Tuesday, December 21, 2010

letter to potential host family!

letter to potential host family!?
Guten Tag Gastfamilie! My name is XX from New Zealand. My greatest wish is to spend time in Germany. I’m looking forward to try new things and immerse myself in a family, community and culture. As we don’t even know each other yet, I’ll try to describe myself, my life in New Zealand and what I want to get out of my time in Germany. I live in a city called Lower Hutt. Lower Hutt is very multi-cultural, especially the suburb where my school is. As a matter of fact, if you walk around my school you could hear up to five languages. Unfortunately the only language I speak fluently is English. Lower Hutt is a 25-minute drive form New Zealand’s capital- Wellington. Wellington is a small but very cultivated city, which suits me perfectly. I live with my mother, X. She is most likely the kindest, most loving person I know. I tell her everything that’s going on in my life, so she trusts me because we have no secrets and she knows I am a good. However my mother and I are like fire and ice so of course we don’t always see eye-to-eye. Also I have a Brother, I get along with him very well even though he is 12 years older then me. He has lived with us off and on for the past five years after leaving the army and has been my best friend since I was 12. We have quite similar personalities. He would always take me out and I would hang out with him and his friends but now his girlfriend and him had a baby and he lives with her. My mother and I don’t really like his girlfriend and we don’t think she likes us as they don’t come over very often. I go to a small school of 700 students, which I really love. I take Maths, English, German, History and Science. Alas I can’t stand Science so I am dropping it for economics in 2011. English and German are my favourite subjects. I do quite well at school. After I finish school I want to go to university and study German, and perhaps some sort of business subject. I think that when I grow up I want to work in fashion (marketing, writing, or directing) and be a entrepreneur. I can’t wait to see what it’s like at a different school! In the winter I play hockey and netball for school and in the summer I go to the gym. I also have a job at a fish and chip store, which I work three nights a week at. It’s difficult for me to summarise what I do in my spare time because I don’t do the same thing all the time. Sometimes I go to gigs, or parties, or to the library, or to the mall. But mostly in my spare time I like to go window-shopping, go to the beach, watch movies with friends or just try anything new. But I don’t have that much spare time in between school, sport, work and eating (I kid) Oh! And I enjoy cooking, maybe I could cook you some NZ food sometime. I associate with the Baptist church. I know most Europeans aren’t at all religious, which is fine with me- I don’t come from a Christian family- it’s something I do independently. My favourite things include foreign cinema, indie music and fashion. I’m crazy about fashion. I enjoy ready and I don’t mind animals, so if you have animals that’s fine. I don’t like mushrooms. When all else fails, will always enjoy observing new places and environments. And I don’t smoke. Oh and I’m not allergic to anything. Like me, my friends are quite intellectual, fun, honest and happy people. We are not as up and down as normal teenagers even though we are all completely into different things. In contrast to my friends, I am the more Free-spirited one who’ll try, do and say what I please, even things others may consider challenging. I also have a stronger sense of identity. I know who I am and I know what I want. However at times I can be a bit presumptuous but I’m working on it. I’m talkative, open-minded and have an opinion on most things, which I GENEROUSLY volunteer to conversation quite regularly ;) I want to go to Germany to experience a new kind of living. To lots try new things, take opportunities and go outside my comfort zone. I’m not frightened about getting home sick, or missing my friends and family as I know I am not shy and will be able to make friends and bond with others easily and have the time of my life. Besides, I am not afraid of things like that, I am not afraid of new things. My biggest fear about coming to Germany is that I wont be able to communicate properly and people will think I’m stupid. I know it’s silly. I do have realistic expectations though, I know that it will be hard at first and I may get sick of saying ‘langsamer bitte’ but with your help and patience my vocab and ability will grow. I just will need to get out there and speak speak speak! I hope I have conveyed who I am well in this letter. I can’t believe I’m going to Germany, I am so lucky to be coming over, let alone live with a family for six months. It’s such a huge opportunity and I live in NZ and am going to Germany for six months next year. I got a scholarship so I'm super happy but I am having trouble sounding grateful and making my letter flow. Can anyone help please. It conveys WHO I AM perfectly it just doesn't flow right. Any suggestions would be lovely.
Etiquette - 2 Answers
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1 :
Sounds great to me.
2 :
The letter is good except in all honesty I think you are putting in some personal things that are just too "personal" for a first letter. I have copied and pasted the points I think you should save for later. Sometimes "too much" personal information at first can be "overload". Leave out the portions I copies and pasted and it will be plenty of information about yourself and then they can get to know the real you when you stay with them. I know you will enjoy your visit. Good luck. live with my mother, X. She is most likely the kindest, most loving person I know. I tell her everything that’s going on in my life, so she trusts me because we have no secrets and she knows I am a good. However my mother and I are like fire and ice so of course we don’t always see eye-to-eye. Also I have a Brother, I get along with him very well even though he is 12 years older then me. He has lived with us off and on for the past five years after leaving the army and has been my best friend since I was 12. We have quite similar personalities. He would always take me out and I would hang out with him and his friends but now his girlfriend and him had a baby and he lives with her. My mother and I don’t really like his girlfriend and we don’t think she likes us as they don’t come over very often Peace, Love & Happiness

