So for this focusing exercise Professor Sanjurjo asked us to write about a first time or a first experience in our lives.  Many of my firsts I could not remember, such as my first time waking and other of my firsts were just too embarrassing to talk about in my blog (e.g. my first kiss).  After a couple of minutes thinking, a light bulb just turned on in my head.  What better experience to write about other than my first day with my first puppy!        

So for most of my life I have always wanted a puppy of my own to take care of and to play with, but my parents thought it was too great of a responsibility.  After years of begging, for my 16th birthday I fell in love with the dog food commercials from Ceasar and asked for a West Highland White Terrier.  Finally my parents agreed to letting me have one!  So my mom, dad and I went all the way in mom's car to the Barceloneta Outles and met up with the breeders there.  It was a sunny day and the Outlets were as colorful as ever.  We met with the breeders on the road besides the outlets, under a bridge that is created by another road on top.  There the breeder opened the trunk of the car and showed us two westie puppies that were very small, really white, and both girls, in fact they were sisters.  We ended up choosing the smallest one and took her with us home.  

The newest addition to the family had thick, medium lengthed, white fur and really big ears (too big for her small body).  She smelled clean and her fur was soft to the touch,.   

During the car ride home I could sense that she was impatient and nervous, being taken away from her sister by strangers (us) could not have been easy.  On our way home we called my brother Carlos to brainstorm about her name.  Then he remembered that a week before we had gone as a family to see Disney's Wal-e.  In the move Wal-e falls in love with a small, white robot named Eva, but he could never pronounce her name correctly and said Iva.  So that's what we named her Iva.  

Later that night it was time for Iva's bed time, so I placed her in her own dog bed but she didn't seem to like it and preferred the floor.  She kept making this wining noise that worried me.  It was as though she was crying for being in an unfamiliar place.  Being my first puppy ever I had no idea what to do or how to make her go to sleep!  That's when after two hours of trying to get her to sleep tears began to run down my face.  It seems silly to me now recalling the story but I felt desperate.  I thought it was much more easier taking care of a puppy, but reality checked in.     

Having my first puppy was more difficult than expected, but the reward was worth it.  I would now feel incomplete without Iva in my life and could not imagine my life right now without her. 

People come and go throughout our lives, but those who stay leave a clear impression in our minds of who they were and their appearance. Two significant persons very close to my heart are my paternal grandparents.  I loved my maternal grandparents also but Abuelito Guillo and Abuelita Cocó picked me up after school almost every single day until my parents got out of work.  They spoiled me (like all grandparents do), took me to the doctor when I was sick, made my birthday cakes, and took me to tennis classes.  

When telling me the story of how my Ito met Ita, he described her like the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.  He said she had beautiful green eyes, natural blond hair (which is rare her in Puerto Rico), and fair skin.  I never got to see a picture of my grandma at that age of 17, probably because there weren't many cameras in those years, but he then showed me one of her during her early thirties.  She had her hair short with curls, just like she used it until she passed away, piercing green eyes, and brownish-red lips.  The photograph only showed her from her neck up and it seemed she was staring into the abyss.  During old age Ita still had her hair short in curs like she liked it with some highlights that gave it dimension.  I remember that her neighbor, Tati, did her curls every week.  Grandma was a bit overweight and had a hunch on the back of her neck due to arthritis.  Her eyes were now a blueish-green and she had a beautiful smile that was contagious.   

While Ito always complemented my grandma until the age of 80 for her beauty, he never found himself handsome.  Hard to believe as I saw a picture of him when he was in the army dressed in his uniform.  Abuelito Guillo was indeed handsome, contrary to what he might have said.  It was a black and white photograph of him.  He was standing tall in his uniform and he was notably physically fit.  He had big biceps and a wide back.  The memory I have of him at 88 is still embedded in my brain.  He had a really big nose, I jokingly called it a Jewish nose.  His skin was brown in color and he was a little bent over due to aging, but besides that he was still notably in good physical health.  He used to walk everyday for one hour, did sit ups constantly, and watched what he would eat to maintain his healthy weight.  His brown eyes were deep in his face and had some dark discoloration under them, also due to aging.  He had almost no hair and the little amount of hair he had on his head was white.   

Overall my Abuelitos were two very beautiful human beings and their spirits and memories will stay with me forever.  

