Stantasuwan,+Suchaya

Suchaya Stanyasuwan EN1313 Iyengar 01/25/11

The Story of Stuff

//The story of stuff// which was narrated by Annie Leonard is about many products in the world. She explains where stuff comes from and where it goes. After I watched this video, I learned more and realized that the material economy includes extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal.

The first process is extraction. People exploit resources in the world by cutting trees, blasting mountains, and digging land to take the materials out. It causes a depletion of resources if we are extracting too much. Although some of us try to recycle, It is not enough to replenish what we use because we are taking more than put back. I am concerned that the things I buy contribute this problem

Production is a dangerous process because it manufactures materials with toxic chemicals. It also releases toxins and sewage during production. That affects our environment, home, and health. Things that we have are from industrial factories and make contaminated products. I realized that I should wash my stuff before I use them to eliminate all those toxic products.

By keeping the prices down, sellers want people to buy products because they do not want to keep in inventory. I just knew why some stuff was so cheap and bought easily. After I watched this clip, I think about extraction, production, and the lose of natural resources when I see the cheap products.

How much do we consume a day? Today there are so many products that attract me to buy them because I am a shopping person. But after I heard that “99% of what we buy will be garbage in six months,” I want to stop buying any extravagant products to decrease consumption.

I am surprised with how much garbage we burn and how much we dump in a landfill. These methods of disposal make double toxins called dioxins. Recycling helps to eliminate garbage but it is not enough because the most cannot recycle or takes much time to recycle. So, I do not want to think of how much garbage exists in our world.

In my opinion, people create the most pollution because they work in the material economy. So, the best way to solve these problems is to take care of our world such as decreasing the number of garbage, not buying extravagant products, and growing plants. I believe that as long as we care and help each other, our world will be a lovely place to live in.

What is the novel? The novel is one of several art telling stories. Writers create an idea to narrate by using plot, fiction, and characters to attract readers.

Name Game

I interviewed Cindy Stooksberry who is a very nice person. Her name was named by her father's friend who is a doctor. When her mother was delivering her, her father's friend asked her father that what her name is. Her father did not prepare it before. So, her father's friend named her "Cynthia" Cynthia was later spelled with a "c" by the Romans-there are a number of Roman love poems. Cindy does not like Cynthia at all. She said "when she was a little girl, all her friends have pretty names such as Lisa, Laure, and Clair. So, she felt like she was vegetable among fruits. For example, Broccoli is among peach,apple, and cherry. Moreover, when she gets in trouble, people like to call her Cynthia. Cindy is used as a pet name for Cynthia. About her last name "Stooksberry" Stooks means a bunch of wheat and berry is from bearer meaning someone who carries something. So, it is originated to people who work in a field. Although she does not like her name, she uses it since she was born. She does not want to change her name because she said "she is too old."

Suchaya Stanyasuwan EN 1313 Iyengar Feb 15, 2011

Koh Lan Trip As I think back about nine years ago, I remember I was on vacation with my lovely friends during the summer. It was an amazing trip where we went to the little island of Koh Lan in the Gulf of Thailand. My friends and I rode a rented speed boat for about 30 minutes. After I got off the speed boat, I saw white and delicate sand, clear blue water, and cute little cottages. Then I looked around Koh Lan. I fell in love with this wonderful island at first sight and I thought Koh Lan was heaven on earth. There are many activities for tourists to enjoy such as snorkeling, jet skiing, and sunbathing.