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

I need help with an English essay that I got Not Achieved for

I need help with an English essay that I got Not Achieved for?
I've never done this badly, and I was shocked by my marks as I usually achieve with a merit or excellence. This is the first English essay that I've handed in this year, and the result was NA (Not Achieved) - apparently I didn't answer the question properly. Can you please help me understand what I'm doing wrong, and give me advice (thoroughly), explaining things clearly and simply. =) Thanks a lot! Here it is: Essay: Describe one character or individual that you admired or disliked in the text. Explain how the writer made you admire or dislike this character or individual. In the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, a character who gained my admiration was Christopher. I admired him because throughout the course of the story, he showed courage and determination whilst fighting his way through his disadvantaged life. Not only did Christopher pluck up the courage to face his wildest nightmares – talking to strangers -, he found order and stability by solving emotional problems on his own. Standing up for himself and preventing others from manipulating his life was another great change in Christopher’s character, which I valued him for. I think Mark Haddon has showed us that people with Asperger’s Syndrome are often taken for granted, and that they are able to show strength as an individual. The first reason I admired Christopher as a character is because despite his fears, he managed to ask his neighbours whom he considered to be “strangers” about the death of Wellington. Talking to strangers was one of Christopher’s greatest difficulties, for he did not understand the emotions and expressions of other human beings. He said “talking to other people in our street was brave. But if you are going to do detective work you have to be brave, so I had no choice.” This displays Christopher’s development in braveness, and I admired him for stepping out of his comfort zone to ask strangers if they knew who murdered Wellington. Christopher, who always struggled with emotions, found order and stability in his life by experiencing the challenge to solve emotional problems on his own, another very admirable step forwards. When Christopher was at the train station, after discovering that his mother was alive, he was very emotionally unstable and overwhelmed by the knowledge he had just been given. However, instead of groaning and attempting to forget about the problem in the hope that it would overcome him, Christopher cleared his mind by solving mathematical equations and drawing maps in his brain. He said “I couldn’t think because there were too many other things in my head, so I did a maths problem to make my head clearer” which highlights the courage he had to figure out his own emotional problems, instead of just logical ones. For Christopher to show such strength, in a complex situation, was very admirable. Mark Haddon also made me proud of Christopher, when he managed to make decisions about his life by himself, something that people diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome struggle with. During the scene when Christopher discovers the letters from his mother and that his father killed Wellington, he expressed that he was frightened and said “I had to get out of the house”. Despite his father’s wishes for him to stay and sort everything out, Christopher “formulated a plan” to go to London and live with his mother, which proved to be challenging, as he had never travelled long distances on his own. However, he carried out this plan and gained my admiration for taking the courage to make vital decisions of his own and work his way around the disagreement of others. In conclusion, Mark Haddon led me to admire Christopher for many reasons. Firstly, Christopher plucked up the courage to have conversations with strangers, which was turning over a new leaf for him. Secondly, Christopher showed strength in the emotional field, by dealing with his mental breakdown over his mother by using means of order and stability. Thirdly, he made vital decisions of his own whilst under pressurized circumstances, showing Christopher’s grip of control over his life. All of these changes in Christopher’s character forced me to consider him as a boy of great strength and courage, despite his disability – which is something that we should all admire. Hi, thanks for all the answers so far! My teacher wrote a few comments on the page: "Link to wider themes of the text" (at the end of the second paragraph). "How does M Haddon make you admire Christopher" (on the side of the third paragraph). "Go further" (after "disagreement of others. " at the end of the 4th paragraph"). "Unfortunately, I cannot give you an achieved as you have not answered the question in full" at the end. She circled the words "one character", "you admired" , "how" and "writer" in the Essay question up the top. She also circled the word "admiration" in the opening sentence to my intro. Thanks again :)
Homework Help - 4 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
"Explain how the writer made you admire or dislike this character or individual" You do not give examples of how the writer presents the charcter, just how the character behaves in the novel. For example, "The first reason I admired Christopher as a character is because despite his fears, he managed to ask his neighbours whom(who* neighbors wouldn't be him) he considered to be “strangers” about the death of Wellington." Haven't read this novel so this will be created, "Haddon creates the feeling of admiration for Christopher when Christopher gathers the courage to ask about Wellington's death. For example, Haddon expresses Christophers' bravery when he says, "Christopher boldy walks over to the strangers despite his fears. " Much like many people with a disablilty they may be shy...." U get the idea. EDIT: That sounded bad edited.
2 :
I think you have explained why you admired Christopher, but not HOW the writer controlled you in this way, ie "made you" admire him. Also you haven't really described Christopher, for instance you didn't mention that he had autism, or that he was unusual in other ways too. Why were the chapters numbered in that peculiar way?
3 :
Hi I can't believe this but I was also studying this book last term. However as much as I would like to help you it is hard without knowing what your teacher had to say is there anyway you could post that. Because what you have written seems very good and indepth. So if you could please include that I could help you further
4 :
Hi there, oh that must be a nightmare for you. Well I skimmed your essay and did find that it did not really address the question and it did not have an essay structure. You need to look at the text in much more detail, explore the themes, language, linguistic devices etc. I haven't read this book so I can't really give you much pointers to go off. In general when looking at a story you should comment on; the characters persona - what kind of a person they are. themes - general ones would be religion, science, morality, life, death, trust, gender representation etc look at the langauge the characters use - comment on this, as it shows you fully understand the character. As for structure - always have an introduction, middle, and conclusion. the introduction and conclusion should be interesting and to the point. Intro - highlight what you will be doing in the essay and what you will look at. middle - comment on the caharcter you like conclusion - highlight what you have done, what you found and what YOU think amkes this character work or good. these are just general points...you can email me for more help if you feel you need to.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Is this a good idea for finding a job