Focusing Excersie:  Describe an image in a magazine

A magazine from Palmas del Mar named Live and Life Magazine portrays an entire page with the image of a Sport Yacht.  The page has various images from different rooms inside the yacht.  The first image is of the outside of the boat.  It is a white, small, but elegant boat.  The biggest image is of its dining room.  It has a squared, wooden table that may fit four or five tightly.  On top of the dining table are some cream colored placemats with some white plates placed on top of them.  On the middle of the table there are some pink flowers that seem to be daisies.  On the right side of the table there is a cream colored booth decorated with four pillows that have either stripes or flower prints.  The celling is also cream colored with some built-in lighting and the floor is hard wood.  The cabinets are also made out of maple colored wood and have a sort of shine to them.   Behind the booth there is a wide window where we see what may be either a lake or an ocean and behind it a beautiful sunset.  The sky above is orange and makes the water seem a bit pink and purple colored. There are some mountains and trees under the sunset that make the scenery breathe taking.  The image makes you feel like you want to buy that boat, have it all to yourself and be able to relax and enjoy the aweing sunset.    

At the beginning of September this year two representatives from Puerto Rico's government proposed a project where the medicinal use of marijuana would be decriminalized.  Before continuing I have to mention that since the project was proposed, there seem to have been some modifications made to it.  Not only the discussion of legalizing the therapeutic use of marijuana has taken place but there is also into debate the legalization of its recreational use.  Nonetheless, I will be addressing the debate for its medicinal use.  

The project states that those who would be classified in need of marijuana as a therapeutic medicine would only be able to use it in the privacy of their homes, not in public places.  Those who may not have the financial ability to buy pot from producers or those who may live too far from a pot shop would be given a permit to grow their own plants.  This new project has aroused much debate and conflict in the island.  There has been an observable trend where most of the younger adults are in favor of this project, while the majority of adults in their 50's and older are not.   

The issue of the legalization of marijuana is very important because it brings up valid points in both cases.  Many countries and states such as Holland have legalized its use and it seems that it has not caused any negative effects, on the contrary there is less criminality and there are less people in jail.  

In my opinion, if the legalization of marijuana will help decrease the criminality in Puerto Rico, then it is an issue that must be considered by our government.  The current governor said that he does not have a problem with debating the issue, but that he does not find it to be urgent.  After doing my research I believe it is somewhat of an urgent issue.  The criminality here in the island is off the charts and if conventional actions are not reducing it then we need to try unorthodox methods in which to lower it.

I believe that just like the uncertainty of our status, the issue of the legalization of marijuana in the island will be dwelling for many years to come.  At least it seems clear that under the current governance of Alejandro Garcia Padilla, this issue will not be resolved.    

Dear Grammar
,
You are so important, yet so boring. 


Sincerely, 
Expository Writing Student  

Eliminating Wordiness 1

1. Many local farmers plan to attend next Friday's meeting. 
2. Bradley Hall is usually filled with students who do not study the building as a structure.
3. He dropped out of school to help support his family.
4. The new bus schedule will be announced soon. 
5. A student interested in meeting foreign students can meet one through many circumstances.  
6. It is unusual to find someone who has told a lie accidentally.
7. People cause trouble by disobeying safety rules. 
8. At a campus rally, some students were arrested for disorderly conduct while others for organizing a public meeting without a permit.  
9. Subjects considered most important by students are those useful to them after graduation. 
10. Soon, college freshmen will need to meet with academic advisers to talk about a major. 
11. Our company provides opportunities for professional growth and stability in the dynamic field of aerospace technology.  
12. Some people favor capital punishment, while others do not. 

Eliminating Wordiness II

1. The cliff dropped to reefs seventy-five feet below, which were barely visible through the fog.
2. The car, full of gasoline, is ready for the night-long drive.
3. Blanche, a good athlete and a member of the track team, sometimes ran with Stan.
4. The candy Taylor brought from Europe tasted strange and was shaped differently. 
5. Government leaders like to mention the creation of new jobs, claiming that these jobs indicate a strong economy, but ignoring the fact that low wage jobs without benefits and security have replaced many good jobs. 

Eliminating Wordiness part 3

Many enjoy reading murder mysteries due to the fact that it is a way to escape from daily, boring routines.  These readers do not want to participate in a murder nor cause one, they are  only looking for a little excitement. 

These murder mysteries end up being told in a very realistic way.  The characters in these novels have believable qualities and traits.  Also, the hero of the novel solves the mystery with methods that involve logic and reasoning. 

Even though murder mysteries are written in a very realistic manner, they too have an element of fantasy.  The reader plays a sort of game where he/she suspends human emotions such as pity and sympathy for the victims.  These murder mysteries help the reader hide from true life and death situations in the real world.  

I was looking over my past blog posts and noticed that my post titled "Where Words Fail, Music Speaks" was missing a conclusion and had some errors I had not noticed.  Now I had the opportunity to edit it and was hoping to receive some feedback on it.  Specifically I want readers to comment about the content and grammar.  Don't be shy to say if you do not like the artists I picked and why.  Like the Professor said, feedback is all about sandwiching it. 

