Thursday, 22 August 2013

Sticking to Your Opinions, or Asking Others for Advice. Which is better?

       The topic that I was given to write about today was "Is it better to use your knowledge and experience to solve problems, or is it better to ask other people for advice?"  To me, I believe that if you are confident in yourself and are willing to put the problem in your own hands, then use your knowledge and experience.  You must still keep in mind, that there are other people out there that have either given good advice on a problem, or have dealt with the problem themselves.  Asking someone for advice can be great because that person may have a connection to someone who has dealt with the same problem, even if it is not the person you are asking.  You must put yourself in the position of the person you are asking.  Even if the person does not have any experience with your trouble, he or she could help you get through it whether its by talking about the problem, or helping out physically. 
       I agree to both sides of the topic.  First of all, I believe that everyone trusts themselves to some extent.  This should be used as an advantage by using your trust to help you through problems.  Even if your opinion does not work out the way you expected, you would have learned something from the event that could help you or others in the future.  This helps you learn from your mistakes and will help increase the amount of experience you will have in your life.  I would recommend keeping to your own ideas if you have had an experience with the same problem.  Since you have encountered the problem before, you should know what to do, even if you have failed the last time you coped it.  Other people should only be asked in this situation for extra advice, or their own stories.  If you have encountered the problem before, then you should stick to your own opinion.
     
 On the other side of the topic, I believe that another persons advice can be vitally important to your decision.  First of all, the other person has probably coped with the same problem you have now.  This is more likely in adults, because they have experienced life the most.  The older the person, the more experiences they have had.  Second, the person may know of someone, through relations of family or friends that have dealt or are dealing with the same thing as you.  Remember, you are not alone.  Other people may be living exactly like you and you may not realize it.  There are a lot of people in the world.  Third, even if the person does not have any relation to the problem, which is not very likely, his or her advice can still be helpful.  It may bring up new ideas to you, or may be comforting in some way.  The person could also help if you are doing a job that requires labor.  A second person can make the work twice as fast as one.  You must always keep in mind that there are other people out there, and even if your reach of knowledge or experience may seem very large to you, there are billions of other lives that have their own experiences.  Combining thoughts and ideas with another person is always a good and helpful thing, even if the person is ignorant and has not ever dealt with the same sort of problem.  Trust me, they probably have.
       From the topic I was given today, I hope I have helped you by giving you a new perspective on your thoughts versus other peoples thoughts.  Be smart with your decisions and remember that there are other people out there, just like you, who have their own thoughts and their own experiences, whether they have lived their life already or have just stared it.         

Tuesday, 20 August 2013

My Favorite Love Metaphor

       My favorite metaphor about love is that love is a fart, if you have to force it, then its probably poo.  This metaphor is both funny and true.  I like things that are both funny and true because that is the way I am.  This metaphor makes sense because love should not be forced, instead, it should rather be felt by both lovers evenly.  This creates a perfect match of love.  If love is forced by money or something fake about the person, then it is not true love.
      One of the first things about this metaphor  that caught my attention was the fact on how love was compared to a fart.  To me this is very funny.  When I do work I always like a good laugh once in a while.  This metaphor I found in a picture really got me laughing and it made my research enjoyable. I hope you find this funny too because if not, then I would just look like a complete dork.  
        Although this is a funny and childish sounding topic, it makes a lot of sense.  Speaking from the fart point of view, if you have to force out a fart, it is just a bad idea and will probably end up as feces instead of a smooth air flow.  A fart should be let out when it needs to come out and you shouldn't have to force it.  The same thing goes for love.  If you force love, it will probably end up being unsuccessful love.  However, if you let love come to you and the one you love naturally, everything will work out.  Love should be introduced when it needs to be.  Love should not be put upon someone who does not love back.  It should not be forced or held back, but it should be expressed when it needs to be.  The same thing goes for a fart.  These two similar topics are totally different characteristically, but have a similar way of expressing themselves.  Love is a beautiful, gently, but risky thing, while a fart is a gross, bad smelling, release of gas, however, they both should not be forced or held back.  
       My metaphor states that love and a fart should not be forced, or they will result in a bad ending.  In my opinion, holding back a fart or love should also apply to this metaphor.  If a fart is held back, it becomes bigger, more deadly, and much more disgusting.  If love is held back, feelings are not expressed, the other person could have "moved on before you were ready to express yourself, and future consequences are most likely going to hurt you in the long run.  It is much better to express your love to someone when you feel it.  That way, the person knows how you feel about them and even if that person is going through a rough time, or a recent break up, they will give you thought in the future.  You only live once and you should do what you need to do before it is too late, whether it is something as complicated as expressing your love, or as simple as releasing a fart.  590
       My favorite metaphor about love is that love is a fart, if you have to force it, it is probably poo because it is funny and got me laughing and excited to talk more about it.  It is also great because it is true.  The metaphor connects two totally different things and relates them in a way so correct, that you do not realize it the first time.   I hope you enjoyed this metaphor about love and I hope I explained it well. 
       
