The First Thanksgiving

During the1600’s many people in England were very unhappy because they didn’t have freedom of religion. They had to obey the king, so they had to use the same prayer books that the king used. If they violated the laws they were thrown into prison. These people decided to leave England and move to Holland. After moving to Holland they called themselves Pilgrims. They lived in Holland for a long time and later choose to migrate to America. They traveled to America on a ship called the Mayflower. Hundreds of people were on the ship and they finally arrived and saw land. When they got to shore, they landed their ship and named the spot Plymouth Rock. They ended up meeting kind Indians that helped them get settled by showing them how to plant corn, wheat and barley. After growing the crops and working hard throughout the year, the Pilgrims and the Indians came together to celebrate the first Thanksgiving. They gave thanks to God for all his goodness and ever since we have celebrated Thanksgiving in the United States.

Grammar Point: Write a story about a holiday that is celebrated in your native country that isn't celebrated in the United States.

Vocabulary

1. Freedom- the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints.

2. Obey- To do as ordered.

3. Thrown- caused to fall to the ground.

4. Violated- a disrespectful act.

5. Pilgrims- is a name commonly applied to the early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts.

6. Migrate- move from one country or region to another and settle there

7. Plymouth Rock- a boulder in Plymouth supposed to be where the Pilgrims disembarked from the Mayflower.

8. Indians- member of the race of people living in America when Europeans arrived.

9. Crops- is the annual or season's yield of any plant that is grown in significant quantities to be harvested as food

10. Thanksgiving- it is celebrated the fourth Thursday in November in the United States it commemorates a feast held in 1621 by the Pilgrims and the Indians.

Sentences

1. In the New World the Pilgrims found __________.

2. They didn’t need to ____________ the king.

3. The prisoner was ___________ in jail.

4. The man __________ the law when he stole the car.

5. The ________ were the early settlers of the Plymouth Colony who left for the New World in early 17th century.
6. Many Germans ___________ to South America in the mid-19th century.

7. ___________ is the traditional site of disembarkation of William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims who founded Plymouth Colony in 1620.

8. When the Pilgrims arrived the ____________ showed them how to survive in America.

9. Southern plantation owners used _________ instead of money to trade.

10. _________________ is a holiday that is celebrated throughout the United States to show gratitude and appreciation.

Christmas Around the World

Christmas is widely celebrated around the world in countries in Asia, Europe, South and Central America. In China, the Chinese celebrate Christmas by lighting their homes and decorating their trees with flowers, and paper chains. The children call Santa Clause, “Dun Che Lao Ren” which means “Christmas Old Man.” Since most Chinese people are not Christian their main celebration is the festival of the Chinese New Year, during this time children receive toys, cloths and enjoy the view of fireworks.

In Russia, St. Nicholas is very popular. St. Nicholas popularity started in the 11th-century, when Prince Vladimir traveled to Constantinople to be baptized, and returned with stories of miracles performed by St. Nicholas of Myra. The feast of St. Nicholas was celebrated in Russia on December 6th until the communist revolution. During the communist years, all religious traditions were suppressed. St. Nicholas was transformed into Grandfather Frost. After the communist era, Christmas Eve was celebrated with a festive meatless dinner. The most important ingredient is a special porridge called kutya. It is made of wheat berries or other grains which symbolize hope and immortality, and honey and poppy seeds which ensure happiness, success, and untroubled rest. A ceremony involving the blessing of the home is frequently observed. A priest visits the home accompanied by boys carrying vessels of holy water, and a little water is sprinkled in each room. The kutya is eaten from a common dish to symbolize unity.
In Brazil, Christmas is celebrated by creating a nativity scene called “Presépio” which means the bed of straw upon Jesus first slept in Bethlehem. Santa Clause is called “Papai Noel” which means father Noel, who brings gifts to the children. They celebrate Christmas day by going to church, having dinner and viewing the fireworks.