3.  Wannabe - Spice Girls 
The Spice Girls were the only girl group that really made it to the top in this boy band era,   I used to listen to their songs and watch their movie with my friends.  We would always end up fighting over who got to be who.  

AS some of you might be aware of, the online college magazine named Hercampus, publishes every Tuesday new articles about fashion, college events happening at the UPR, and advice.  Last Tuesday, an article named "A Collegiate's Classification of UPR Men had many people lmao-ing and sharing it on their facebook pages.  This article classified UPR men depending on the faculty they belonged to and the stereotypes of that faculty.  I personally found the article to be hilarious and clever since the author made up a species name to each of the faculty men such as "Homo jodido" for the men that belong to the Natural Sciences Faculty.
    
I found most of her classifications to be true, of course these are stereotypes that might describe the majority of the men at the faculties, so always keep in mind that not all of the men are going to be an exact replica of the stereotype.  As the author mentions there are the exceptions. Since I belong to the Naturales Faculty I was able to critic on this stereotype the best, and find that she nailed it.  The men from Naturales (that are in their final years) are ALWAYS talking about their MCAT exams and how much they are to study for it.  In fact there is a graph that can explain this much better (see picture below).    

This pie chart portrays exactly what UPR men from Naturales do.  They spend approximately 99% of their time complaining and telling people how much they have to study but when it comes down to the truth they spend only 1% of their time studying.  As for the women from Naturales, yes including me, its prety much the same.  Yes I have to admit it, Even though we spend a lot of time studying, most of the time we spent talking about how much we have to study.  Not very helpful I must admit.  

As I said I found the article to be very funny.  Nevertheless, I would have added one more faculty, even though this one is a graduate school it is still inside the UPR: this is UPR's Law School.  The men from "Leyes" are tall, dark, and handsome; and they are always dressed well, and clean cut.  You will NEVER find one hanging around the Upi since they consider themselves too mature and have outgrown that phase.  This will be named "Homo abogado" and are only spotted either studying quietly at the "leyes library" or having a quick bite at their cafeteria in order to go back to studying at the library.  

If I were to describe the girls from Leyes, they would definitely be classified under "Homo fashionista".  They are never ever seen with flat sandals as they are always towering over others on their Novous platform shoes.  They carry a big designer purse on their arm filled with 1 pound of make up.  They are also seen studying long hours at the leyes library and at the cafeteria interacting with "Homo abogado". 

Over all, "A Collegiate's Classification of UPR Men" is an article that I recommend for both women AND men.  It is very clever and although I find the article is missing a conclusion, the author did a great job of writing an article that is captivating from begging to end. All the reader has to do is to take the article as a joke and not take it so personally.  The author is using stereotypes in a no-harm-meant, funny way. 

In my opinion music is a very powerful instrument that is able to change a person's mood, inspire, and change one's day.  Many students use it while studying, professionals use it while working, and athletes use it while practicing.  This is what makes music universal.  It is able to touch anyone in the planet even if the lyrics are in an unknown language (take the example of "Gangnam Style"... lol just kidding).  Lyrics in some songs can be very powerful, however an instrumental song can be just as powerful or even more powerful than one with lyrics.  Having said this I will show you three artists that their music has touched me in different but meaningful ways.  These three artists are from different music genre, nationalities and backgrounds; all characteristics that mold and shape the work of an artist. 

1.  Rubén Blades
The music of this Panamanian born songwriter, lawyer, singer, actor, and aspired politician was presented to me by my dear father, a self-proclaimed "cocolo", as we say here in Puerto Rico.  It seemed that every time my family went for a ride around the island by car, dad had a CD of Rubén Blades playing.  His music is packed of powerful lyrics that tell the story of political, social, and moral situations.  Besides sending a good message, Rubén Blades' music is able to put anyone to dance with its catchy rhythms and salsa beats.  Seeing him in concert is a must as his music reaches higher levels of energy when performed in front of an audience.  For you who are not familiar with his music, there are a few sites on the internet filled with pictures, lyrics, and information on the artist.  

    A.  http://www.rubenblades.com/
       The first is his official website: The fun thing about this website is that it is filled with            current news about the artist himself, such as where his new concerts will take place          and what political movements is he affiliating himself with.. 
   B.  http://www.rubenblades.com/
       This website is really cool because it lists his most popular songs in descending order.            plus it has videos of him singing at concerts!  
   C.  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/rub%C3%A9n-blades-mn0000296024
       Allmusic.com has all his CD albums, songs, and awards listed for you to see.  In addition, It        has sort of a "Pandora" section where it demonstrates artists related to Rubén Blades'        music. 