  
        

Monday, 12 August 2013

About Myself

     
Hello, my name is Andrew Scott Johnson and I would like to tell you all about myself.  I am a 16 year old boy and I live in Saipan which is part of the Northern Marianas Islands near Guam.  I am 5 foot 11 and I weigh 140 pounds.  I have brown hair and brown eyes. I live with my parents but have two sisters that are in college and sometimes they come and visit.  My Dad works as the boss of an auditing company called Deloitte.   My Mom takes care of my Grandma, who lives next door and she also helps out around the house.  I use to play soccer but now I have quit and focused more on volleyball and basketball.  My favorite food is probably these special rice balls that they sell near the Sapporo airport.  I love Asian foods, well most but not all, and i am not a huge fan of Italian.  I love to travel to new places.  I have been to Peru, most of the states, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and Taiwan.  My favorite thing to do for fun on Saipan is to  hang out with friends and family.  I love to play airsoft, which is
a game that involves bb guns that people shoot at each other and try to get the other team out.  I used to love to bike until I landed and jammed the spokes into my knee.  I still bike but am cautious on jumps.
         My background is made up of 75% American, and 25% Chamorro, the local race of Saipan.  My Mom has 50% of Chamorro blood in her and that is where I get it from.  From my Mom's side, my Grandma is full Chamorro and my Grandpa is American.  They met up after World War 2, since my Grandpa was in the navy.  From my Dad's side, I get most of my American.  Both my Dad's parents are American and my Grandad, from my Dad's side was in the Air Force and fought in Vietnam.  he has some amazing stories to tell.  Although I have some Chamorro blood in me, it's very hard to see.  Most of the people I have met don't believe me the first time.  
      Living on Saipan is very interesting.  The first thing that people from the mainland that I visit ask me about all the World War 2 things that I find.  They are very amazed at the fact that I find human remains in my back yard, or live grenades and ammunition surrounding my house.  There were many battles in World War 2 and one of them took place on Saipan.  These huge battles left many historical remains on, and around Saipan.  Since my Grandma had to hide in the caves during the fighting and bombing to protect herself and her family, she has some crazy stories to tell.  I like Saipan because there are things to do that many other people in the world can't.  We have barbecues on the beach, go to the grotto, which is an open cave that is full of ocean water, and go on amazing bike rides and hikes.  Although Saipan sounds like a wonderful island, there are many things that I don't like.  This includes the lack of shopping, no really official sport leagues that can keep up with the skill of the rest of the world, and the hot humid weather.  
       These are just the facts about me.  If you want to know my personality you will have to meet me because many people say many different things about me.  I think that I am somewhat funny, and many people I know tell me that.  However, what you sould thing of me could be completely different.  You will have to meet me and know me for that information.  I hope this helped you get to know me better.
  

Thursday, 8 August 2013

New Year Resolutions!

       For the new school year of 2013-2014, I have given myself three resolutions to try and achieve while I am a junior in high school.  To me, when you speak of a resolution, you must achieve it.  It is like a deal that you make with yourself, and everyone has to live up to their deals.  Although the resolutions that I told myself I was going to achieve resolutions will take a lot of hard work, focus, and commitment, however  I am willing to put in whatever it takes to accomplish these new goals.

       The first resolution I set for myself is to get a score of 4 or above on my AP Statistics class.  although I had difficulties in my last AP class, I am committed to studying hard and getting all the concepts that I will need to learn.  Throughout the last AP class that I had, which was American history, i took little heed to my teachers warning of how much time you have to put in.  Like many of my fellow classmates, we ended up learning the hard way.  However, I am not a big history fan, but mathematics is a different story.  Ever since I started learning math in elementary school, I have enjoyed and understood it.  AP Statistics is math that deals with real life problems and although it is a college level course, I think I will be able to understand all the concepts.  Not only will a good score impress my family, but it will help me get a more broad range of colleges that would be willing to accept me.  This resolution will take time and concentration, but I believe that I can do it.

      The second resolution I set for myself is to become stronger.  I have had this goal come up in the past and I would start lifting weights and drinking protein shakes, but after a while, I would not stay on my work out schedule as strictly and eventually I would stop working out completely, besides the sports that I play.  This new school year is another start to keep my mind focused, and to keep my body working hard.  Although I would like to be able to bench 200 pounds by the end of the school year, academics always come first.  This goal will take some time off my studies, but if I work out instead of watching television or going online, I am sure that I could keep focus and achieve my goal.

       The final resolution that I have made for myself is to be able to play a new instrument.  Honestly, I cant tell you what instrument that will be, but over time, one will stand out, they always do.  This is the way I have picked up guitar, drums, piano, and ukulele.  When I see one instrument being played and I stand in awe at the sound, I'll pick it up and start to learn it online.  One instrument that I am slowly picking up now is the bass guitar.  I have been learning it since I heard my sister's boyfriend play his bass guitar in his own band!  I had never known the bass guitar could sound like that.  I always thought it was just for looks.  While I was making my resolutions, I decided that the bass guitar would not count as a new instrument learned because I already know it's basics.

       As the new school year starts, I am committed to achieving my resolutions that I have made.  These resolutions will bring me joy, pride, and a look to a better future.  This is why I am ready to do all that it takes to conquer these goals.