Why People Judge Others From Their Clothes ( Journal#28 )

Judging people from their clothes is a very controversial question. Some people pay a great attention to the appearance of people they meet the first time. Others don’t consider clothes to be the most important factor of judging new acquaintances. However, it is not doubtful that there are some background reasons why people judge others from their appearance.

Culture is one of the reasons why people take care about what they wear and what others do. In my country, we have a proverb: “Meet people according to their appearance and then analyze their personal traits.” As a result, it is very important to look good when you have a job interview, a meeting or any other situations when you meet people the first time. For example, in the USA students can wear whatever they want – from very short shorts and skirts to very open T-shirts. In my country, you will barely see such kind of clothes; they usually prefer moderate style of clothes. I mean you can open some parts of your body, but to a certain point, otherwise some people may have a bad impression about you. Culture may influence people’s attitudes towards what clothes are appropriate in certain situations.

Another reason why people judge others from their clothes is personal experience. When we see someone the first time we can form our opinion of him or her on the basis of our former experience. For example, when I came to the USA my home stay mom was supposed to pick me up from the hotel. She was late and I decided to wait for her in the hall. I went down and saw a young woman sitting in the corner. The idea that it was my home stay mom hadn’t even come to my mind, because she looked very young and official. She was wearing black pants and a colorful blouse. Her hair was carefully styled. All details of her appearance looked perfect. My impression of this picture was: “She is a very smart person. She likes purity and order. She is very diplomatic in relationships with other people.” When I got to know her a little bit closer, it turned out that my assumptions were right.

In sum, culture and personal experience are two reasons which influence our judgment of other people from their clothes. To my opinion, sometimes, our impression of our other people from their clothes may be wrong due to some internal and external factors.

What I Am Thankful For... ( Journal#27 )

First, I am thankful for the opportunity to come to the USA and study here, because I have met a lot of wonderful people here: my friends, my teachers and my home stay mom. In addition, I have tried new cuisines and I have visited some awesome places. In general, it is an amazing novel experience.

Second, I am thankful for my family and friends who are in my home country; because I love them very much and they let me know that they love me too.

Third, I am thankful for every day I live, because every day is special and it will never repeat again.

Beshbarmak ( Journal#26 )

Beshbarmak is perhaps the most typical Kyrgyz dish. The dish is meant to be eaten with the hands, not with a knife and fork! "Besh" means five, and "barmak", finger. Beshbarmak is served when guests arrive and at almost any festive gathering. There is quite a ritual involved in preparing the meal. The simple version of the dish consists of noodles, which are mixed with boiled meat cut into tiny pieces and served with a medium spicy sauce. Bouillon is then poured over the mixture.

Generally, a sheep is slaughtered, butchered and boiled in a large “kazan” (a large round pot) for a couple of hours. The bones with the meat still on them are then distributed to the assembled gathering. The oldest people and honored guests are presented with the choicest bones first of all. The guest of honor is presented with the head – and by tradition should have the sheep's eyes. To the “Alksakals” – old men – go the thigh bone (“jambash”) – to the older women goes the fat tail (“kuiruk”). The legs and shoulders are distributed to the young adults present – and the smaller bones are reserved for the daughter in law of the household. Some meat is diced and mixed with boiled noodles.

Besh Barmak (Kyrgyz national dish)
Ingredients:
1 medium sheep or 3 kilograms of mutton or beef

1 kilogram onions

4 cups of flour

1 egg
Directions:

Put the meat in a large pot along with onions and boil for two hours. While the meat is cooking prepare the noodles (store bought noodles can be substituted).

Noodles: make a pile with the flour. Beat the egg and add it to the flour, then mix in warm salt water (1-2 teaspoon salt) until it holds together but it is not so sticky. Knead well and then let stand for 10 minutes. Roll out the pastry into a thin “pancake” and cut it into thin stripes. When meat is done and removed from the water, the noodles are then boiled in the same water to give the noodles a meaty flavor; noodles need to cook for 5 minutes or less.