Is this a good idea for finding a job?
So I live in wellington, a little hick ass town 20 miles south of wichita. My plan is to go to work wit my mom in the morning(works in wichita) with a bike, and riding around all day, applying to everyplace I see. And if I get a job I could just ride to wichita with my mom every morning ya know. But im thinking of printing out a map of the wichita area and work my way down every street, crossing out as I go so I know not to go back there. Is this a good idea?
Other - Careers & Employment - 2 Answers
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1 :
It's not always clear how to begin looking for a job, I was in a quandary during the last couple of weeks when I was job hunting, until I discovered the resource in the box below that gives sensible tips. I soon got myself going down the correct route, and in a couple of weeks after a couple of interviews I secured a really good job.
2 :
It sounds very thorough to me. I've noticed on google maps it now lists the names of businesses on their physical location. Might help. Are there a few things that you would prefer to do? Why not start with those rather than just at the beginning of a street. You want to like what you do for work, makes it more enjoyable to go. Good luck.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

craigslist just full of scammers and a waste of time

craigslist just full of scammers and a waste of time?
This has been my fun for the past few days...After reviewing some of the posts on yahoo answers is craigslist just a waste of time? Should I go through ebay like I have always? This person wanted to pay more than what I was asking for and told me he was not scamming me all in one sentence. LOL He must have been in denial... The actual conversation begins at the bottom of the post. sorry i have been scam that way before i made a payment and the money was deliver to his account and i didn't receive any item so i can't accept that kind of business once i made the payment through PayPal u first deliver the tracking number to PayPal and your account will be credited thanks On Sun, Oct 25, 2009 at 5:17 AM, Jeff wrote: Thank you again for your inquiry...there are a couple of things that will need to happen in order for me to ship the product. 1. I will need an address to determine the cost of shipping and any customs regulations for shipping to West Africa (I need this before I will send any information through paypal) 2. The money must be deposited into my bank account (for asset protection) before I will ship the product and provide you with a tracking number. Unfortunatly these criterias must be met first before the items will ship. Just like you I do not scam and I have sold many things on ebay before this is my first time through craigslist though. If you wish to not follow these steps then I thank you for your inquiry and hope you have a wonderful day. Thank you, Jeff -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:52:36 +0100 Subject: Re: PS2 slimline w/34 games and accessories - $360 (Wellington, KS) From: donsmith007@sify.com To: Hi,I live in Aurora IL 60506,but i am currently in Europe for a business trip ,i could have love to come and pick it up myself but my job is holding down but i want to buy the ps2 and ship it to my son who transfer to West Africa for school debate pls no scam ill pay you $500 for the item and shipping cost to west Africa thanks On Sat, Oct 24, 2009 at 3:17 AM, Jeff wrote: Thank you for your inquiry yes these items are still for sell and is in good working condition. I accept Paypal and cash only if you are still interested. Thank you, Jeff > Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:10:54 +0100 > Subject: PS2 slimline w/34 games and accessories - $360 (Wellington, KS) > From: donsmith007@sify.com > To: sale-p3dwr-1433900119@craigslist.org > > ** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY > ** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home > ** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping > ** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html > > Hello Seller. > I want to known if this item is still available for sales and in good. > condition.Please get back to me immediately.do u accept PayPal or > money order or bank of America transfer......... > Thanks
Security - 3 Answers
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1 :
no its not full of scammers. but thre are some of those in every site you visit. the only thing u gotta keep in mind when posting on CL is to deal locally. no mailing and no checks of any kind. i always do cash and must pick up. ive sold a few things already.
2 :
This is why anything I've done through craig's list is kept local only. If I can't see you face to face, no deal.
3 :
Yes, this is a scam. Accept payment first only. And no money orders or drafts. They try to send you too much money to hurry the sale and then the check is a fake. ~ But there are scammers on eBay and Craigslist alike. Both use the same tactic. eBay is better at helping you if you use PayPal. Never ship without payment.