First, we ate at a seafood restaurant which was located on the beach. It was decorated by artificial sea animals, and my eyes stumbled on a puffer fish that looked like a reggae balloon. Its whole body was inflated and painted red, blue, and green. After I had a seat, I ordered a huge grilled lobster with spicy Thai sauce. After we had lunch, we rode on a banana boat that was pulled by a speed boat. It had five seats and I sat in the middle with a life jacket. The captain was steering the boat to make us fall off the boat. It was fun to try to stay on the boat as long as possible. After we sharply played on the banana boat, Me and Nham who is my close friend, decided to ride a jet ski. I was in the front driving while she was holding onto me. We were excited to explore the beautiful beach of Koh Lan, and we greeted the other people who were also riding on banana boats close to us. While we were having fun, we saw something floating in the water. I rode the jet ski closer to it and found that it was a black business bag that belonged to a Chinese man. I thought it was probably a business man’s bag that got lost during his trip. This adventure brought us to a greedy situation. We decided to discuss what to do with this bag. Nham replied saying, “I’ll jump in and grab it.” When she was in the water trying to grab the bag, we both thought about sharks. If one was around her, she would be its food. Suddenly, we were nervous and screamed. I shouted, “Hurry up! Before the shark eats you.” She alarmingly grabbed the bag and got back on the jet ski. After she was safe, we laughed about what happened. She opened the bag and looked for the money and any valuable items but found nothing. We were frustrated and I could not believe what we had done. She threw the bag away disappointed. After we got back on the shoreline, we shared this story to our friends. They all laughed at us and said, “Serves you right.” We should not have wasted time to get that bag. It is hazardous to stay in water where you do not know what it is going to happen. In the evening, we sat on the beach and watched the beautiful sunset. It was definitely a good memory for us. Later on, we went to Night People Street which is a small street that has many shops along both sides of the street. There are a lot of local items such as food, drinks, clothes, and souvenirs. Thus, I bought Lay pants that Thai fishermen wear to go fishing. They are traditional pants that have two strings at the back. The seller taught me to bind the two strings around my waist and tie them at the front. It was quite difficult to wear them at first. Then I stopped at a postcard shop which sells creative handmade postcards. I bought and sent a postcard to myself about my vacation so far. We kept walking through this street until it was time to go back.

Although I was really exhausted, it was a fabulous trip. After this trip, we went to Koh Lan every summer until we graduated from high school. Every time when I see a business bag, it brings back memories of that situation and laughing. I never forgot all these good memories with my lovely friends at Koh Lan. It was a worth spending time.

Suchaya Stanyasuwan EN 1313 Iyengar Feb 15, 2011

How to Apply to Graduate School at St. Mary’s University Have you ever applied to a university? Many people pursue their educations by going to a university. The beginning of the process is applying to the university. Many people do not know how to apply. Although some people might think it is complicated to apply, I think it is not difficult if you follow the procedure. Some universities have different application procedures that are based on these main steps. The first step is reading the St. Mary’s University information on its web site. There is a lot of information about St. Mary’s University such as cost of attendance and admission information. After that, you read about the major that you would like to study. It would be helpful if you read through it to learn more in detail about what you will study. After reading this information, you should go through the requirements to see what is needed. You might want to print the check list or write them out by hand to know what to do next. Thus, checking a list of requirements is the second step. Taking a test is the third step of applying. St. Mary’s University requires the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score for international students whose English is not their first language. Moreover, graduate school also asks for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) for admission requirements. It is convenient to take these tests anywhere in the United States. The fourth step is writing the statement of purpose essay. This essay represents your attitudes and reasons why you would like to study at St. Mary’s University and how you decide on your the major. Thus, your essay helps the committees in the selection process. Providing documents is the fifth step. You have to send the official transcript and degree of the school or institution you graduated from. On the transcript, you should have a high GPA to have a chance at getting accepted. You also have to include recommendation letters that your professors write for you. Furthermore, a bank statement is necessary in this process to verify your finances. The sixth step is applying online. You go to the St. Mary’s web site and then complete the Web application. When you are done with this step, you will get the summary of the Web application by printing it out. You should keep all paperwork on file because sometimes it does not go through. It prevents you from getting in trouble. Once you have completed your paperwork, the seventh step is preparing your documents for submission. After you compile all the necessary paperwork then send them to St. Mary’s university by mail or hand it over in person. This is the last step in the graduate school application process. After sending your documents, you should track the process by checking your email or by contacting the counselor. Please check the deadline date for applying and do not be late. Let’s apply to get a higher education!

