First Semester Portfolio

I think that over all the things I accomplished this semester, the one that I'm most proud of is the fact that I actually completed most of my work. I usually do poorly in writing, but this semester turned out some what different. Although I didn't get the exact grades I wanted, the perfect grades, I did get pretty good grades. I'm proud of the fact that I improved on my writing skills. I'm not capable of writing almost any five paragraph essay, using all the four traits above.
I think that the most challenging thing this semester was managing my time. I always had other stuff to do and the due dates for a lot of assignments were always so close. I don't think I actually accomplished this. I'm still having to deal with this situation. My goals for next semester is to turn in my work on time and to put more effort into my work.

Wix: http://cadizchristine.wix.com/cadizchristine#

Hawaii's Natural Resources: Tourism Final

Whether it's the nice beaches, the nice people, or simply just the Aloha Spirit, Oahu itself gets a lot of visitors per year. In fact, tourism affects many different aspects on Oahu. Tourist come from all over the place, mostly Japan and China. Tourism is the number one leading resource here on Oahu. Without it, our economy would probably crash.             

There are many ways to get to Oahu, whether it's on a plane or a ship. However, the most common way tourist arrive here is on a plane. In 2011, we had 7,284,067 visitor arrivals through airfare. As said in the first paragraph, a lot of the visitors come from places like Japan, China, or the mainland in general. Most of them come in the summer, for Oahu has a great temperature and nice beaches. Through airfare, they spent about $12,581. This money was spent was for food and drinks. They also needed to spend money for the plane ticket (which hasn't been added to the $12,581) and that's a lot of money. When tourist finally arrive on Oahu, one of the top places they usually go to is Waikiki.

Waikiki is one of the top tourist attractions because of their excellent beach and hotels. Through tourism activity, Waikiki made up an estimated 8% of Hawaii's Gross State Product in 2002. In 2002, Waikiki had 72,000 visitors per day. With all the stores there, Oahu must have made a lot of money. The money that went to the state is the same money that has been keeping our economy together. Waikiki also has made $3.6 billion in 2002. The reason for this is because of all the stores, resturaunts and hotels. Tourist need souvenirs, so they go shopping. They need food, so they go to returaunts. And they need a place to stay, so they rent hotel rooms.

In conclusion, tourism affects many different aspects here on Oahu. It's one of the only things that seems to be keeping our economy together. Without the amount of visitors and visitor expenditures, our economy would probably crash. 

Hawaii's Natural Resources: Tourism Draft

                Tourism is the number one leading resource in Hawaii. This is because tourism affects many different aspects. Tourists come from all over the place, mostly Japan and china. Without tourism, the amount of jobs would decrease, along with the population, and our economy would crash.

               

  A lot of people come to Hawaii for vacation. In 2010, there were a total of 1,363 visitor arrivals here on Hawaii. In 2011, there were 1, 375. There’s an expected amount of 1,389 visitor arrivals for this year. With these numbers adding onto Hawaii’s population, it creates a lot of traffic. Our main tourist attractions such as Waikiki and Ala Moana, are usually packed, especially during the summer and some holidays. All the traffic on the streets, beaches, and sidewalks can create a lot of upset people. If the amount of visitor arrivals increase and the number of people on the streets increase, Hawaii’s population may decrease.

               

  However, the more tourist expenditures there are, the better our economy. In 2010, the total amount of visitor expenditures was $11,066 billion. In 2011 it was $12,255 billion. $14,123 billion is the predicted amount of visitor expenditures this year. With all this money going to our state, we could pay for a lot of things. Most of the tourist money was spent at hotels, restaurants, popular stores, and other popular locations. This money helps keep all these businesses up and running. Tourism is the number one leading resource in Hawaii because it stimulates the economy.

               

  As said in the previous paragraph, tourist spends most of their money at hotels, restaurants, and popular stores. This helps to keep businesses alive. In 2010, Hawaii’s visitor industry provided 152,864 jobs. In 2011, it provided 6,678 jobs. Without tourist, a lot of businesses/places would probably shut down, such as Hawaii Airlines, Sheraton Hotel, International Market Place, Bishop Museum, Water Park, etc.