Sauce: chop onions, add salt, black pepper and beef broth. In individual soup bowls, combine the noodles, onions and meat, pour the broth over each serving. Serve very hot.

What Was It? ( Journal#24 )

I want to tell you the story which happened to my uncle’s neighbor. The guy’s name was Temir. He was shy and unsociable. All his brothers were tall, broad shouldered and muscular because of a hard physical work. They were farmers. However, in comparison with them, Temir was thin and stooping. He seemed to be out of this family. Temir usually didn’t express his emotions and thoughts; he did what he was asked to do. He lived in his own world where other people didn’t exist. And one day something terrible happened to him. It was ordinary day, and as usually in the evening the whole family gathered to have dinner. Nevertheless Temir hadn’t yet come back from the field. It was dark outside and it was unusual for him to be late. The mother began to worry, but one of the brothers said as a joke: “Come on, mom. He is an adult guy. May be he has finally found a girlfriend?!” Suddenly they heard a noise in the yard. They rushed out and saw Temir with a hammer in his hands. He was trying to break the windshield of his father’s car. The whole family was struck by his behavior. They didn’t know how to react to his actions. Temir looked at them and told with hate: “I will make all people respect me!” His brothers realized at once that it was not his voice. Something or somebody grasped his soul and controlled him. They captured Temir and tried to bring him into the house. They were surprised that he was strong enough to resist. Finally, three brothers made him enter the house and tied him to the bed. Temir yelled: “Let me go! I will kill all of you!” The family was frightened and they sent for a priest. When the priest came he asked Temir: “Who are you?” The answer was: “I am Captain Yung Wong.” The priest continued: “What do you need?” The answer was: “I need his body and soul.” The priest said: “We can’t allow you take him. If you don’t leave him, I will start to read prayers.” The captain replied: “Don’t do it. Open the door and I will leave.” They did as he asked them to do. They didn’t hear anything; they felt a cold wind passing them. When Temir came to his mind he didn’t remember anything.

PS: A long time ago, there was a huge Chinese fortress on the place of this village. A lot of people died there and soldiers buried dead bodies into the walls of the fortress. Nowadays only few ruins remind about that terrible days, but people still see inexplicable things there.

Lost in Translation ( Journal#23 )

When people go to foreign countries, they usually bring their culture with them. However, there are always many differences in the way of life. For example, the first few weeks, it was difficult for me to calculate the final sum for groceries in the supermarkets, because 7.75% tax has to be added to the sum. In my country, you see the price on the counters, you pay the same price. Another big problem for me here is transportation; I should arrange my time according to bus schedule. It frames my freedom. Another thing which pursuits me all the time is currency exchange rate. When I buy something I always think how much it is in my home currency. I still can’t get rid of this habit. I can’t say anything about differences between people here and people in my home country, because I think It doesn’t matter from what country you are, the most important thing what a person you are. We can meet good and bad people in every country. Last few months I have met many students from different countries, and I didn’t notice tendency that all people from one country are the same. Of course students from the same country try to find each other and to keep close relationships, because it is the only way to speak their native language which is definitely easier to use than English language.

California Fires ( Journal#22 )

As any natural disasters, fire is a very “destroying weapon”. It ruins everything on its way; no matter it is a live creature or a building. I have never seen mass fires before I came here. The air was so dry sometimes it was difficult to breathe. The wind was hot and strong. The air was filled with smoke and ashes. As a result, the sun was red during the dawn and during the sunset. It was so weird. The fire might begin as a result of a small spark. The squall helped to spread fire very quickly. I understand when fire starts because of an accident. Sometimes such thing happens and we can’t avoid it. But I can’t understand people who start fires intentionally. There must be some logical reasons like envy, revenge, mental illness or something else. Why did they do it? The consequences of fires were terrible. A lot of people lost their homes. Many houses were burgled after people had been evacuated.