Song Kran Festival Brochure





Suchaya Stanyasuwan EN1313 Iyengar Mar, 24 2010 Movies Watching a movie is an entertaining activity which people like to do during their free time. What kind of movie do you like? Most people have a preference as to what kind of movie they enjoy. In fact, there are four kinds of popular movies in which motivate people to watch. A comedy is a kind of movie which makes audiences laugh. Story plot lines are based on humor, and comedians play funny characters. Most people who are stressed select a comedy to relieve their tension. Because of this kind of movie has a happy ending. Thus, a comedy is suitable for people who like to smile and laugh when they are watching a movie. Comedy can also be in other kinds of movies such as romantic-comedy and cartoon animation-comedy. Romance is another type of popular movie. It basically involves a man and a woman falling in love. In contrast, not all of romantic have happy ending. Some of them have obstacles before being a perfect couple. Moreover, many love stories keep audiences crying. There are several scenes in movies such as amusement, sadness, and disappointment. Romances teach people good lessons. For example, the audience can also get some tips on how to make a strong relationship with their lover from watching a romantic movie. To sum up, romance is a heartwarming story which makes audiences filled with love. One kind of movie kids would love to watch is cartoon animation. It attracts children with animated characters. In the past, they were drawn by hand in black and white. Nowadays, animators draw them into a computer to make them realistic. Film makers such as Walt Disney and Pixar are also using technology to develop the characters in a more interesting way. Moreover, cartoon animations tend to target children. Besides graphic animations, this kind of movies offers morals and lessons to children. They also understand stories easier than others. All in all, cartoon animation has always been loved among children. It is also a good movie to watch with everyone in the family. However, some people like excitement and mystery. Horror movies are a good choice for people who like scary stories. Although some people are scared, they still want to watch them. The fascination of horror is to make the audience keep afraid with excitement. The story usually happens at night or in a dark place. Moreover, directors hide secret in the plots. There are riddles waiting to be solved. The audiences want to keep watching and try finding the truth by guessing clues. At the end of movie, the truth will be revealed, but the answers might not match with the audiences. Thus, horror movies have complicated story. In conclusion, people choose to do different activities during their vacation. Watching a movie is a choice that most people enjoy. There are many selections at theaters, video stores, and on cable TV depending on one’s individual taste. Four kinds of movies can be created in a story such as romantic-comedy(Love Actually) and horror-cartoon animation(Adam Family). All movies are very fun to watch but there are moral lessons behind the story.

Insomnia Suchaya Stanyasuwan St Mary’s University Insomnia Sleeping is a necessary part of life because people sleep eight hours a day. The body restores energy lost during the day and the brain relaxes while body sleeps. Insomnia is a problem which leads people to be unhealthy. Insomnia is when people have trouble falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night, and not getting enough time to sleep. Moreover, insufficient sleep affects daily life by feeling tired, decreasing mental skills, and slowing reaction time. In fact, many people have insomnia. How much do you know about insomnia? There are two types of insomnia; temporary and chronic. Having insomnia for a short period of time is called temporary insomnia which is caused by many reasons. Today many countries are going through a recession which affects everyone’s life. Depression and stress are significant causes of temporary insomnia because the mind keeps thinking about personal problems. For example, if you lose your job you will be worried and stuck wondering about it all night. In addition, a different environment such as a change in time zone and increased noise causes trouble falling asleep. When you travel to a country which is located on another continent, you will experience jet lag after arriving there. Another cause of insomnia is taking medicine which contains the chemical substance such as caffeine. Chronic insomnia is when people have insomnia for a long period of time. Kramer (2004) assumes, “Idiopathic, which means primary, insomnia develops in childhood and persist throughout a person’s lifetime.” (p.2144). Therefore, people who have had insomnia since childhood are more likely to develop chronic insomnia. According to Fundukian and Wilson (2008), there are many ways to treat insomnia. The first one is behavioral treatments which changes your routine before going to bed. It is recommended, going to bed when you feel sleepy and not spending time on other activities. Another technique is restriction therapy which focuses on finding the amount of sleep a person needs to feel refreshed. More specifically, this technique starts out with an estimated numbers of hours believed to be a full night’s rest. As the theraphy continues, the physician may add more hours to the initial time until the patient obtains the ideal amount of sleep they need. The relaxation technique is also a form of the copy for insomnia. This therapy trains people to think clearly and to be relaxed before falling asleep. Medication treatment is another choice for insomnia. Hypnotics can cure insomnia but cannot be used more than a week because of the side effects. However, there are some medicines that are approved for long-term use. Alternative remedies such as herbs can help people with insomnia. Some herbs are safe but others are not. So, people should be cautious and consult a doctor before taking any. However, no one can decide what the best treatment for insomnia is. Fundukian and Wilson (2008) state, a treatment is chosen according to a patient’s particular symptoms. Thus, people who have insomnia should diagnose their symptoms before choosing a treatment. For example, the behavioral treatment might be best for people who like to take a nap during day. Insomnia decreases a person’s ability to function properly during a day. Many people wake up without renewed energy and a full night’s rest. Because the body needs to recharge itself for the next day, Sleeping is the best treatment. References Kramer, J. (2004). Insomnia. In K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner (Ed.), //Gale encyclopedia of science//. (3rd ed.,3vols.). Detroit: Gale Group. Retrieved April 10, 2011 from Gale Virtual Reference Library via Gale: http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CCX3418501228&v=2.1&u=txshracd2556&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w Fundukian, J.L. & Wilson, J. (Eds.). (2008). //Gale encyclopedia of Mental Health// (2nd ed.,1 vol.). Detroit: Gale Group. Retrieved April 10, 2011 from Gale Virtual Reference Library via Gale: http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CCX2699900222&v=2.1&u=txshracd2556&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w