In Mexico, the Christmas celebration is called “Las Posadas” which refers to the processions of Joseph and Mary during their search for a place to stay in Bethlehem. The processions begin nine days before Christmas because the original journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem took nine days. They also set up a nativity scene. The Mexicans celebrate Christmas Eve in church with food and drinks. Children are entertained by taking turns breaking the piñata. Just like the Chinese and Brazilians they also celebrate with fireworks.

Christmas is commonly observed around the world through religious celebrations, gifts, food, lights, decorations as well as beautiful and colorful fireworks. Even though the Chinese, the Russians, the Brazilians and the Mexicans are in different parts of the world they all celebrate Christmas.

Grammar Point: Write a paragraph about your Christmas celebration and traditions.

Vocabulary

1. Celebration- to observe a holiday, to perform a religious ceremony, or take part in a festival.
2. Miracles- an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment.

3. Suppressed- to put down by authority or force.

4. Communism- a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed.

5. Symbolize- an act, sound, or object having cultural significance.

6. Kutya- is a sweet grain pudding.

7. Porridge- a soft food made by boiling meal of grains or legumes in milk or water until thick.

8. Ceremony- A formal act or set of acts performed as prescribed by ritual or custom.

9. Processions- The act of moving along or forward; progression.

10. Journey- The act of traveling from one place to another; a trip.

11. Piñata- A decorated container filled with candy and toys suspended from a height, intended to be broken by blindfolded children with sticks, and used as part of Christmas and birthday celebrations in certain Latin-American countries or at children's parties.

Sentences

1. The birthday ______________ was filled with great music, food and many gifts.

2. It was a ____________ that the alligator did not hurt the child.

3. People in Cuba are _____________ by the Communist government.

4. During ________ people were not allowed to have freedom of speech or religion.

5. Pearls have been considered ideal wedding gifts because they __________ purity and innocence.

6. Russians make ________ during the Christmas celebration, which is a special 7._________.

8. The wedding ____________ was held in a beautiful castle.

9. During the Christmas celebration a __________carried through the streets of Mexico in honor Mary and Joseph.

10. The ______________ to Florida can take up to 22 to 24 hours of driving.

11. During the birthday party the children broke the _____________.

My Trip to The Domincan Republic

My sister and I decided to take a trip to the Dominican Republic. We were amazed and captured by the spectacular beaches. After seeing the beautiful beaches, I just wanted to pull a chair and relax under a coconut palm tree. Since the warm water was so clear and blue that I could see the colorful fish swimming in the ocean. The sand was super fine and white. The weather was hot and sunny with a steady cool breeze.

When we got to the hotel, we were offered a variety of activities to do and we choose snorkeling. Exploring the underwater world was incredible because of the vivid multicolored fish, sting rays and other marine life. Since I stayed at an all-inclusive hotel I had the opportunity to get lessons on snorkeling. Snorkeling is definitely an activity that must be experienced because it is a unique feeling.

Later I tried windsurfing, and my sister tried kite boarding. There were many indoor activities such as dancing, shopping and gambling. I had the time of my life because I always had something to do, but my only challenge was to have enough time to get to do all the exciting activities.The food was fabulous, with a huge selection of seafood, meats, rice and vegetables. If you love seafood, you should definitely visit the Dominican Republic because it is the perfect place to have the best shrimp, and fish that is fresh and tastes incredible. The nightlife was vibrant and very entertaining. Since I love to dance, the music beats that filled the air made me go out and enjoy the music. After having a great time dancing, the next activity I decided to do was to try my luck at the casinos.

As the end of my trip approached I visited a museum called ‘Museo Del Hombre Dominicano” this museum had pre-Columbian artifacts such jewelry, religious pieces and sculptures. Over all this vacation was unforgettable and amazing. This trip was so exciting and incredible that I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys terrific food, exhilarating outdoor activities, and entertaining nightlife.

Grammar Point: Let’s use simple, compound, complex and complex-compound sentences!