Time Tips

1. Count all your time as time to be used and make every attempt to get satisfaction out of every moment.
2. Find something to enjoy in whatever you do.
3. Try to be an optimist and seek out the good in your life.
4. Find ways to build on your successes.
5. Stop regretting your failures and start learning from your mistakes.
6. Remind yourself, "There is always enough time for the important things." If it is important, you should be able to make time to do it.
7. Continually look at ways of freeing up your time.
8. Examine your old habits and search for ways to change or eliminate them.
9. Try to use waiting time-review notes or do practice problems.
10. Keep paper or a calendar with you to jot down the things you have to do or notes to yourself.
11. Examine and revise your lifetime goals on a monthly basis and be sure to include progress towards those goals on a daily basis.
12. Put up reminders in your home or office about your goals.
13. Always keep those long term goals in mind.
14. Plan your day each morning or the night before and set priorities for yourself.
15. Maintain and develop a list of specific things to be done each day, set your priorities and the get the most important ones done as soon in the day as you can. Evaluate your progress at the end of the day briefly.
16. Look ahead in your month and try and anticipate what is going to happen so you can better schedule your time.
17. Try rewarding yourself when you get things done as you had planned, especially the important ones.
18. Do first things first.
19. Have confidence in yourself and in your judgment of priorities and stick to them no matter what.
20. When you catch yourself procrastinating-ask yourself, "What am I avoiding?"
21. Start with the most difficult parts of projects, then either the worst is done or you may find you don't have to do all the other small tasks.
22. Catch yourself when you are involved in unproductive projects and stop as soon as you can.
23. Find time to concentrate on high priority items or activities.
24. Concentrate on one thing at a time.
25. Put your efforts in areas that provide long term benefits.
26. Push yourself and be persistent, especially when you know you are doing well.
27. Think on paper when possible-it makes it easier to review and revise.
28. Be sure and set deadlines for yourself whenever possible.
29. Delegate responsibilities whenever possible.
30. Ask for advice when needed.

Adapted from A. Lakein. How to Get Control of Your Time And Your Life
ÓAcademic Skills Center, Dartmouth College 2001

Time Management ( Journal#21 )

Sometimes we don’t notice that time runs very quickly, we can’t stop it, but we tend to spend our time as efficiently as possible. Time management helps us to organize our tasks and actions within a certain period of time. If people follow their schedules, people will become more organized. It is very important to be always on time: when you turn in your homework, research paper, documents and so on, when you have an appointment or a class, and when you have to do something before a deadline. When I try to organize my time I usually use following tips:

Prioritize assignments - you can begin with the most difficult or with the most important or with the most urgent subject. It is up to you. For example, if you have project assignment and the deadline is next week (Group Survey Project), it is better for you to begin with this subject.

Try to split your homework during the weekends. Don’t think that Sunday is an endless day and you can finish all your homework within one day. Usually it doesn’t work.

Write down things you have to do, and decide what you have to do now and what you can postpone for a later time period.

Watching television is not a waste of time ( Journal#20 )

All people have a leisure time. Some people prefer multitasking rest that is to spend their free time efficiently doing more than one thing at the same time, for instance, we can cook a dinner, watch TV and talk to our family. Others like no-brainer activities, which do not require people to think, for example taking relaxing bath with bubbles and candles. Some people can’t imagine their rest without television. Television is a great entertaining invention. Watching television is having a fun time but at the same time it’s a huge resource of useful information about our planet, people, animals, plants, history and scientific discoveries. Television is also an efficient tool to learn foreign languages. So watching television is not a waste of time, it is the process of having a great time.

First of all, television is a great relaxing tool. Sometimes when people come home, especially if they have had a hard and full of events day, they want to relax and to distract from heavy thoughts. People usually turn on TV in order to watch a good heart touching movie or a very funny comedy. For example, the film “Sense and sensibility” is a captivating romantic comedy with Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant in main roles. This movie is based on Jane Austen’s classic novel, the intriguing plot of the film catches audience’s attention and leads them through Dashwood sisters’ hardships, when Elinor’s and Marianne’s chances at marriage seem doomed by their family’s sudden loss of fortune. When we watch a comedy, funny moments make us laugh; laughing helps us to relax and to get rid of stress and tension inside of us.

