JOURNAL 1 - Revised

First of all, since this is my second year at METU and I am relatively more accustommed to the university atmosphere, it will be better if I answer the first question according to my first year experiences. When I came to METU for the first time, I realized that it is a competely different world. The campus was so big and I got lost at least four or five times; people seemed so arrogant and I could not have many friends, and there were just too many things that I had to take care of. For the first time in my life, I had to leave my house and do my jobs on my own. After a while, homesickness, bureaucratic procedures to be followed, dormitory life and a feeling of loneliness and alienation started to suffocate me; even I hated the school. However, I had to get accustommed to my new life, so I tried to endure. Thankfully, my lessons were not difficult; I was in the preparation school. This left me some room. I met many people from different departments and backgrounds. As I talked to more people, I came to realize that eveybody had problems, missed their family and struggled to get accustommed to their new life. In the high school, all of my friends and other students had approximately the same way of thinking, living and even income level. Here in METU, I started to appreciate differences and gained a flexible point of view. I have learned that there is no exact right or exact wrong. I had many mistakes, but all these have contributed to my psychological, social and academic development. Additionally, I believe that this adaption process still keeps going on and will keep going on,, because being a METU student means learning something new every day. In this process my family supports me greatly. Whenever I feel down, they try to console me and give advice to me and this really works. Also, my high school class was comprised of sixteen students and six of us, including me, came to METU. We try to see each other when we have time, and do our best to help each other. In the university life one can feel very lonely from time to time, so it is really reassuring to know that there are people caring about you. At present, I am trying to get accustomed to the academic understanding of our department as it is really different from that of the preparation school. In addition, as always, I miss my home and family. However, thankfully, my hometown, Kırıkkale, is really very close to Ankara, so I go there whenever I have the chance to. As for my thoughts about METU, I can say that it really meets, even exceeds, my expectations. My high school english teacher is a graduate of METU and she used to talk about it much, and I had visited it before making a choice, so I was well-informed about METU and did not experience much surprise in terms of its high quality academics. What I like most about METU is its free and tolerant environment, and of course its amazing nature. I think being a student of METU means being an open-minded and non-judgemental individual and having lots of big opportunities at our disposal to become a well- developed and productive member of our nation. 

JOURNAL 5

FASHION

     What does it mean ‘’ fashion ‘’ ? Do you follow fashion closely, or  are you one of those who have a fixed style of her/his own ? Do you think fashion is an illusion or do you think that it is a way of self-expression ?

     Fashion is the popular way of clothing and behaving. It covers a wide range of things like shoes, bags, hats, jewellry, dresses, make-up styles, hair styles and even perfumes. Millions of people all around the world follow fashion weeks, designers and famous brands like Chanel or Dior very closely and dress accordingly. However, I am not one of those. Whenever I think about fashion what comes to my mind is only strange costumes with astronomic prices. I wanted to get rid of this image and gain some knowledge about this subject, so I decided to write about it.

     I used to think that fashion appeals to only a limited group that has sufficient budget to follow it or dress according to fashion. Nevertheless, I learned that this has changed. While I was searching on the internet, I came across with many blogs about fashion. Whereas some blog writers just gave information about fashion, some wrote about their views about fashion. There were even some writer that shared their designs. Also, I realized that almost all newspapers have a page about fashion. All of them made me realize that fashion is not so far from the public.

     

     

        

     Street fashion is another aspect that shows how fashion and and the public is closely connected. This type of fashion is created not by designers in studios but by the ordinary people themselves. They create their own style with different combinations of clothes and accessories. 

     Fashion is inseparable from daily life because it is a way of self-expression. People use it to convey their political view or to reveal their personality. For example, Hippies were popular for their shabby clothes and frizzy hairstyles. Similarly, people, especially teenagers, who favor emo craze wear ratty clothes and have  strange hair color and hairstyles.

                      

       To conclude, fashion actually is deeply rooted in our daily life. Even if we do not follow fashion, we dress to give a message to others about ourselves. Similarly, we judge people according to their clothes. They give us a big chance to manipulate on others’s opinion about us. In my opinion, this is very dangerous. Therefore, we should not be obsessed with the external appearance since it may be deceptive.

VIDEO REFLECTION 5

    FASHION

      This is a video that summarizes famous musicians’s styles. I chose this video because I find it very entertaining. Firstly, the background music is very nice, so it attracts attention. Secondly, it covers most of the popular musicians, from Elvis Presley to Justin Bieber, and how their styles change over years. What I like most about this video is that it shows how style is closely connected to music. Unfortunately, apart from a few exceptions, all musicians show up in concerts or in TV shows with gorgeous clothes, posh hair styles or with lots of jewellery. I understand that their job requires not only a good voice but also a good look, but I do not like the way they influence the public. Millions of people buy original or ‘’ fake ‘’ products they use, or they dress like them; in other words, they like to be their idols. This causes them to fall the traps of captalism, I believe. However, nobody seems unhappy because of  this. In this way, fans have a chance to ‘’ look like their idols’’ and they can have a kind of a connection with them. Also, more products are sold, so traders are content with this situation, too. Furthermore, famous musicians contribute to fashion with their style. For example, Justin Bieber style haircut seems to be the new craze among teenagers nowadays due to his popularity. Although musicians’ look changes as the time goes by, it seems that they will keep influencing the fashion as they did in past. 