Simple Sentences contain a subject and a verb that expresses a complete thought.

Ex: My sister and I decided to take a trip to the Dominican Republic.

Compound Sentences contain two independent clauses that are joined by for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.

Ex: Later I tried windsurfing, and my sister tried kite boarding.

Complex Sentences has an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses. A complex sentence always has a subordinator such as because, since, after, although, or when, that, who, or which.

Ex: After seeing the beautiful beaches, I just wanted to pull a chair and relax under a coconut palm tree.

Complex-Compound Sentence is formed by having at least one dependent clause before or after two independent clauses.

Ex: When we got to the hotel, we were offered a variety of activities to do and we choose snorkeling.

How to make Flan

Since we just celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month I thought I could give you the recipe to make a Flan.

The Ingredients Needed:

1 can of sweetened condensed milk.

1 can of evaporated whole milk.

3 whole eggs

5 egg yolks

a pinch of salt

12 tsp of white sugar.

Boiling water.

Directions:

Pour 1 cup sugar in warm pan over medium heat.

Constantly stir sugar until turns brown and becomes caramel.

Quickly pour approximately 2-3 tablespoons of caramel in each ramekin, tilting it to swirl the caramel around the sides.

Reheat caramel if it starts to harden.

Blend the eggs together.

Mix in the milks then slowly mix in the 1/2 cup of sugar.

Blend smooth after each ingredient is added.

Pour custard into caramel lined ramekins.

Place ramekins in a large glass or ceramic baking dish and fill with about 1-2 inches of hot water.

Bake for 45 minutes in the water bath and check with a knife just to the side of the center.

If knife comes out clean, it's ready.

Remove and let cool.

Let each ramekin cool in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Invert each ramekin onto a small plate, the caramel sauce will flow over the custard.

Hope you can enjoy your flan.

Grammar Point: What is you favorite recipe? Make a list of directions that are needed to make you favorite dish.

Vocabulary Words:

1. Flan- caramel custard is a rich custard dessert with a layer of soft caramel on top

2. Recipe- is a set of instructions that show how to prepare or make something.

3. Ingredients- is a substance that forms part of a mixture

4. Evaporated- is the slow vaporization of a liquid.

5. Yolks- is the part of an egg which serves as the food source for the developing embryo inside.

6. Pinch- slight but appreciable amount.

7. Constantly- without variation or change, in every case.

8. Ramekin- a small fireproof dish used for baking and serving individual portions.

9. Tilting- to incline or bend from a vertical position.

10. Swirl- flow in a circular current, of liquids.

11. Custard- sweetened mixture of milk and eggs baked or boiled or frozen.

Sentences:

1. The _________ is known as a Hispanic desert.

2. What is your secret _________ for a good desert?

3. This recipe contains many __________.

4. The milk quickly ____________ and spilled on the stove.

5. The ___________ of the egg was as bright yellow as the morning sun.

6. I usually add a __________ of salt and pepper to the steak.

7. If you _____________ study you will get better grades.

8. The ________ is the perfect to dish to use for baking.

9. When the dog came in the door he ______ over the glass of water.

10. A vanilla ice cream sundae is not complete without a chocolate ________.

11. I loved the chocolate _______ in the Oreo pie.

Hispanic Hertiage Month

As you may already know Hispanic Heritage month starts on September 15th though October 15th because many countries in Central and South America got their independence in 1821 during those dates. My family is originally from El Salvador and on September 15th we celebrate the independence day of El Salvador. Every year there are two big parades in Hempstead and Brentwood, New York that celebrate the Independence Day of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. I have gone to both parades and they are filled great food, music, and dancing.

The celebration of Hispanic Heritage originally started in 1968, when Congress authorized President B. Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Week. Then during the Regan Administration the observance of the week expanded to a month long celebration. America celebrates the culture and traditions of Hispanics in the United States that came from Spain, Mexico and all the Spanish Speaking Countries in the Caribbean and both Central and South America.