In addition, television is an efficient educational tool. Such channels as Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, History Channel, National Geographic Channel and Travel Channel introduce us historical events, scientific discoveries, beautiful places of interests, distant countries, incredible resources of human body, life of wild animals and other treasures of our amazing blue planet. For example, Discovery Channel broadcasts the program “Blue Planet”, which tells us about different marine inhabitants, their fight for being alive and passing on the genes to further generations. At last, television is a great tool of learning foreign languages. When foreign student watch TV they both enrich their vocabulary and develop their listening skills.

In sum, some people can say that watching television is a waste of time; however I strongly believe that advantages of watching TV outweigh its disadvantages.

The New Year ( Journal#19 )

Halloween is a scary holiday of spirits and ghosts, people wear terrifying costumes, play jokes at each other, tell horror stories and so on. This holiday is not popular in my country. The most popular occasion in my country is the New Year. The whole family usually gathers together, we cook holiday dinner, present gifts, decorate New Year tree and just have fun with our relatives. During the day we take children to the local kindergarten, school or youth center, where kids can see a huge and beautiful New Year tree and take part in celebrating holiday with Santa Claus and his granddaughter Snowgirl. Children usually play games, read rhymes, sing New Year songs, dance around the tree and get candies. All children wear different costumes, the most famous are spider man, batman, hair, snowflake, princess and pirate. All kids are so cute and funny. They aren’t afraid to be ridiculous and they enjoy the whole process very much. The New Year is a holiday of believing in magic and making wishes.

One Terrible Morning ( Journal#18 )

It was the most terrible morning in my life. First, It was 3 o’clock in the morning, Sunday – I was seeing the sweet dream, only my neighbor’s dog didn’t sleep, he needed attention. I thought it wouldn’t last for a long time, but the dog was barking for two hours. I wanted to kill him however I covered my head with the pillow and tried to fall asleep again. Secondly, it was 5 a.m. when the sound of trickling water woke me up. I got up in order to check the source of the sound. The floor in my kitchen was covered with the water which was pouring from the ceiling. I rushed into the bathroom and brought a big bowl. Then I quickly gathered the water with a rag. I hurried upstairs” to talk” to my neighbor. Of course, he was not at home or he didn’t want me to know that he was at home. However he didn’t open the door. Finally, I couldn’t get into my apartment as I forgot to take my key and the door was slammed by draft. So it was 5:15 a.m. I was staying in the doorway; I was wearing my dressing gown and slippers. I had no choice I woke up my neighbor with the dog and asked him for a phone call. I don't think that he was very happy to see me at 5 o'clock in the morning. At the end I was rescued by my sister.

"Pride and Prejudice" ( Journal#16 )

There are a lot of different kinds of books – adventure stories, detectives, love novels and so on. I can say that my favorite movie is “Pride and Prejudice” drama serial with Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet and Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. First, I like this film due to professional play of actors and “ideal” casting. Finding the right actor for the film is one the most important parts of successful movie. In my opinion all main actors and actresses fit each other perfectly. They really feel their characters – manners, mimics, habits and behavior. Their professional play makes the audience think that you can find better Mr. Darcy that Colin Firth. Secondly, the film is adapted from Jane Austin’s novel “Pride and Prejudice”. But the dialogues don’t loss their impressiveness. Every speech draws your attention. How they reply for ambiguous questions and how they avoid undesirable questions and themes keep your attention all the time. In addition, it is a really beautiful movie, the see sights of nature, “Pemberley” and “Longbourne” houses, the costumes for the drama are astonishing and amazing. This movie makes me feel the spirit of that time. It always leaves a feeling of calm and happiness in my soul.