JOURNAL 4

 AUGUST RUSH

     ‘’ I believe in music the way some people believe in fairy tales. But I hear it comes from my father and mother. Once upon a time they fell in love… ‘’

      These are the opening words of the drama film ‘’ August Rush ’’, which was made in 2007. It is my favorite film and that’s why I chose to talk about it.

  

   Its plot is based on three main characters, Louis, Lyla and Evan. In 1995, Louis, the singer of the band ‘’ The Connelly Brothers ‘’, and Lyla, a cellist in an orchestra, meet in a party and fall in love with each other. They sleep together that night; however, Lyla has to rush to Chicago with her despotic father to join another concert the other morning. They promise to meet again, but Lyla’s father does not let her to meet Louis. Therefore, they lose contact. For months, Louis waits for her but Lyla does not show up. Meanwhile, Lyla understands that she is pregnant; nevertheless, her father wants her to give up the baby. While arguing with him, Lyla rushes off to street and she is hit by a car. Due to the accident, she gives birth prematurely and her father tells her that she lost the baby. However, he has given the baby to an orphanage to get rid of him. As years pass, both Louis and Lyla quit their musical career and they stop hoping that they will meet again. Meanwhile, that baby, Evan, grows up with the hope that one day he will find his family. At the age of 11, he runs away from the orphanage and goes to New York to find his mother and father. One day in his death bed, her father tells her that the baby was alive and he gave him to an orphanage. Upon learning this, she starts to look for her son. At the same time, Louis understands that his life is meaningless without Lyla and music, so he starts to look for Lyla.  While their quest to find each other, Lyla, Louis and Evan find out that their common point is music and that they can make their voice heard only by means of music. Therefore, Louis comes to New York to sing for the last time. The same night, Lyla decides to take part in a big concert, in which Evan will take part in, too. After the concert, while heading to the airport, Louis sees Lyla’s name on a banner and runs to the concert place to find her. While Lyla is about to leave the concert place, she hears Evan’s music and understands that he is her son. At that time, Louis touches her hand and they look at their son with proud.

     I hope I managed to summarize the plot well because it proceeds in a very complicated way in the film. I like the film very much because it portrays the purity of real love in an amazing way. I can’t help myself feel sympathy and warmth every time I watch it. The main point of the film is that true love is like the music inside us. This music is deeply rooted in the rhtym of our hearth. If we eliminate the noise, we could hear it. As August says ‘’ The music is all around us. All you have to do is to listen.’’   

VIDEO REFLECTION 4

VIDEO REFLECTION 4

     This is a video that covers the first 8 minutes of the film ‘’ August Rush ‘’. In this part, we can see how Lyla and Louis meet. My favorite part is Louis’ and Lyla’s duet. Although they are in different places, they can hear each other’s music. This shows how they are connected closely and deeply. Also, I like the musics of the film. Moreover, it got an Oscar nomination for the best original soundtrack. Music has the key role in the film and it conveys the theme of the film in a very effective way. Additionally, I like Jonathan Meyer’s singing a lot. Although he is known for his acting career, he is very talented at singing, too. I strongly recommend everybody to watch this film because it shows what the true love is and what the real beauty is. 

JOURNAL 3

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS !    

      A couple of weeks ago, in many parts of the world the new year’s eve was celebrated. In the first day of the year 2012, many people woke up with excitement, hope and new plans. In my opinion, the new year’s eve should be perceived in a different way, so I decided to write about this topic.

 What makes December 31th a different day from January 1st ? I think what makes it a special day is our perception. The first day of the new year means a brand-new start, the possibility of the great things to come and the proof that we managed to get over the previous year. We make plans; we resolve to lose weight or find a new job or a lover. We promise to ourselves that this year will be a better one. We will act more responsibly or we will never do the same mistakes we did in the previous years. Our memories, our dreams, our expectations and our hopes… They all are mixed in one single day, in the first day of the new year. This is the real thing that makes this day unique. However, there is something forgotten. The previous year was once the new year. The days we spent were once tomorrows. We always think that the future will be better but today was once the future. Only 3 weeks ago we were full of excitement and hope but this feeling seems to have faded away already.    

      We all should perceive each day with the same excitement and zest we feel in the Christmas. Each day is unique. Each day brings us to our end closer and closer, so we should give importance to each day as long as we live. Instead of regretting our mistakes or delaying our plans for the sake of work or something else, we should try to find out how we can benefit from every single moment of our life before long. If you are one of those who favor to-do-lists, let ‘’ Enjoy each moment !’’ be your first thing to do this year. 