Grammar Point: Please write a short paragraph using 4 out of 9 vocabulary words that I used in my blog.

Vocabulary

1. Heritage- practices that are handed down from the past by tradition.

2. Country- the territory occupied by a nation.

3. Independence- freedom from control or influence of another or others.

4. Originally- with reference to the origin or beginning.

5. Celebrate- assign great social importance to something.

6. Proclaim- declare formally.

7. Observance- taking a patient look.

8. Culture- a particular society at a particular time and place.

9. Traditions- a specific practice of long standing.

Sentences

1. The identity of the United States is based on our cultural ____________.

2. What _________ is your family originally from?

3. What is the ____________ day of the United States?

4. The Aztec's____________ came from the northern lands called Aztlan.

5. When do you _________ your birthday?

6. President Roosevelt __________ October 12th as Columbus Day.

7. What how many holidays are _______________ in the United States?

8. The ____________ and customs that a person is raised with, contribute to their outlook and view of the world.

9. What are some of the ___________ that are celebrated by your family?

The Balloon Hoax

Last week I was watching CNN and I came across the headline news of a giant balloon that was flying through the air. At first I thought it was a flying saucer but when I took a closer look and listened to the news they said that a young boy that was in the balloon. I wondered about the parents how did this happen? Then the family was expressing their fear that their 6 year old child who could be inside the balloon. Why weren’t the parents sure? At this point I thought the parents were irresponsible because they were unsure if the child was in the balloon. Did the child run away? Did they look for the child? This story was all over the news and many people watched, but as time went by it became harder to believe that the child was in the balloon. After a few hours the child was finally found. He was in the attic hiding throughout the Balloon fiasco.
Now the child is OK, the family is being investigated because they went on the Larry King show and when the 6 year old was asked why he was hiding in the attic he said that he did it for the show. According to the authorities now there is enough evidence that shows that this was a hoax and that it was carefully planned by the family. The authorities also found out that the family wanted to be in a reality show and that this could be the motive behind the hoax. I think this is just bad parenting because they are teaching the children to participate in inappropriate behavior.

Grammar Point: Read a newspaper article and pick out words that are unfamiliar and define them.
Vocabulary
1. Headline- The title or caption of a newspaper article usually set in large type.
2. Giant- A person or thing of great size
3. Saucer- A small shallow dish having a slight circular depression in the center for holding a cup 4. Expressing- articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise.
5. Irresponsible- showing lack of care for consequences
6. Fiasco- A ludicrous or humiliating failure.
7. Investigated- To inquire into or study in order to ascertain facts or information.
8. Attic- is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building
9. Hoax- subject to a playful joke.
10. Inappropriate- not suitable for a particular occasion

Sentences
1. The __________ in the newspaper was “The Boy in the Balloon Hoax.”
2. It is a __________ building.
3. Look in the sky it’s a flying _____________!

4. Larry loves to ____________ his thoughts through writing.
5. It is ____________ for parents to neglect children.
6. Due to the time ___________ I got to the dentist office 3 hours late.
7. The crime scene was fully ___________ and it resulted in a closed case.
8. The _________ in my house is a great storage place.
9. The _______________ turned into a big problem.
10. Excessive or ____________ speed is a factor in many road accidents.

Is the Swine Flu Vaccine Safe?

Well during the beginning of this week states such as Indiana, Illinois and Tennessee have started to get the vaccine for the swine flu. The government seems to feel that there is a need to for Americans across the board to get this vaccine, in just a few months. My concern with this view is that we really don’t know a lot about the real effects of this vaccine. Is it Safe?

The swine flu has similar symptoms to the seasonal flu and I haven’t heard of anyone dyeing from the flu. But the swine flu is a different story I have heard of various stories of people dying of complications due to this virus. So if you feel unusually tired, have a headache, runny nose, sore throat, shortness of breath or cough, diarrhea or vomiting you probably have the swine flu. So don’t get nervous this is just based on what I have heard in the news from various doctors and experts.