The Place I Dream to Go ( Journal#17 )

If I could visit any place in the world I will go to my country, because now I am dreaming of going home. As you know home is the best place in the world, even if you have an awesome and fun time abroad, you will think about going back to your country. The first reason is that my family and my friends are there and I miss them very much. But I can’t afford to go home now because I have to finish my study here. In addition, my country is really very far from here and I can go home maximally only once a year. For example, it took me 33 hours to come here and I assume it will take almost twice much time to go back. The second reason is that my country is the best place for me to spend my vacations because there are a lot of delightful and wonderful places to relax and enjoy my free time. I can go to the mountains with my friends and organize picnic on the fresh air. Or I can go to the Issyk-Kul Lake with my sister and enjoy mild breeze, tender sun and warm sand. Finally, fruits and vegetables have sharp flavor and scent in my country. I don’t have to worry about it is organic or not, because everything is grown in my garden. In summer when I am outside I can detect the smell of ripe apples, peaches or apricots. Now I can say that it is an amazing feeling.

Speed Ride ( Journal#15 )

Do you like extreme? When your heart almost stop beating because of fear or extreme danger. When you can’t control the situation and you are within a hair’s breadth from a possible death. I don’t like this feeling, that’s why I had never tried a high speed ride before I went with my friends to the Universal Studio. The first try was absolutely unexpected. It was an amusement park with a very peaceful name “Mummy”. I assumed that it was a museum, but my assumption was very far from the truth. It was a high speed ride in the dark. While I and my friends were going to take our places in a cart, someone told me that I could relax and enjoy an exciting “journey”. So I made myself comfortable in the seat and ready to see some wonderful pictures or scenes. When the cart began moving very fast, I realized that it was my nightmare. Thanks to God it was absolutely dark, so nobody could see my scared face with a widely opened mouth and tightly shut eyes. I screamed so loudly that it was impossible for me to hear surrounding people. Finally the cart stopped and warm humid air covered our bodies. It was terrible. My heart was beating so fast it sounded like a drum roll, my body was shaking and my brain stopped working as it was paralyzed. Other guys were excited and impressed but I didn’t share this feeling with them. When I went out only one thought came to my mind: “I love to feel firm ground under my feet.”

Important Relationships (Journal#14 )

I can’t say that I am in expert in relationship between parents and children in USA. I have been here for 2 months and I hadn’t chance to observe such kind of relationships. I know that my neighbors have three boys, but I have never met them outside, because the majority of their free time they spend in front of TV or computer. May be it is the result of hi-tech development and flourishing of home entertainment. On the other hand the reason of keeping children inside of house is parents’ anxiety for their children. Because a lot of dangers lie in wait for kids. All parents want to be sure that their child is in safe place and doesn’t experience negative influence. The best secure place for many people is their home. However parents can’t protect their child against all perils of outside world; they can’t accompany their kid all the time, twenty four hours a day. That’s why it is very important to teach and inform children how to behave themselves outside the house. Kids must know what is good and what is bad. They should feel responsibility for their actions and realize consequences of these actions. Some parents totally control their children’s every step; they try to protect their kids against making mistakes. But if children don’t make mistakes they suffer from the lack of life experience in future. Children should have failures and successes in their lives; they should learn to realize that life is not perfect and nobody is perfect. Through making mistakes kids know how to deal with this problem next time. The role of parents is to advice, not to order or command.

Amazing Place ( Journal#13 )

I came here from the small mountain country; mountains cover eighty percent of my country. But don’t think that I live on the one of Tian Chan’s peaks. I live in the Chu valley; it looks like a saucer with ranges of snowy mountains on its edge. There are six valleys and all of them are connected by the web of roads curving in the mountains. You can visit a lot of beautiful and amazing places there; unfortunately tourist sector isn’t highly developed in my country. So if you like hiking, “wild” way of life – without “five stars” hotels, and pure environment with astonishing natural see sights, my country is the best place for your vacations. Nonetheless, the pearl of Kyrgyzstan is Issyk – Kule Lake.

Issyk – Kule Lake is “lost” among the Tian Chan Mountains, it’s like an oasis in a desert, where traveler can find shelter and rest. The road runs along the shore and through a great number of villages and recreation centers. The boards with the names of guest houses constantly flash before the eyes - “Sun”, “Ray”, “Rahat”, “Golden Sand”….While visitors are looking for the place to settle, the cool and tender breeze from the lake blows into their faces and brings the smell of salt water. Vacationers as “ants” occupy every free “corner” on the shore. They enjoy warm and lulling rays of the sun, softness of the “golden” sand, purity of the gentle water, “music” of the waves and awesome view of the lake. Brightness of the blue lake blind the eyes and snowy peaks of mountains on the other lake’s side make this picture incredible.

