thought the art, band, theater, and P.E. rooms were interesting. also, they don't have a library in their high schools and they didn't have journalism to make school magazines and yearbooks. At one point during the tour Venus said that she wished she had gone to a school like this one.

I think it's interesting how different cultures are. I wish I could have learned more about how different the lifestyle in China is compared to here, not just how the schools are different.

"Reel" Life

I love so many movies it's hard to pick a favorite! I guess if I had to pick one that's important to me it would be O Brother Where Art Thou. It has several references to The Odyssey. It is one of those movies that you can watch over and over again and still find things you didn't notice before. I also love the music and the kind of language they use because it's different and often funny.
I hate scary movies! You will never catch me watching a horror film. Even those spooky kids movies like The Nightmare Before Christmas still creep me out.
I watch movies pretty often. It's my way of relaxing at the end of the day. Even if I'm not really paying much attention to it, I'll put on a movie during dinner and just chill out. I don't go to the theater very often but I really enjoy doing that.
When I'm getting ready to watch a movie I usually recline out on my couch under a blanket with a full glass of water and some food. I need to be as comfortable as possible.

THE SURVEY

These are the results for my personality based on my movie preference survey:
25% extroverted
42% agreeable
83% conscientious
25% emotionally stable
67% open to new experiences

This is why the survey says I watch movies:
75% pleasure seeking
75% nostalgia
35% catharsis
75% aggression
80% escapism
65% artistic
65% information seeking

Dan In Real Life

Can you know in three days that you love someone?
This is a tough question because you'd have to know what exactly is considered love and that can vary between people. I believe that strong feelings of love and care can be felt for anyone, even strangers. But there's a different kind of love that I believe is more intimate and only meant for people that you've taken a long time to truly understand and respect and care for on a deep level.

How involved should family be in your relationships?
It's totally fair for family/friends to take interest in your relationships with other people, but for the most part, and as long as it isn't destructive, a relationship should really only involve the two people. This is because those two people will have the best understanding of what is said and felt between them. Outsiders can negatively disrupt the flow of a relationship if they interfere too much or without consent by both people.

Is illicit love more appealing to us?
There are many movies and books and plays based off of illicit love; Romeo and Juliet, for example. Society conforms, but I think that all individuals have some desire to rebel. The thought of having something that you're not supposed to/allowed to have is exciting and interesting. Personally, I've always been into older guys, which is more acceptable now that I'm 18, but a couple years ago it really sucked when a 20-something-year-old and I would flirt a little but have to hold back because of the age difference.

Do you think there is only one true soul mate for each person or lots of options?
I don't believe in the idea of having a soul mate. Actually, I believe that you can fall in love with love many people but you chose one to commit to and stay with forever. Maybe this person is the most compatible with you compared to the rest but that doesn't mean that you can love others the same way.

"Love isn't a feeling, it's an ability" Is this true?
Yes, I agree with this. There will be rough times in any relationship. It could even be so bad that you are really only thinking negative thoughts and feeling negative emotions towards that person, but if both people work together and communicate to try to resolve things, they can manage to bring love into what seems like a hopeless situation.

Letter From Lillian

Dear Piper,

       Hi,my name is Lillian,and Chinese name is Zhang Xuehan.I am your parter for the exchange project.I am an eighteen-year-old girl from Zibo,Shandong Province.But now i live in Qingdao,another city of Shandong.I am a freshman of Qingdao Univercity.I major in English.I want to be a translator in the future,particularly a simultaneous interpreter.But i find it so difficult because my listening is not very good.I must practice more to improve my listening.

       There are five people in my family,my parents,my grandma and my brother.My parents are workers.I have a twelve-year-old brother,which is not common in my generation in China.In 1980s,family planning policy was carried out in city.Family planning policy is that one family is permitted to have one child.Although i often quarrel with him,we have a good feeling.More importantly,i don't feel lonely because of him.

      I really like Qingdao.There are many places of interest .I usually go to enjoy the scenery at weekends with friends.Qingdao is located in the eastern coastal areas of China.I like the sea,which is one of the reasons why i chose Qingdao University.When i face the sea,with seawind blowing,i feel that all troubles seem to disappear.The weather is mild except that it often windy.I'd love to settle down here after i graduate.

     In my spare time,i often go to the school library.Before going to univercity,i must prepare for the National College Entrance Examination,so that i read few books.Now ,i'm developing a habit of reading.Besides,i often go to the playground to run,although i am not good at running.On the one hand,i want to keep healthy.On the other hand,i want to lose weight.Recently,i have done a part-time job in KFC.It is so tiring that i sleep eary at night.

      I have read your essay carefully.It is scary and i am attracted by it.Is it a story that you made up?I think it will be popular if made into a film.I want to know whether the three kids are killed by the man in the end.The last paragraph makes people imagine.

       I have some questions about your letter.What is the community college?Is it a college that your community set up?Is it small?Why do you have internship experience?In China ,usually,senior students of college will have internship in a company.

       I hope you can enjoy my letter.I am looking forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Lillian

MY REPLY

Dear Lillian,

I really enjoyed reading about you. I'd like to learn more about your family, too. You said that your parents are workers and I'm curious as to what they do for a living? I was also wondering why there are restrictions on having children and why your brother is allowed to stay in the family.

Qingdao sounds like a beautiful place to live. Someday I want to live by an ocean as well because it is so relaxing like you said. Is the water there warm enough to swim in? The university seems like a nice place, too. What do you like most about your school? You mentioned that you've started reading more... What kind of books interest you the most? I love to read fiction books that are suspenseful and action-packed.

I think it's great that you run to stay healthy. I don't like running, so to stay healthy I do yoga.

I understand being really tired after work. I work as a hostess and waitress at a restaurant. If this is a job that you just started working at recently, don't worry about it being too hard or exhausting because, in my experience, that happens any time I start something new. Soon you'll be really good at your job and you won't find yourself being so tired after work.

I'm very glad that you liked my story; I didn't think that I did very good on it. I did make it up, which is odd because I don't normally read scary books so it's surprising that I would decide to write something like that. I tried to make it seem like the kids did die in the end but I also left it open for interpretation in case you wanted to give it a different ending.
I enjoyed reading the story about your pottery bear. I was surprised that you used the term "thick as thieves" because I thought that was only something Americans said. I'm glad that you still get to see your friend.
To answer your questions, community college is an inexpensive way of getting college credit. It is a smaller school than an actual university and I think it usually only offers associate degrees. My internship was offered to me through a program I had the opportunity of joining at the community college. I was just lucky to be picked for the program because I have good grades and good attendance.
Thank you for your interesting letter, I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Piper