               

  In conclusion, tourism is the number one leading resource here on Hawaii. It affects many different aspects and stimulates our economy. Without the amount of tourist expenditures and visitations, people would probably lose their jobs and our economy would crash.

Quarencia - Final

As I lay on my bed, eyes watery and heart throbbing, I stare at my ceiling fan- its blades simultaneously rotating clockwise in a fast motion. The blades seem to fit exactly in its spot. They seem to know exactly where they’re headed to next and when to move. How can these man-made objects know so much when I, a human being, can’t even figure out where I belong and where I’m headed? Negative thoughts continue to fill up my mind, forcing me even deeper and deeper into the Earth. The slight pain that I had earlier begins to build even stronger, spreading throughout my body. I can feel it stabbing me from my chest all the way down to my feet. Why am I even here? It feels as if my body is ready to give up. “Think positive thoughts, Christine,” I tell myself.  I let out a deep sigh and push my hands onto the bed, trying to sit up. It feels as if I’m fighting gravity.

             

When I finally get myself to sit up, I peer out my window and lean my forehead on the cold glass. It’s late at night and dark outside so there are no cars passing up and down the street. I look out farther into the distance. Colorful, blurry circles float amongst the sky along with shining stars. As if on cue, my negative thoughts slowly begin to fade away. My body feels different, somewhat lighter. My body lifts up, along with my mood. I wipe away the pools in my eyes and suddenly everything becomes so clear.  I’m looking at the city side of Hawaii. My mind wanders off in the distance and into the city. I feel happy- relaxed, almost. As my eyes continue to get lost in the gleaming city lights, positive thoughts enter my body, cancelling out on all my negativity. The scenery is just so beautiful. After an hour of deep thinking and getting my thoughts lost in the city, I lay back down. With a clear mind set, my body sinks back into my cold, purple bed sheets.

                

Thinking back at the many sleepless nights this situation has occurred, I realize that my bedroom window has always been my "special place”. It was my own little escape away from reality. My bedroom window was more to me than a place to show me beautiful scenery. It was something I can rely on to make me feel good again. It’s something I know I don’t need to dress up or act a certain way for, being as it’s not human. I don't need to be afraid of being judged or looked down upon. Looking amongst the view, I can re-collect my inner thoughts and easily go to sleep. I didn’t need anyone to rely on to make me feel happy because I know that at night there will always be the city that I can look and depend on. The night sky always inspires me to have a good perspective on things, including myself.

                 

Quarencia - Paragraph

The place that I go to when I'm stressed out would have to be my be my bedroom window at night, where I'm able to let my negative emotions be set free. Whenever I stare outside of my bedroom window at night, my eyes always seem to wander off into the distance. I stare at the city lights and all my emotions just come out. My bedroom window is where I can go to whenever I'm depressed, mad, or when I feel like giving up. It gives me motivation to keep going. It makes me feel like, for once, I finally belong somewhere. When I stare out my bedroom window, into the night sky, I feel as if I'm myself. I don't need to impress anyone, act a certain way, or be someone who I'm not. My bedroom window has always been there for me. From my most depressing nights, to my most happiest, it has always been there. 

Querencia First Draft

                As I lay on my bed, eyes watery and heart throbbing, I stare at my ceiling fan- its blades simultaneously rotating clockwise in a fast motion. The blades seem to fit exactly in its spot. They seem to know exactly where they’re headed to next and when to move. How can these man-made objects know so much when I, a human being, can’t even figure out where I belong and where I’m headed? Negative thoughts continue to fill up my mind, forcing me even deeper and deeper into the Earth. The slight pain that I had on earlier begins to build even stronger, spreading throughout my body. I can feel it stabbing me from my chest all the way down to my feet. Why am I even here? It feels as if my body is ready to give up. “Think positive thoughts, Christine,” I tell myself.  I let out a deep sigh and push my hands onto the bed, trying to sit up. It feels as if I’m fighting gravity.