She & He ( Journal#12 )

She and he were sitting on the bench. The yellow leaves fell to their feet. They were silent, only the man tried to say something from time to time. The woman was really upset, the sorrow and tears filled her eyes. She leaned the bench with her hand and her fingers tightened the edge of the board as she was trying to find power in it. She bowed her head and propped it up with her left arm. She was deep in her thoughts and only sudden tapping of her fingers on the face drew her back to the reality. Her straight hairs partly covered her face, but she didn’t tidy them because it was like a “wall” between her and him. Her cute features were distorted with sadness. Her lips were clasped as she didn’t want any word to come out of her mouth. Her slim and shapely body was bended under the mass of soul pain. In contrary the man changed his pose all the time. He was nervous; he shook his leg and tapped his fingers over the bench. He tried to look at her but he couldn’t; his glance wandered on the ground. The picture of his face expressed, that he was lost and he was trying to find right words. He nodded his head as he justified himself in his mind. They understood that it was the end of their affair.

Seasons ( Journal#11 )

One season changes another one, each year passes faster and faster with the time. I can’t say that I have favorite season, because every season has its charms. Spring is awakening of the nature, the snow melts, the buds swell on the trees, the birds come back from warm countries, the first flowers blossom, the air is very fresh and filled with the scent of “love”, and the sun pampers us with its first warm rays. Summer is associated with vacations and holidays. It is time of fresh vegetables and fruits. It is really hot outside as a result many people leave the town and move to the villages and dachas. Autumn is the gold season. The weather becomes cooler and rainy. Everything has bright yellow color around you - the grass and the trees. The leaves begin to fall down from trees and cover all roads, sidewalks and parks, so you can see the beautiful carpet under your feet. The smell of wet grass and soil fill the air. The last season is winter. Snowflakes whirl in the air and form white scene; the trees and houses are in snow hats, the road is like a skating rink, the air is freeze and biting, and the sun hides behind the clouds very often. People say:”There is no bad weather, there is bad mood”.

My sister ( Journal#10 )

There are many people around us all the time. Some of them are very important for us, the others are just people. But any people with whom we have closer relationships influence us in this or that way. Sometimes this influence can be positive, sometimes it is negative. As a result, we change our attitude towards different things and we change our understanding of the world as a whole. Only one person in my life has a great influence on me, it is my sister. We have ten years difference between us, but we can understand each other without words. I love her very much, she is really amazing person. She believes in people, she always tries to justify and understand people’s bad actions, like priest does. She is a very kind person; her constant readiness to help other people sometimes makes me really surprised. She is an extrovert, she can’t keep joy feelings inside of her soul, and she needs to share it with other people. At the same time she never pours out her anger or negative mood. Her sense of humor and support help me to go through difficult times in my live. Sometimes I ask myself:”How does she do it?” And I think I know the answer: “She is my angel on the earth”.

Do you believe in fate? ( Journal#9 )

Do you believe in fate? Some people say that a fortune of every person was predetermined when he/she was born. Sometimes we really can’t change a course of some events. They just happen in spite of our desires. I remember one girl; she tried to enter the same school three times. I told her:”This door is closed for you. You should try something else”. I think everybody experience the situation when they want to do something but because of some circumstances or events they can’t do it. Let’s take one more example: 11th September, many people died in this horrible day, however I knew one person he had to be in that building, but he had been late to his train. Was he lucky or it was a fortune? Some people can say it was not his time to die. May be? Anyway sometimes we can’t affect some events, but sometimes we have to choose. How many decisions do you make during the day, week, month or year? Tens, hundreds, thousands or millions… Some of them are very important, they can change your life and some of them are just daily routine. Even Adam had choice – to be mortal or to be immortal; and all of us know what his choice was. So our life is like a labyrinth with numerous doors. And it is up to you what door you will choose.