It all started earlier this year and people started blaming the pigs but it wasn’t the pigs it was a disease that came from people. Originally there was an outbreak of the swine flu in the late 1950’s so this disease isn’t new. I think that since we don’t know a lot about this virus we should try to take precautions to such as washing our hands frequently and staying home if we really don’t feel well.

So is it safe? According to the Food and Drug Administration they feel it is because it is made the same way the regular vaccine for the flu is made. I think you should be the judge of that if you feel that getting this vaccine will give you a piece of mind than you should go with you instinct.

Grammar Point: Tell me what your opinion is on this vaccine do you think it is safe or not? Write a paragraph about your opinion.

Definitions:

1. Government- the political direction and control exercised over the actions of the members, citizens, or inhabitants of communities, societies, and states.

2. Vaccine- Injection of a killed microbe in order to stimulate the immune system against the microbe, thereby preventing disease.

3. Swine Flu- a virulent, highly contagious influenza infecting people and swine.
4. Symptoms- are what the patient experiences about the illness, disease or injury.

5. Virus- ultramicroscopic infectious agent that replicates itself only within cells of living hosts.

6. Outbreak- a sudden violent spontaneous occurrence.

7. Precautions- a measure of warding off impending danger or damage or injury.

Sentences:

1.Our _________ is composed of three branches, which are the Legislative, Judicial & Executive.

2. The ________ would help prevent the disease.

3. The _________ can be very harmful if not treated early.

4. The __________ of the flu can be painful.

5. The _______ can cause major problems for young children.

6. The __________ of the war caused many fatalities.
7. As a __________ Eric put ice on his leg to stop it from swelling up.

My New Puppy

Last month my brother and sister bought me a Yorkie because they wanted to cheer me up after the sudden death of Chloe. She suddenly died this summer due to breathing complications. I was so devastated when I heard the news because I didn’t expect this to happen. Till this day I don’t know what caused her breathing complications because she didn’t have any medical conditions. When I left earlier that morning she was very happy and seemed to be ok. Later that day my sister came home to take her for walk and she noticed that Chloe was breathing very hard. So she immediately brought her to the Veterinary’s office. When I got to the office I saw her lying on a table but she had passed away. Since I was so upset about the news my brother and sister decided it was a good idea to get another Yorkie. When I saw this new puppy I was excited and at the same time I was sad because I missed Chloe. I miss her a lot but these couple of months that I have gotten to know my new puppy, he has made it easier for me to deal with Chloe’s passing. I decided to name him Damien and he has a different personality than Chloe. He is very playful and loving. Training Damien is really a task because he loves to eat and doesn’t like to be in his crate. He doesn’t like to walk with a leash on and he likes to socialize with larger dogs which make me a little nervous when I take him out for walks. I have decided to have trainer help correct some of his bad behaviors and hopefully this will make it easier to train him.

Vocabulary

Complications- something that introduces, usually unexpectedly, some difficulty, problem, or a change.

Devastated- to overwhelm.

Personality- the visible aspect of one's character as it impresses others.

Task- is part of a set of actions which accomplish a job, problem or assignment.

Socialize- to associate or mingle sociably with others

Behavior- observable activity in a human or animal.

Sentences

1. Due to weather __________today’s class will be cancelled.

2. The loss of my pet was a ___________experience.

3. I think Jenny has a great ______________because is so caring and nice.

4. As a full-time student with a full time job it will be a ________ to accomplish all my work.

5. I good way to get to know a lot of people is to _____________.

6. When Damien shows good ___________ he get s treat.she

Grammar Point

Do you have any pets that you would like to blog about? If you don’t have any pets that’s ok because I would like you to tell me about a pet you would like to get. In a paragraph you can tell me about your pet (if you have one) or a pet that you would like to get. Maybe you can give me some ideas that may help train Damien.

