Blog

•   Pop Culture
  
  

Pop culture means popular culture. It is formed by many things such as objects, people, places, and events. It doesn't have a fix time. I can be affected by the past or present. Pop culture influences my action and my thoughts. For example, there were so many movies came out and talked about the earth was destroyed. People were all discussing the film and related the problems to themselves. When I heard their discussion, I also thought about what I could do to protect our earth and tried to do something. I will pay attention to the hot topics around me and sometimes they influenced my action and thoughts.

•     Cultural Identity
  
  

I was born in Hong Kong and moved to Chicago three years ago. I pick these pictures because they can represent Hong Kong. Hong Kong is famous for its night view. When you cross Victoria Harbor, you can see Hong Kong’s panoramic night view. Hong Kong has its special snacks which are famous too, such as pineapple buns, egg tarts and fish balls. Chinese will celebrate Mid-autumn festival with moon cakes every year. The traditional moon cakes are too oily, so a bakery in Hong Kong created a non-baked, low fat snow skin mooncake. Cheung Chau Bun is a big festival for rural communities. The most famous ceremony is Da Jiu. Tramway is one of the most historical transportation in Hong Kong. It becomes a landmark in Hong Kong. Moving to Chicago was a turning point in my life. I am confused in what American football is at first. Now I enjoy watching this exciting competition. I do not love eat fast food but it is very convenient. We can easy find one nearby. I started my education at Kelly High School and I learned English there. It also gave me a chance to join the volunteer work for Marathon. I learned a lot there.

•  Reading
  
  

I picked the essay “Do I Look Like Public Enemy Number One” by Lorraine Ali. This essay spoke to me the most. I am interested in why the girl thinks herself as public enemy. The author’s situation reminds me the story of myself when I first came here. People love to judge others without knowing their personality. Or people will easily affected by the rumors they heard. When I was in high school, I sat at the back of the classroom and did everything by myself, even the teacher asked us finished in groups. No one wants to work with me just because I am Chinese. I understand how the author feels because seems like she has the same problem as I do.

  

•    Music
  
  

          My favorite singer is Katy Perry. I like her because her music is unforgettable. Most of her songs are rock music, which are use electric guitar and drums to play the music. I love rock music the most. Although some people said it is too loud, rock music always brings me a good mood after listening to it. One of Perry’s songs “Firework” is my favorite song. I loved it when I first listened to it. I played it again and again. The lyrics are meaningful. It reminds us we are all unique. It also encourages us to try our best on doing everything as we believe we can do it.

•  Movies
  
  

In the movie Iron Man, the main character Tong Stark was a genius inventor and the CEO of Stark Industries. Because of his success, he became conceited. His personal assistant Virginia Potts cleaned up every mess Stark made. Stark went to Afghanistan for business, but unluckily, he got hurt by the weapons he made. Raza, the Ten Rings leader caught Stark and asked him to invent a new missile to exchange his freedom. Stark met Yinsen there, and he helped him to make the electromagnet to continue his life. Stark never thought of making the missile for Raza. He began to build an armor suit to escape from Afghanistan. After Stark came back to the United States, he realized that everything was planned by the vice CEO Obadiah Stane. Stane stole the design of Iron Man suit and tried to sell it to other countries. Stark closed his company and concentrated on making the perfect Iron Man suit to fight with Stane.

When Stark was in Afghanistan making the armor suit with Yinsen, Yinsen asked him what he was going to do after leaving Afghanistan. Yinsen said he wanted to find his family because he missed them. Stark had nothing to do since he had no relatives. Yinsen replied “So you are a man who has everything and nothing.” When the armor suit was almost ready, Raza found out their secret. Yinsen sacrificed himself and let Stark leave. Stark was touched by Yinsen’s action and that was the main reason why Stark changed his attitude. As Stark became one of the victims on the weapons from his company, he recognized the harmful effects of his inventions. He was a murderer, and he destroyed many families. He decided to close his company to prevent more weapons from being sold. He was no longer a business man. He understood what was more important than money.

•  Food
  
  

I am pretty surprising when I read the essay “Custom-Made.” When I first came to America, I am not that interested in fast food as their menus are different from Hong Kong. There are no spicy chicken wings and cheese macaroni in McDonald or spicy mushroom rice and egg tarts in KFC. When I finished reading “Custom-Made,” I understand why the menus are different in countries. Chinese’s main food are noodles and rice, however, Americans’ main food are burger, fries and hot dogs. It is interesting that we all have our own food culture. Each company needs to satisfy their customers’ needs to success in the market. If they do not change their menu, they cannot stand in the globe market. That is the reason why the menus in McDonald or KFC are different.

•  Prezi
  
  

           The PowerPoint was about the landmark Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, Chicago. The pavilion started its construction on June 1999 and finally opened on July 16, 2004. Its total cost was $60 million. Jay Pritzker Pavilion is a free outdoor music pavilion. Many music festival and concerts are hold in the pavilion. It also holds some performing arts events. The lamplight has different colors, such as yellow and blue. The colors will change for different events. Jay Pritzker Pavilion is one of the amazing architectures in Chicago which attract people from different countries come and visit it.

http://www.slideshare.net/monmonvi/previewpptx-knowb-for

• TV

         

I do not watch TV shows at all. The only American TV show I watched was The Vampire Diaries. I love romantic dramas. I was addicted to this drama because sometimes the plots were unexpected. The Vampire Diaries was talking a high school girl entangled between two brothers. I was in high school when I first saw this dramas, which made me feel familiar. Many students were in a date when they were in high school. Maybe this issue gave the director ideas on the setting of The Vampire Diaries. On the other hand, the students who watched the drama might want to fall in love like the main characters did. The drama could be affected by our pop culture or we could be affected by the drama.