Suchaya Stanyasuwan EN 1313 Iyengar May 2, 2011 Summary of My Name is Khan The summary of //My Name is Khan// which is an Indian movie. Khan was born in India with mental challenges. He has one younger brother, and they were raised by their mother. Among unlucky life of him, he has a special ability which is repairing electronic things. Because of his special challenges make Khan doesn’t get along with his brother. Later on, his brother left the family going to the United States. Khan lives in India until his mother passed away. He came to the United States and met his brother again in San Francisco. Since then, their relationship went well. His sister-in-law is psychologist who helps him to find out what kind of his mental challenge is. Finally, she found out that Khan gets scared noise and yellow. While he adjusts himself in new environment, he meets Kajol whom he loves at salon. Then he goes there every day and tries to make a good relationship with her. One day, her son named Sam wants to hang out, but she doesn’t have time to take him. She tells Khan to bring her son. After they spent time together, they became best friend. Khan decides to propose her, but she said no. Khan never gives up until waiting day comes around. In early morning, he brought her to the top of the mountain, and she saw the gorgeous landscape of the city. Kajol asks khan to marry her. Afterward, they prepare the wedding with happiness. In contrast, his brother disagrees because she is Hindu not Muslim like Khan. However, Khan insists to marry her, they make their own family with a new business as salon. They have nice neighbors who have a son same age as Sam. Their life goes through beautiful things. Unfortunately, the tragedy called 9/11 attack happened in the United State. Everyone responds this situation by banning Muslim, and it affects Khan’s family so much. Nobody comes to their salon, and Sam’s friends ignore him except Sam best friend. They face to bad situation that they don’t even know anything about it. This becomes worse when father of Sam best friend was sent to Afghanistan and was killed over there. Sam best friend doesn’t want to be his friend anymore. Sam is very sad from that. One day at school, Sam and his best friend are arguing. Some guys come to them and beat Sam up until he dies. Kajol suffers from Sam death. Khan tries to cheer her up, but she is furious. Kajol tells him to go away and don’t come back until he can meet the president and say, “My name is Khan I’m not a terrorist.” Khan decides to see the president. On his journey, he meet good friend and mean people. On that day, when he shouts those words standing to see the president, the reporters record him in video. Misunderstanding, people hear just terrorist that make Khan get arrested. During, he stay in prison and get treated not nice, the reporters help him by searching his profile and interviewing Khan’s brother about him. The reporters send the video to the man who can show the video to the public. After judges investigate, the result is that Khan is innocent. Kajol saw him on television, she goes to see him. Not longer, the president wants to meet Khan and Kajol. Finally, they both are invited to see the president. On that day, they speech in public about Sam case to make people realize how they suffer from 9/11 attack and how people react them.