            
When I finally get myself to sit up, I peer out my window and lean my forehead on the cold glass. It’s late at night and dark outside so there are no cars passing up and down the street. I look out farther into the distance. Colorful, blurry circles float amongst the sky along with shining stars. As if on cue, my negative thoughts slowly begin to fade away. My body feels different, somewhat lighter. My body lifts up, along with my mood. I wipe away the pools in my eyes and suddenly everything becomes so clear.  I’m looking at the city side of Hawaii. My mind wanders off in the distance and into the city. I feel happy- relaxed, almost. As my eyes continue to get lost in the beautiful city lights, positive thoughts enter my body, cancelling out on all my negativity. The scenery is just so beautiful. After an hour of deep thinking and getting my thoughts lost in the city, I lay back down. With a clear mind set, my body sinks back into my cold, purple bed sheets.

                

Thinking back at the many sleepless nights this situation has occurred, I realize that my bedroom window has always been my "special place”. It was like my home away from home. My bedroom window was more to me than a place to show me beautiful scenery. It was something I can rely on to make me feel good again. It’s something I know I don’t need to dress up or act a certain way for, being as it’s not a human being. Looking amongst the view, I can re-collect my thoughts and easily go to sleep. I didn’t need anyone to rely on to make me feel happy because I know that at night there will always be the city that I can look and depend on. The night sky always inspires me to have a good perspective on things, including myself.

                 

Roots and Recipe's First Draft

                As I woke up to a knife continuously hitting something, a scared feeling came across me. Questions were being thrown in my mind like darts. Who's in my house? Am I going to die today? Am I reaming or is this real life? What is this noise that I am hearing? Hiding behind every corner I came across, I tip toed to the kitchen. A slight feeling of relief covered my body like a blanket as I saw my young mother cutting and gathering all the meat and vegetables. My mother was making her delicious pancit. A small smile grin stretched across my face, knowing that there was some sort of special occasion being held today.

                Ever since I was a little girl, pancit has always been my favorite Fililpino food. My mom would always make it for birthday celebrations, special occasions, or just for fun. The smell of the friend noodles being made made my mouth water and my mind wonder off elsewhere. I quickly remember of every special occasion that I've ever had since I was little. My mom has been cooking it way before I was born, for she learned it from her mom who learned it from her mom, and so on. It's been a family tradition for a long time.

                When I came to the kitchen, my mom already had cut the vegetables and gathered them onto plates. I watched as she carefully placed the thick and thin noodles, mean, thin cut carrots, and other colorful vegetables into the big medal wok. She turned on the stove and I saw the red hot circle slowly being lit. In a few minutes the aroma of all the ingredients started kicking in. It filled my nose and the whole house itself, and the memories had rushed back once again. "Why are you always cooking this?" I asked my mom. "It is believed that the pancit's long brown noodles are meant to symbolize a long and healthy life. That is why my grandpa died at the age of 104. He kept eating the pancit that his mother made for him on his birthday's," she responded. She concentrated on the pancit as she spoke. "Wow," I thought to myself. Not only does it taste delicious but it helps you live a long and healthy, too. Still managing to apply her focus on the special dish that was being made, she continued to speak some more. She told me that she learned how to make it when she was a little girl from her mom and that her way of making of pancit was different for she used both thick and thin noodles.

                I helped her stir the noodles, twisting and turning it in differed directions in the work, as she slowly poured in the sauce. Towards the end she added a little pepper and salt, which had satisfied my taste buds. It dripped down the bottle and created squiggly lines all across the noodles. When the pancit was done my mom set it on the table and began placing in into each of our paper plates. The long noodles hung from the tongs, glistening with oil, while a few vegetables slipped out. I was so excited to eat the pancit.

                I never thought the pancit would have any special meaning behind it until now. In minutes, my mom had already begun to make me feel thankful that she always cooked the dish. I stood for awhile, still watching her prepare the dish, and tried to soak in all this information. My head felt like a sponge; filled with a bunch of liquid. Pancit suddenly became really important to me. It seemed like one of the only things from my childhood that I could pass on, knowing that it'd last forever. The grin that I had on earlier stretched even more farther across my face into a smile. I was thankful that my mom had learned how to create pancit. I know that this is a recipe that will always be passed down from generation to generation.

Roots and Recipe's Brainstorm

The food that that I will be describing is a Filipino food called "pancit." My family always makes it everytime it's a special occasion or just for fun. Basically, it's noodles with a bunch of vegetables and meat in it. I will be interviewing my mom for this.