The video posted below is from one of Blades' concerts, singing to one of my favorite songs "Amor y Control".  In this song he tells the story of a dysfunctional family he is observing.  The dad is standing by his son even though he is a thief and a drug user.  Blades sings about how even though the father knows that what his son is doing is wrong, he will not shun him and will do everything he can to help his son.  

2.  Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer is a German film composer and music producer who has composed music for over 100 films.  You might recognize his music from films such as The Lion King, The Dark Night, and Gladiator to name a few.  However, my interest in his music emerged after watching the romance comedy named The Holiday starting Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black, and Jude Law.  The soundtrack to this movie is filled with inspirational works of art that include "Maestro", "Gumption", and many more.  To me his music can go from placing tears in your eyes beautiful to downright inspiring.  I listen to him every time I need a pick me up and am feeling kind of depressed since his music gives me a relieving sense of hope. 


A.  http://www.hans-zimmer.com/
His (almost) official web site is filled with an incredible list of all the soundtracks to         movies he has recorded yearly! 
B.  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001877/
For being a renowned film composer, Hans Zimmer has his own page in the International   Movie Database website.  This page is filled with pictures of him and with pictures of the   movies he has composed of.  This will be very helpful when you don't remember the name of the movie he composed for but do remember the actors in it.   
C.  https://www.facebook.com/hanszimmer
What better to get to know someone than through facebook! Well Hans Zimmer has his   own facebook page where you can post questions about his newest works, comment on  his past music, and share videos and links of his interview videos.

3.  Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga's music is fun, upbeat, and different (not to use the word weird).  Her music and outfits have brought back the element of drama that was missing in pop culture since the dawn of Madonna.   Gaga's music videos are filled with controversial images and story lines that are sure to capture the audience's attention.  On the other hand, Lady Gaga's music also sends a social message, most of it being on homosexual rights, this is very notable in some of her songs such as "Born this Way".  The photo to the left is me dressed up for her concert from last year in Puerto Rico.  Did I say it was AMAZING?!  Everything from the dancers, to the background to the lights, and props were just spectacular.  That woman really knows how to put on a show.  

A. http://www.ladygaga.com/applause-video
Her official site is filled with artsy pictures of Gaga and ways to give to charity. 

B.  https://www.facebook.com/ladygagapr
The facebook page known as Lady Gaga Puerto Rico is a good one to stay in the know of what Gaga's "little monsters" in the island are up to.  The page is filled with photos of her concert here for those who did not have a chance to go see it.

C.  https://twitter.com/ladygaga
What better way to stay in the loop with Gaga's tours, personal projects, and thoughts than through Gaga herself!  Her twitter page is full of tweets that say when she will appear in a show as a guest like in Good Morning America and where her next concert will be. 

The video below is the short version of Lady Gaga's "Telephone"; her real video is approximate 10 minutes long, but VEVO won't let me post it here.  Like I said I like this artist a lot because she puts a story into every single of hers when she makes these crazy music videos.  In this single, Beyoncé is a featured artist and makes the song and video even better.  

Clearly all of the three artists I chose are VERY different.  Nevertheless, their lyrics, melodies, choreographies, music videos, and the messages they send are all made with the same goal:  that goal is to express themselves.  Weather it is Lady Gaga's extravagant and controversial music or Ruben Blade's political music, these people are expressing themselves in creative ways.  I belief we should all follow their footsteps and search for creative outlets that convey our emotions.   

This organization came to mind when a friend of mine emailed me an article relating to a common practice done in some countries in Africa commonly known as female circumcision.  What quickly grabbed my attention was the word circumcision, a word that is not typically used with "female" in the same sentences  "Circumcision" is a word commonly used when referring to the removal of the male foreskin from his genitals.  An optional and medically accepted procedure that does not harm the the health of the male.  On the other hand, female circumcision or "female genital mutilation" (FGM), is a procedure that involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons.  This practice is one that raises health issues, violates human rights, and is most of the time done with lack of informed consent.  Some health consequences caused by FGM include recurrent urinary and vaginal infections, infertility, and chronic pain.       

This procedure is done following the belief that it will make a woman PURE.  I understand that this practice is one that seems unorthodox to western society and follows beliefs and traditions that maybe we will never be able to understand.  However, even though we must respect the beliefs and practices of others, women's rights, especially young girl's rights should be implemented.  This organization aims to educate young girls around the age of puberty about female circumcision and its side effects.  The My Body is a Temple Organization also has a hotline that helps young girls that feel pressured and forced to undergo this procedure.