Suchaya Stanyasuwan EN 1313 Iyengar May 2, 2011 Reaction of My Name is Khan The reaction of //My Name is Khan// which is an Indian movie. This movie is a 2001 Bollywood film directed by Karan Johar. Khan is a special challenge who is the main character. His story begins in India and continues in the United States where he decided to settle in. Khan’s life went through attempt, enthusiasm, love, happiness, and sadness. After I watched My Name is Khan, I realized that the person who was born with mental challenges can do a lot of good things. Moreover, we should not discriminate people just from their looks. In childhood, Khan was pity because he looks different from others and doesn’t have social skills. His friends teased him until his mother brought him to learn with special tutor. From the sense, I think social skills are important to connect with people. If you have good social skills, you can communicate with people and are accepted in society. It is helpful to make friends and have a good relationship with others. In this movie, I don’t blame the children who are bully, because children are innocent and have weak experiences. But their parents should teach them what good ways to treat people like Khan are. Another aspect of mother, Khan’s mother never treat him like other people do, but she fill him with her love and care. She taught him very well. She was patient to raise him. She also understood how he is. I feel love of mother is so powerful. One woman who raised her sons by herself and they became good people and succeed in their life. Not only love from his mother, but also love from a woman whom Khan loves that make him refresh. He tries to be a romantic man to make a good relationship with her. The power of love creates everything such as a perfect family. Love is such a beautiful thing in the world. Love also leads Khan to do the brave thing. He decided to go to see the president because of his wife. He isn’t afraid of anything and doesn’t hesitate to do it. I believe in love that can encourage people to do everything. Life isn’t easy and isn’t always beautiful. The tragedy causes people split up. After 9/11 attack, Khan’s family faces with sadness. Khan and his wife suffer from Sam death. Muslim became delinquent in Americans’ eyes. Most of American people ignore Muslim. They also treat Muslim like all Muslim people are a part of 9/11 attack. I understand if you anger those people who made 9/11 attack, but you shouldn’t be aggressive with all Muslim people. You should distinguish people who are innocent. In my opinion, this movie gives me several morals and good messages. First, love is an important thing can bring people to a good way. Therefore, people should think before doing anything, because consequences might directly affect their life. People never recognize it until it happens to them. I also realized that people who have mental disorders can live same as others. Sometimes, they are better than people who are normal. Thus, we shouldn’t judge people based on their looks.


 * The summaries are too brief. Try adding more details from the novel (4/1/11)**

Chapter 1 Kim was a poor Irish who was born in India and his parents passed away. He was living with a woman in Lahore. Kim meets Tibetan Lama who came to India to search the Holy River. Kim saw the old Lama and realized that Lama might need an assistant. So, he decided to become as a chela(disciple). Before he is traveling, he tells his guardian, Mahbub Ali who raised him to know about it. Ali as known as a horse trader. Ali hands the documents that Kim Ball left with him to Kim. He wants Kim give this to Englishmen in Umballa. Chapter 2 Kim and Lama took a train to Umballa. He met with diverse people while he was being on the train. Then he arrived at destination. He found the Englishman’s home. Kim heard something that the documents were all about the war plan on the border. Ali hoped Kim would deliver the documents to them. Chapter 3-4 Kim loved to make a joke. He pretended himself to be a fortuneteller. He estimated that the war at the northern border was going to happen soon. Actually, he knew that from what he heard at Englishman’s home. An old soldier, who fought on British side in great Mutiny, asked Kim many questions to make sure that what he said it is true? Kim and Lama were traveling on Grand Truck Road, a 1,500 miles route. There were many travelers who have different religious and many events going on; wedding and funeral processions marching along the road. Chapter 5 Finally, Kim arrived to an English Army regiment. He was so exciting to see the green flag which is red bull on it. Because Ali told him that his father talked about this flags. Protestant Catholic chaplain arrested Kim because he seemed like a stranger. The chaplains detected the documents which Kim carried. After that, they knew about Kim’s father used to work for British army. The Chaplains would not let him to follow along with Lama, so Kim had to stay and Lama continued on his search by himself. Chapter 6 Kim was abused by English boy who is a drummer because Kim was born in India. After that, father Victor received the letter from Lama that he wants Kim to go to school and he will take care of tuition. So, Kim attended to the Catholic school. Chapter 7- 8 Creighton, the English colonel, who had particular ability of disguise, saw Kim at St. Xavier’s then he came up and talked to Kim. Afterwards, they found out that they both knew Ali and Creighton was Ali’s friend. Creighton interested in Kim and wanted Kim to be a spy because he had a keen that was suitable for future employments as a spy. Kim decided to have his own way and disguised to a Hindu beggar. He met with Ali again. Ali worked for British army what he calls “Great Game”. Kim told Ali that he brought the documents and they were directly sent to the war at the northern border. Unfortunately, in the horse camp Kim saw something seems like strangers who were going to attack Ali. So, Kim warned him to be careful. Chapter 9 Lurgan Sahib was one of the Great Game. He was also a hypnotist and a master of disguise training Kim many things for his future work as spy. Sahib taught him by playing games in the morning. He enjoyed and had happy time to learn with Sahib during Christmas break. Chapter 10 After three years of school, when Kim was 16 years old. Ali and Sahib thought that he was ready to be a spy because Kim had learned many things to be a spy. So, he dropped out school. Kim was arranged to be a chain-man with special code to work with another chain-man. Kim started working with Son of the Charm completely.