The Video Music Awards 2009

The VMA’s was filled with great performances and outrageous moments. The performance of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys was outstanding. I think that the most outrageous moment of the night was when Taylor Swift was accepting her award and she was abruptly interrupted by Kanye West. She got the award for best female video and Kanye West took her microphone to say that he believed that Beyonce Knowles deserved this award for her video. This rude interruption even had President Obama giving his opinion about the inappropriate comment and behavior of Kanye West. But the highlight of the night was the tribute to the life and musical career of Michael Jackson that was performed by his sister Janet Jackson. The final award of the night went to Beyonce Knowles for the video of the year, how ironic? As a courtesy to Taylor Swift, Beyonce asked her to share this award with her and say a few words to the audience since her time was interrupted. This was a great gesture that Beyonce displayed and it showed her great personality. So the moral of this story is to be respectful of other people, appreciate them for what they are and be able to give credit to who deserves the credit for hard work.

Vocabulary

Performance- generally comprises an event in which one group of people behaves in a particular way for another group of people.

Outrageous- going beyond of all standards of what is right or decent.

Deserve- to be worthy of.

Tribute-is wealth one party gives to another as a sign of respect.

Ironic- involving a surprising or apparently contradictory fact.

Courtesy- consideration for other people, or good manners.

Gesture- an action intended to communicate feelings or intentions.

Personality- somebody's set of characteristics.

Sentences

1. The ________ was filled with excitement.

2. The price of the textbook was _________ because it was too expensive compared to the others.

3. After a long week I _______ a break.

4. Janet Jackson performance was _______to her brother.

5. I think its _______when students who work get low grades.

6. As _______to my client I will refund a service fee.

7. It was a great _________ to share the book.

8. She has a great _____________ because she is able to get along with everyone.


Grammar Point
Last week I asked to you write a paragraph with your opinion of the topic using some of the vocabulary words. This week I would like you to write a blog about an interesting show that you watch.

Is the End of Time Close?

This weekend I was watching the History Channel and I can across a show that spoke about the ancient prophecies that the Mayans, The Book of Revelation, Nostradamus and many other cultures around the world predicted. The show was called Doomsday 2012: The End of days. It had various scholars that analyzed the ancient predictions against the current events. They predicted the weather changes of today that have caused the natural disasters such as tornadoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and volcano eruptions. The Mayans predicted these events through their knowledge of astronomy and time keeping. It was very scary because based on these predictions it seems like we are really living in the end of time. According to these modern events, the Mayans, The Book of Revelation, Nostradamus and these other cultures predicted that life on earth would end by December 2012. So does this mean that we won’t have a Christmas, & New Year‘s? So let me know what you think? Do you think the end is near or is it just a coincidence?
Vocabulary
Nostradamus- French astrologer and prophet of the 16th century that predicted world future events.
Predictions- a statement or claim that a particular event will occur.
Natural Disasters- is the effect of a natural hazard that affects the environment and leads to financial, environmental and/or human losses.
Mayans- of or pertaining to the Mayas, their culture or their languages.
Coincidence- a striking occurrence of two or more events at one time apparently by mere chance.
Ancient- of or in time long past, very old.
Prophecies- The foretelling or prediction of what is to come.
Tsunamis- An unusually large sea wave produced by a seaquake or undersea volcanic eruption.

1. _____________ is a French scholar and prophet during the 1500’s.
2. The weather forecast __________ it would rain tomorrow.
3. In 2005 Hurricane Katrina was consider the deadliest _______________.
4. The__________ civilization concentrated in Central America.
5. It was a ________ that Michelle and I were wearing the same shirt.
6. That book is __________ because it looks very old.
7. Nostradamus wrote many __________ that are believed to be true today.
8. On Christmas 2004 a ____________ hit the shores of the Indian Ocean causing many deaths.



Grammar Point:
So what do you think about this topic? Write a paragraph and give your opinion on this topic using some of the vocabulary words.