  

VIDEO REFLECTION 3

VIDEO REFLECTION

     This is one of the Coca Cola advertisements in 1930s. I chose this video because it is closely related to what I think about the first day of the year. As it can be seen, it features Santa Claus. He comes to a house to give gifts to children. He sees that they left a bottle of Coke for him. While he is drinking, his hat falls and the children watching him laugh. After that, Santa and the children hug each other and the commercial ends. The common image associated with the new year’s  eve is Santa Claus, of course. As the new year’s eve approaches, we see Santa Claus figures, costumes or masks. They are everywhere. Since I respect him as a religious figure, I hate the way he is associated with consumerism. Many people know Santa Claus. However, few people know the fact that until 1930s, when Coca Cola advertisements featuring him were released, Santa was an unpopular figure in Christianity. Haddon Sundblom's illustration of Santa for Coke advertisements was an old and fat man with a costume consisting of white, red and black colors, i.e the colors of Coca Cola. Obviously, the advertisements were meant to attract the attention of families and children with the cute and affectionate image of Santa to gain more profit. In the end, the advertisements proved to be effective and  they are still by far the most popular advertisement of Coca Cola. They have affected our perception of Santa Claus and Christmas deeply. The image created by Sundblom has become the common figure of Santa. Today we see the new years eve as a way of spending more money or drinking more or having fun more. All these contribute to the flow of money in the market and increases the profit of companies as they did 80 years ago to the Coca Cola company. However, I think the new year should be regarded with more dignity. In the first day of 2012, instead of falling in the traps of consumerism and forgetting the importance of that day, Christians, Muslims or Jews, we all should think about how we spent the previous year and how we should spend the new one.

GRAMMAR EXERCISE - Fill in the Gaps

1) COLD COMFORT

 Not so long ago, many of us resisted separating the glass, cans, and paper out of our garbage. What a hassle. Today, of course, every second-grader knows that the world's resources are limited and that recycling helps preserve them. We act locally, while thinking globally. It's time to bring the same consciousness to health care as we face a growing medical crisis: the loss of antibiotic effectiveness against common bacterial illnesses. By personally refusing—or not demanding—antibiotics for viral illnesses they won't cure, we can each take a step toward prolonging overall antibiotic effectiveness.

Media reports have likely made you aware of this problem, but they have neglected the implications. Your brother catches a cold that turns into a sinus infection. His doctor treats him with antibiotics, but the bacteria are resistant to all of them. The infection enters his bloodstream—a condition known as septicemia—and a few days later, your brother dies. (Septicemia is what killed Muppets creator Jim Henson a few years ago.) Or instead of a cold, he has an infected cut that won't heal, or any other common bacterial disease, such as an ear or prostate infection.

Far-fetched? It's not. The antibiotics crisis is real. Consider Streptococcus pneumoniae: This common bacterium often causes post-flu pneumonia. (Pneumonia and influenza combined are the  country's sixth leading cause of death, killing 82,500 Americans in 1996.) Before 1980, less than 1 percent of S. pneumoniae samples showed any resistance to penicillin. As of last May, researchers at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego discovered that 22 percent of S. pneumoniae samples were highly resistant to it, with another 15 percent moderately so. And the most recent statistics from the Sentry Antimicrobial Surveillance Program, which monitors bacterial resistance at 70 medical centers in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and South America, show that 44 percent of S. pneumoniae samples in the U.S. are highly resistant, and worldwide, resistance is at an all-time high (55 percent).

2) Soccer — or football (or foosball or futbol), as it is called by the rest of the world outside theUnited States is surely the most popular sport in the world. Every four years, the world championship of soccer, the World Cup is watched by literally billions all over the world, beating out the United States professional football's Superbowl by far. It is estimated that 1.7 billion television viewers watched the World Cup final between France and Brazil in July of 1998. And it is also a genuine world championship, involving teams from many countries(as many as 172)and played in venues all over the globe, unlike the much more parochial and misnamed World Series in American baseball (that doesn’t even involve Japan or Cuba, two baseball hotbeds). But although soccer has become an important sport in the American sports scene, it will never make inroads into the hearts and markets of American sports the way that football, basketball, hockey, baseball, and even tennis and golf have done. There are many reasons for this.

Recently the New England Revolution beat the Tampa Bay Mutiny in a game played during a horrid rainstorm. Nearly 5000 fans showed up, which shows that soccer is, indeed, popular in the United States. However, the story of the game was buried near the back of the newspaper's sports section, and there was certainly no television coverage. In fact, the biggest reason for soccer's failure as a mass appeal sport in the United States is that it doesn't conform easily to the demands of television.

Basketball succeeds enormously in America because it regularly scheduled what it calls "television time-outs" as well as the time-outs that the teams themselves call to re-group, not to mention half-times and, on the professional level, quarter breaks. Those time-outs in the action are ideally made for television commercials. And television coverage is the lifeblood of American sports. College basketball lives for a game scheduled on CBS or ESPN (highly recruited high school players are more likely to go to a team that regularly gets national television exposure), and we could even say that television coverage has dictated the pace and feel of American football. Anyone who has attended a live football game knows how commercial time-outs slow the game and sometimes, at its most exciting moments disrupt the flow of events. No one raises an objection, however, because without television, football knows that it simply wouldn't remain in the homes and hearts of Americans. Also, without those advertising dollars, the teams couldn't afford the sky-high salaries of their high-priced superstars.